How to check fancy number availability in Kerala

Last updated: October 2026

You check fancy number availability in Kerala on the Parivahan Sewa fancy number portal, found under Online Services. You do not need an account to search: use "Search by Number" to check one exact number, or browse "All Available Numbers" or "Show Open Series" to see every number your RTO currently has on sale. In both cases you select Kerala as the state and your own RTO code (KL-01 to KL-14, or a sub-RTO), because availability is decided per RTO, not statewide. The portal shows each available number together with its base price. If the number you want does not appear, the series is probably not open yet, since Kerala RTOs open only a few sets at a time.

Check availability without logging in

The availability search is fully public. Here is the exact flow, as documented in guides covering the Kerala process:

Open parivahan.gov.in and click "Fancy Number Allocation" under the vehicle-related services. This opens the fancy number portal (fancy.parivahan.gov.in).
Click "Search by Number", select Kerala as the state, choose your RTO, type the number you want, fill in the captcha, and submit.
To browse instead of searching, hover over "User Other Services" and click "All Available Numbers", then select Kerala and your RTO to see the full list.
Before either step, check the "Show Open Series" link: it shows which series your RTO has actually opened. Owners who have done this in Kerala recommend checking it first, because all numbers from 0001 to 9999 are never on sale at the same time.

What "available" and "not available" really mean

Availability is per RTO and per series. The lists you see mix unsold numbers from older series with numbers from the currently running series. A number that does not show up may already be booked, may not be opened yet, or may be withheld from sale entirely. There is no statewide "yes or no": the same number can be available at one Kerala RTO and unavailable at another, and it can only be allotted within the RTO where it was booked. Book at the RTO that will register your vehicle; our Ernakulam RTO page shows what an RTO profile looks like if you want to confirm your registering office.

Step by step: from availability search to confirmed booking

Once your number shows as available, the booking flow is straightforward and needs no agent:

Confirm availability first, without logging in, using the search or browse options above.
Register as a Public User on the Fancy Number Booking page: select Kerala, enter your name, email ID and mobile number, then sign up and log back in.
Open "Number Selection", choose your RTO, and pick your number from the available list (you can also type it directly).
Enter the application number of your temporary registration. Get it from the dealer who registered the vehicle, or from the Vahan SMS sent when the road tax was paid; your details auto-populate from it.
Pay the base (reserve) price the portal shows for that number. The exact figure is displayed before you pay and differs by number category and vehicle class. As a reported reference, one Kerala applicant paid Rs.3,000 for an ordinary LMV number through this flow (applicant-reported amount, not an official schedule).
Submit. If you are the only applicant, the number is reserved for you. If others applied for the same number, it moves to the e-auction described below.

If your number goes to e-auction

When more than one person applies for the same number, it is sold by auction on the same portal. A Kerala applicant who completed the whole process documents a weekly cycle, which I give here as a reported experience, not an official schedule, so confirm the current window on the portal:

Stage	Reported window
Applications collected	Monday 11 AM to Saturday 4 PM
Auction, when there are multiple applicants	Saturday 4 PM to Monday 10.30 PM
Bid increments	Multiples of Rs.1,000
Winner notified	SMS and email, with a confirmation certificate
RTO processes permanent registration	About 2 days after full payment

The highest bid stays visible on the portal throughout the auction. You pay the final amount only if you win. A losing bidder's base price is reported as refundable, and you can reapply for a different number by paying the base price again. That said, some guides describe an auction entry or participation fee as non-refundable, so read the terms the portal shows at the payment step before paying.

What the availability screen tells you about price

Every available number carries its base (reserve) price on the portal, so the search doubles as a price check. For Kerala, published guides give these tiers; our full Kerala fancy number price list has the complete category table and real auction outcomes:

Number category	Example	Base price
Top single number	0001	Rs.1 lakh
Premium repeat numbers	7777, 9999	Rs.50,000
Mid tiers	1111, 0786, 1000	Rs.10,000 to Rs.25,000
Any other available number	unlisted	A few thousand rupees; the portal shows the exact figure

The fee reserves the registration number only. The physical plates must still be legal HSRP plates fitted separately; see our HSRP price guide for Kerala for that process.

Common availability problems and what to do

Number not found in search: the series is probably not open at your RTO yet, so watch "Show Open Series" for new openings. Number vanished between search and booking: the lists change as numbers sell, so retry within the application window. Wrong RTO selected: availability is RTO-specific, so re-run the search at the RTO that will register the vehicle. Auction window missed: in the cycle Kerala applicants describe, applications close on Saturday afternoon, so apply earlier in the week.

FAQ

Do I need to log in to check fancy number availability?

No. Search by Number, All Available Numbers and Show Open Series are all visible before login. You create the Public User account only when you decide to book.

Can I book a fancy number before buying the vehicle?

The booking flow asks for the temporary registration application number, so the vehicle purchase and dealer registration normally come first. Ask the dealer to share the application number from the Vahan SMS.

Does the reserve fee include the number plates?

No. It covers the choice of registration number only; physical HSRP plates are a separate purchase with their own booking process.

Can a fancy number be moved to another vehicle later?

The portal treats each fancy booking against one registration. Reassignment is handled by the registering RTO, so confirm the current position with the RTO before assuming a transfer is possible.

Where do I find the official, current fees?

On the fancy number portal itself: every available number carries its base price, which is what you pay if nobody else applies for it. Our choice number service page summarises the service for quick reference.

Fees and auction timings change without notice. Verify all fees and rules on fancy.parivahan.gov.in and parivahan.gov.in before applying.