9,599 fancy numbers were sold in Chandigarh in 2023: RLA data
The biggest splurge came in 2025, when CH01DA0001 was auctioned for a whopping Rs 36.43 lakh, making it the most expensive fancy number sold in the last five years.
The craze for premium numbers is best reflected in the record-breaking auctions. (Express Photo) Chandigarh’s fascination with fancy and VIP vehicle registration numbers has turned into a major revenue generator for the city’s Registering and Licensing Authority (RLA), with collections crossing Rs 126 crore in the last five years.
Official data of RLA, Chandigarh, shows that between 2021 and 2025, as many as 40,872 city residents paid premium prices to secure special number plates for their vehicles.
The figures underline how deeply rooted the craze for “lucky” and distinctive numbers has become among motorists. Combinations like 0001, 1111 and repeating digits continue to trigger intense bidding, especially among owners of high-end vehicles.
Between 2021 and 2025, the highest demand was recorded in 2023, when 9,599 fancy numbers were sold. This was followed by 9,055 numbers in 2022 and 8,752 allotments in 2024. Demand, however, dipped in 2025, when 7,299 numbers were issued, though it remained higher than the 6,167 numbers sold in 2021.
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