Last updated: 25 September 2026
Quick Answer: The HSRP colour coded sticker is the third registration plate, a windscreen sticker whose colour shows the vehicle's fuel. Petrol and CNG vehicles get light blue, diesel vehicles get orange, and all other vehicles get grey. BS-VI vehicles carry an extra 1 cm green strip on top, under MoRTH's June 2020 notification.
The colour coded sticker sits in the inner left-hand corner of the windscreen and carries the registering authority, registration number, laser-etched identification number and date of first registration. It's part of the High Security Registration Plate (HSRP) set, so dealers of your car's make fit it along with the front and rear plates.
At a glance
| Point | What applies |
|---|---|
| Official name | Third registration mark (often called the third registration plate) |
| Rule | HSRP Order, S.O. 6052(E) of 6 December 2018; BS-VI strip added by S.O. 1759(E) of 5 June 2020 |
| Colours | Light blue: petrol or CNG · Orange: diesel · Grey: all other vehicles |
| BS-VI vehicles | A 1 cm green strip on top of the sticker, any fuel |
| Where it goes | Inner left-hand corner of the windscreen |
| Who fits it | Dealers of the vehicle maker, booked through the authorised portal |
What do the colours on the HSRP sticker mean?
The HSRP colour sticker tells anyone checking the car what fuel it runs on. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) set the colours in its HSRP Order, S.O. 6052(E) of 6 December 2018, and added the BS-VI strip by S.O. 1759(E) of 5 June 2020.
| Fuel | Sticker colour | BS-VI vehicle |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | Light blue | Light blue + 1 cm green strip on top |
| CNG | Light blue | Light blue + 1 cm green strip on top |
| Diesel | Orange | Orange + 1 cm green strip on top |
| Any other vehicle | Grey | Grey + 1 cm green strip on top |
CNG cars don't get a green fuel sticker; they share light blue with petrol. The only green on this sticker is the thin BS-VI band, which marks the emission standard, not the fuel.
The order gives grey to "all other vehicles", meaning anything that isn't petrol, CNG or diesel.
Which vehicles need the colour coded sticker?
Cars and other vehicles with a windscreen need it. The 2018 HSRP Order supplies plates "including the third registration mark" for new and existing vehicles, and states such as Delhi enforce it on older cars.
- New cars: the dealer fits the plates and the sticker before delivery.
- Older cars: if your car has HSRP plates but no sticker, you can book the sticker on its own. Our guide to HSRP for old vehicles explains how the older-vehicle rules work.
- Bikes and scooters: the order doesn't deal with two-wheelers separately, and state price lists such as Chhattisgarh's include no third plate for them. Their compliance is the pair of HSRP plates, covered in our HSRP guide for two-wheelers.
What does the HSRP colour sticker cost?
There's no single national HSRP colour sticker price. A colour sticker for car owners is usually priced as part of the HSRP set, and each state's transport order fixes the rate for its authorised supplier.
The authorised portal shows the amount for your state and vehicle before you pay, and home fitment usually costs extra. Whatever an "hsrp sticker" listing says, only the booking screen gives your actual price.
Want it done for you? Jaagruk Bharat's team can book and track the sticker for you (see the box below).
Do you get the sticker when you book an HSRP for your car?
Yes. When you book an HSRP number plate online for your car, the colour coded sticker comes with the front and rear plates as one set, and the dealer fits all three. To book, you open the authorised booking link your state transport department points to, enter your registration and chassis details, pay, and pick dealer or home fitment.
If you'd like help with the whole plate booking, Jaagruk Bharat can book your HSRP number plate online. After booking, you can track your HSRP order status until fitment.
How do you get the colour coded sticker in Delhi?
In Delhi, the HSRP and its colour coded sticker are mandatory on new and old vehicles. The Transport Department's public notice on HSRP and colour coded stickers says so, and it authorises dealers of the vehicle maker to fit both on older vehicles.
- Open the online booking link given on the Delhi Transport Department's website.
- Book the sticker alone if your car already has HSRP plates (the notice covers HSRP "and / or" the sticker), or the full set if it doesn't.
- Pick a dealer of your car's make, or home fitment, and pay online.
Owners who skip it are liable to prosecution under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988 and the Central Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989. In March 2025, the department also told PUC centres not to issue a PUC certificate to vehicles without the third registration mark, citing a Supreme Court order of 27 January 2025.
How do you replace a damaged colour coded sticker?
You replace a damaged or missing sticker the same way you get a new one: through a dealer of your vehicle's maker. Chandigarh's transport department states that the third registration plate or any replacement sticker is supplied and fixed by the maker's dealers.
A replacement is needed when:
- the sticker is torn, faded or peeling;
- the windscreen is replaced, since the sticker stays on the old glass;
- the fuel on your registration certificate changes to one with a different colour.
Book it through the link your state transport department gives, and keep your registration certificate handy.
Let Jaagruk Bharat handle it for you
- You fill a short form: your state, registration number and the last five digits of the chassis and engine numbers.
- You pick the sticker type for your fuel, upload any documents asked for and pay online.
- You get a confirmation and can track the application.
Jaagruk Bharat is a private facilitator; the sticker is issued and fitted through the authorised supplier and your vehicle maker's dealer. Start here: apply for a colour coded fuel sticker.
