Kerala introduces KL 90 series for government vehicles, MV rules amended

KL 90, the special registration series for government vehicles, is now effective in Kerala. The Transport Department has issued a notification amending the Kerala Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, to introduce the new series. The special series of registration mark will apply to vehicles owned by the state government, central government, local self-government departments, public sector undertakings, quasi-government institutions, autonomous bodies, boards and corporations.

The Transport Department mooted the amendment in view of several instances of misuse of the Government of Kerala board in violation of the rules. As per the provisions, no transport vehicle, other than those owned or hired by the government or which have been permitted to exhibit a board by any court, shall exhibit any kind of name board indicating the name of the Department or institution or the name of the officials. 

The provision which deals with the prohibition of exhibiting nameboards in motor vehicles enlists specific designated people/departments for exhibiting boards showing the name of the government, the department, or the designation of the officer. The list includes the Governor, the MLAs, the MPs, the ministers, the District Collector, the head of a central/state government department, constitutional authority or a statutory body, vehicles owned by public sector undertakings, universities, government law officers, central government counsels of the High Court and all judicial officers.

The government decided to amend the rules since the prevailing rules do not have a provision for assigning a separate exclusive registration mark for government vehicles. The preliminary notification was issued in July 2025, inviting objections. The department did not receive any objection and the amendment has been declared effective in the state. 

As per the amendment, a group of letters and registration code of vehicles owned by the State Transport Undertaking, other than motor cars and jeeps owned by such undertaking, shall be KL 15. 

The vehicles owned by or on behalf of the state government shall be KL 90 and a series of numbers, and after the expiry of the existing series of numbers, the group of letters and registration code shall be followed by the alphabet D and a series of numbers. For the vehicles owned by or on behalf of the central government department, autonomous bodies or institutions controlled by the central government, the registration number shall be KL 90 followed by the alphabet A and series of numbers. After the expiry of existing series of numbers in alphabet A, the group of letters and registration code shall be followed by the alphabet E and a series of numbers.

The vehicles owned by the local self-government departments shall be KL 90 followed by the alphabet B and a series of numbers. After the expiry of the existing series of numbers in alphabet B, the group of letters and registration code shall be followed by alphabet F and a series of numbers.

The vehicles of quasi government institutions, autonomous bodies, boards, corporations and any other institutions, vehicles owned by universities other than deemed universities and vehicles owned by State Transport Undertaking shall be KL 90 followed by the alphabet C and series of numbers and after the expiry of existing series of numbers in alphabet C, the group of letters and registration code shall be followed by the alphabet G and series of numbers.