HC Vehicle Registration Plates

Convention on Vehicle License Plates in the Himalayan Confederacy

1. In order to promote their common weal and to further collaboration among the Members of the Himalayan Confederacy in regard to transportation on the public roads of the Member Nations, the Signatory Nations enter into this Convention regulating the Vehicle Registration Plates of any wheeled vehicle that will travel on the roads, streets, and highways of the member nations.
2. To effect this licensing, the following regulations are set down:
   1. All Vehicle Registration Plates shall be in the form of ABC-1234. This designation shall be in Latin letters and Hindu numerals.
   2. The first letter designates the Member Nation:
      1. B – Bhutan
      2. L – Lo
      3. N – Nepal
      4. S – Sikkim
   3. The second letter designates the province as used in the postal codes of the member nations. A complete list may be found in Appendix 1 of this Convention.
   4. The third letter designates the use to which the vehicle is put:
      1. C – Privately owned (citizen), white lettering on red
      2. G – Government owned, white lettering on black
      3. B – Buses and trolleys, white lettering on green
      4. T – Taxis, yellow lettering on red
      5. H – Heavy vehicle, black lettering on red
      6. P – Police, black lettering on light blue
      7. M - Military; the location designation for such vehicles shall be that of the province in which the military base for which the vehicle was purchased is located, dark green on light green
      8. R – Royal family, dark blue on light blue
   5. The hyphen between the two parts of the designation may be replaced by an emblem of the nations, no two of which may be the same.
   6. The four-digit number is unique to each Plate. They shall be issued in sequential order from 0001 to 9999. When 9999 is reached, an alphanumeric designation shall be used: A001 to A999, B001 to B999, etc.
   7. If the vehicle is sold, inherited or totally destroyed, the Plates are returned to the Member Nation’s agency which administers vehicle registration. A new owner must re-register the vehicle.
   8. These Plates are to be placed on both the front and the back of the vehicle, with the exception of bicycles, motorcycles, and animal-drawn conveyances.
   9. Registration Plates for vehicles belonging to the diplomatic corps shall be designated by the letter of the country plus DC. Cars bearing these plates have the diplomatic immunity accorded by the member nation.
   10. Registration Plates for vehicles belonging to the Himalayan Confederacy shall be designated by the letter of the country plus HC.
3. The registration of vehicles and the licensing of drivers remains to the governments of the Member Nations.
4. We, the Signatories, sign this Convention on April 25, 1980. It will become effective on January 1, 1981.

Signatories:

• For His Royal Majesty, Jigme Singi Pelbar Bista, Gyalpo of Lo:
• For His Royal Majesty, Palden Thondup Namgyal, Chogyal of Sikkim:
• For His Royal Majesty, Birendra Bir Bikram, Maharajadhiraja of Nepal:
• For His Royal Majesty, Jigme Singye Wangchuk, Gyalpo of Bhutan:

• The United Maharajadom became a Signatory in 1984.
  • The following first letters designate Jammu and Kashmir:

1. J – Jammu
2. K – Kashmir

• For His Royal Majesty, Karan Singh, Maharaja of Jammu and Kashmir:

• The Kingdom of Ladakh became a Signatory in 1985.
  • The following first letter designates Ladakh:

1. D – Ladakh

• For His Royal Majesty, Tenzin Jigme Namgyal, Chogyal of Ladakh: