KL RTO code list: every Kerala RTO code with office and jurisdiction

Last updated: October 2026

The direct answer: Kerala's Motor Vehicles Department runs 18 Regional Transport Offices (RTOs) and 69 Sub-Regional Transport Offices (SRTOs), plus 14 enforcement RTOs that only handle road safety enforcement. The familiar codes KL-01 to KL-14 are the district offices created in 1989. KL-15 is reserved for KSRTC vehicles, KL-16, KL-17 and KL-18 are later district-level offices (Attingal, Muvattupuzha, Vadakara), and KL-90 is a newer code for government vehicles. Everything from KL-19 to KL-86 is a sub-regional office created mostly in 2006 and later. The full code-to-office tables are below, with each office's taluk and district.

The 14 district RTO codes (KL-01 to KL-14)

These are the original codes assigned when the KL series began in 1989. Each is headed by a Regional Transport Officer and covers the taluk named against it. Vehicles bought new in, say, Kochi city carry KL-07, while a new vehicle in Kozhikode city carries KL-11.

Our site has a dedicated page for each of these offices; for example the KL-01 Thiruvananthapuram RTO page and the KL-07 Ernakulam RTO page carry the office address, timings and contact details we hold for that office.

The other regional codes: KL-15, KL-16, KL-17, KL-18 and KL-90

Five codes do not follow the district pattern:

KL-15 and KL-90 are not offices you walk into for a personal licence or registration job; they exist so state transport and government fleets carry their own identifiable series.

Sub-regional transport offices: KL-19 to KL-86

Each sub-regional office is headed by a Joint Regional Transport Officer and handles the same registration and licence services as a district RTO, but for a smaller jurisdiction. Most were created in 2006, with later batches added in 2011, 2013, 2018 and 2020. Find your office by the taluk against it.

Which office should you visit? How to pick the right code

1. For a new vehicle, the dealer handles it. The registering authority is fixed by the address on your application, so most buyers simply end up with the code of the nearest office. If you buy in Kochi but live in Aluva taluk, the vehicle gets KL-41, not KL-07.
2. Match your taluk to the table above. Your vehicle's existing registration number already tells you where it is registered, and that office is where your records sit. A KL-39 plate means Thripunithura; a KL-41 plate means Aluva.
3. Online applications ask for the office explicitly. On the Vahan and Sarathi portals you select Kerala, then the RTO from a dropdown. Pick the office that matches your address's taluk, not the one nearest your workplace.
4. Moved within Kerala? Your records follow your registered address. If you have genuinely shifted, record the change of address in the RC (Form 33) at the new office before applying for other services, so renewals, transfers and challan correspondence land in the right file.

Office addresses and phone numbers

Addresses and phone numbers change more often than code lists, so the safest source is the Kerala Motor Vehicles Department's own office list on mvd.kerala.gov.in (it was unreachable at the time of research; retry it before planning a visit). Two examples as currently listed in public RTO directories, to be verified before you travel: the KL-01 Thiruvananthapuram RTO is listed at the 5th floor of the KSRTC Terminal, Thampanoor, Thiruvananthapuram 695023, helpline 0471-2339223, with reported office hours of 10 AM to 5 PM; the KL-11 Kozhikode RTO is listed at Civil Station, Malaparamba, Kozhikode 673020, helpline 0495-2371705. Treat directory entries as a starting point, not as confirmed, and call ahead if you are coming from far.

The old codes (before 1989)

If you see a vintage Kerala vehicle, its plate may carry one of the codes used before the KL series began. A few of the common ones: Thiruvananthapuram KLT and KRT, Kollam KLQ and KRQ, Alappuzha KLA and KRA, Kottayam KLK and KRK, Ernakulam KLE and KRE, Thrissur KLR and KRR, Palakkad KLP and KRP, Malappuram KLM and KRM, Kozhikode KLD and KRD, Kannur KLC and KRC, Wayanad KLW, Kasaragod KLS, and KSRTC KLX. These plates are still legal on the vehicles that originally received them.

FAQs

Where is KL-39?

KL-39 is the Thripunithura sub-regional transport office in Ernakulam district, covering Kanayannur taluk. It was created in 2006.

Where is KL-41?

KL-41 is the Aluva sub-regional transport office in Ernakulam district, covering Aluva taluk. It was also created in 2006.

What is KL-15?

KL-15 is a special series registered in Thiruvananthapuram for KSRTC (nationalised sector) vehicles, in use since 1989. It is not an office you visit for personal vehicle work.

How many RTO offices are there in Kerala?

The Motor Vehicles Department lists 18 Regional Transport Offices and 69 Sub-Regional Transport Offices, plus 14 enforcement RTOs that deal with Motor Vehicles Act enforcement and road safety rather than registrations.

Can I register my vehicle at a different office than my address?

Registration is tied to the owner's address, so the serving office is the one whose jurisdiction covers that address. If you have moved, update the address in the RC first.

Do fancy number auctions differ by RTO?

Yes. Choice and fancy numbers are reserved per registering authority, so the open series and the auction list you see depend on the code. Our guides to checking fancy number availability and the fancy number price list explain how the per-RTO reservation works.

Where can I verify a code or office?

The primary sources are parivahan.gov.in (Vahan and Sarathi list every Kerala office in their dropdowns) and the Kerala MVD website, mvd.kerala.gov.in. Fees and rules change without notice; verify office details there before a visit.

Codes, jurisdictions and office details change without notice. Verify all fees and office details on parivahan.gov.in or mvd.kerala.gov.in before paying or visiting. This guide reflects the Kerala RTO office list as documented in October 2026.