Most of you must have seen A/F written on the number plate of a vehicle running on the road at some time or the other. Usually it is seen on new vehicles. Despite being very common, many people do not know its meaning.
You must have seen A/F written in place of registration on the number plate of many vehicles. Many times you must have thought about what it means. But there will be very few people who know its meaning. You will find that the vehicles on whose number plate this is written are usually brand new vehicles. Permanent numbers have not been assigned to those vehicles yet. Therefore, A/F is written in place of those numbers.
But this does not make it clear what it means. Let us tell you that A/F is related to that registration number which has not come yet. It means Applied For, that is, the owner of the vehicle has applied for a permanent registration number.
Why is it necessary to write this?
This is because driving a vehicle without registration in India is a legal offense. After leaving the showroom, the vehicle should have a registration number. However, it takes some time for new vehicles to get the number from the RTO. A/F is written to indicate this very thing. So that no fine is imposed on the vehicle owner while driving on the road.
Till when can A/F be applied
Having A/F written in place of the number plate is valid only till you do not get the permanent number. Once you have the registration number, you cannot write it on the number plate. Usually 1 week’s time is given for this. This is because the RTO usually issues you a permanent registration number within 1 week. Many times, due to the mistake of the dealership, the drivers get into trouble because they are not able to deliver the registration number to the driver on time. In such a situation, you can file a complaint with the RTO.
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