No Immediate Penalty for Failure to Install Embossed Number Plates: DoTM

The Department of Transport Management (DoTM) has assured that vehicle owners will not face penalties for failing to install embossed number plates despite the government’s decision to make them mandatory from September 17. The clarification comes amid widespread rumors that defaulters would face fines or imprisonment starting mid-September.

The department, in a press release, dismissed such reports as false and urged vehicle owners to voluntarily visit their respective transport offices to install the plates and support the digitization drive. It further stated that necessary infrastructure and manpower have been arranged at both central and provincial levels to facilitate smooth installation, with additional resources to be deployed as needed.

The clarification follows the government’s recent decision to enforce embossed number plates on all vehicles across the country from September 17, 2025. The move was endorsed during an inter-governmental coordination meeting chaired by Minister for Physical Infrastructure and Transport Devendra Dahal on August 5.

Read: Embossed Number Plates Mandatory from September 17

The meeting resolved that all provincial Transport Management Offices must implement the installation of embossed number plates during vehicle registration, ownership transfer, and renewal processes from the set date.

Transport Sector Seeks Full Preparations Before Enforcement

Transport workers’ unions have criticized the government’s plan, urging it to ensure full readiness before making embossed number plates compulsory. In a joint statement, Nepal Transport Workers’ Association, Nepal Transport Independent Workers’ Organization, and All Nepal Transport Workers’ Association called for domestic production of plates at concessional rates and guarantees on data security.

“Even after a decade of introducing the embossed number plate system, the government has failed to ensure effective implementation,” said Dharma Raj Bhandari, President of Nepal Transport Workers’ Association. “When the government has not even been able to print driver’s licenses on time—forcing citizens to wait up to two years—enforcing this system on millions of vehicles appears unrealistic and questionable.”

The unions also objected to recent notices that, according to them, contradict the provision requiring both Devanagari and English scripts on the plates.

DoTM, however, clarified the language use on the plates, citing a Supreme Court Constitutional Bench ruling that confirmed the use of English script, as stipulated in the agreement, does not violate constitutional or legal provisions.

Read: Installation of Embossed Number Plates Not So Encouraging