In the past under British rule, Sri Lanka used characters for vehicle identification. In the past, vehicle registration in Sri Lanka utilised alphanumeric combinations like “EN” for cars (from CEYLON) and “IC” for heavy vehicles. However, following the country’s Independence, the system shifted to numbers, such as “1 Sri” for cars and “22 Sri” for heavy vehicles. Later on, in the late eighties, the format evolved further, replacing “Sri” with a hyphen (-) in the registration method. This was due to concerns that the Sinhalese letter “Sri” would hurt the sentiments of other communities.
The implementation of standardised number plates became necessary to check the rise in crime associated with fake number plates, as well as instances of multiple motor vehicles bearing the same number. This was because anyone could make a number plate and affix it to a vehicle. Consequently, the Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) initiated the issuance of special number plates based on German technology, commencing on June 2, 2000, with the GA series. This replaced the former 300, 54, 62 and other such numerical series for various categories of vehicles.
Through the new number plate, information such as the Province of residence of the vehicle owner, the type of fuel used by the vehicle, and whether it belonged to a foreign embassy, High Commission office, or a United Nations (UN) organisation could also be discerned. At one point, vehicles imported on various concessionary permits had the fuel type marked in red on the number plate. The province was indicated at that time mainly for security reasons, as it would make it easy for the law enforcement in any Province to stop and check a vehicle from another Province.
Accordingly, the Province of first registration was denoted by two letters – WP (Western Province), SP (Southern Province), CP (Central Province), NP (Northern Province), EP (Eastern Province), UP (Uva Province), NW (North Western Province), SG (Sabaragamuwa Province) and NC (North Central Province). Similar number plates are used in many other countries.
Extra expense
Thus, when a vehicle from one Province was purchased by someone residing in another Province, the vehicle’s number plate also had to be changed to reflect the new owner’s province, incurring an extra expense for the new owner because the new owner was required to pay an additional fee to the DMT.
Under the current fee structure, this amounted to Rs.4,500 for motor vehicle (any type) number plates and Rs.3,500 for motorcycle/scooter number plates.
The new vehicle owners were required to visit either the DMT head office or the District Secretariat to obtain the new number plates. Interestingly, driving without installing the new number plate after a Province change was not considered a legal offence, so new owners may not have faced any immediate consequences for not doing so. In fact, many opted not to change the number plates, due to the hassle and red tape involved in the process.
Motor Traffic Commissioner General Nishantha Anuruddha Weerasinghe said that this issue has led to some individuals continuing to use the old number plates after purchase. Consequently, the revenue that should have been allocated to each Provincial Council (PC) was not appropriately distributed. He said there were instances of vehicles being registered or driven under the names of previous owners, contributing to widespread issues across the island.
Obtaining a new number plate from the DMT when changing provinces may seem straightforward. According to him, however, many individuals find it cumbersome or overlook the task of returning to the department or district offices on another day to complete the process after transferring the vehicle.
Once the paperwork is completed, little attention is given to obtaining the new number plate. Around 50,000 such number plates had accumulated at the DMT and DS offices island-wide. In some instances, practical challenges may arise for customers further complicating the process, he said.
“Recognising the challenges posed by this situation, it became imperative to address issues arising from the provincial allocation of number plates. Consequently, the practice of including provinces on number plates was discontinued,” he said. This was also helped by the improved security situation following the end of the war. The fuel type is also no longer displayed on the number plate.
Authenticity
From December 2, 2019, a new initiative was introduced for motor vehicle number plates, incorporating stickers equipped with RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) technology. This will help Police and other agencies to check the authenticity of a given vehicle.
As per the amendments, the Motor Vehicles (Miscellaneous) Orders outlined in Government Extraordinary Gazette Notification No. 2352/29, dated October 5, 2023, were revised.
Under the revised orders, the issuance of number plates for various vehicle classes will no longer include letters indicating the nine Provinces. Instead, vehicles belonging to the diplomatic missions in Sri Lanka will be issued number plates with the letters “DP,” while those belonging to the United Nations will be issued number plates with the letters “UN” for any new registrations.
Customers can also request forward on future numbers at an extra cost. For example, while the current number series for cars and SUVs is CBM, customers can request numbers all the way up to CBW. Many new owners of cars have opted for such number plates. The DMT had also studied the possibility of issuing personalised number plates, as done in the UK and the UAE.
Starting from January 1, 2025, the requirement for letters indicating the Province on car and other vehicle number plates will be completely abolished. This decision, aimed at enhancing public convenience, has been initiated by the Minister of Transport, Highways, and Mass Media, Dr. Bandula Gunawardena.
Thus it will no longer be necessary to change the number plate if the buyer of a used car is from a different Province. With the Government planning to relax import controls on private passenger vehicles from next year, there will be a bigger demand for vehicle number plates and more cars are also likely to be sold to finance the purchase of new models.
