Sarathi and Vahan state selection: codes and finder
Last reviewed: 12 November 2026
State finder
The first thing Sarathi asks is your state. Every driving licence service, from a learner licence to renewal, runs on the state’s own setup within the national system, with its own fees, appointment slots, document rules and RTO list. Choosing the wrong state is one of the most common reasons an application cannot go ahead. The state list gives every state and union territory option on Sarathi, with the two-letter code it uses, a finder that matches old names and common spellings, and guidance on which state to pick when you have moved.
Open Sarathi state selection or the Vahan citizen services portal.
Why the right state matters
- Fees include state additions on top of the central fee, so the amount differs by state.
- Appointments for tests and document checks are at RTOs in the state you choose.
- Documents marked “may be required in some states” on Parivahan’s pages depend on your state.
- Your record may sit in one state’s database; services on it are applied for in the state where you now live, and the record is updated.
On Vahan, you usually start with the vehicle’s registration number instead, and the portal routes you to the state where the vehicle is registered. For a new registration or temporary registration, the dealer or registering authority in your state handles the application.
State finder
Type your state or union territory as you would normally write it: an old name such as Orissa, Uttaranchal or Pondicherry, a short form such as J&K or DNH, or a common misspelling. The finder shows the exact option to choose in Sarathi’s list and its code. It also recognises some well-known cities, such as Mumbai, Bengaluru, Gurugram or Noida, and tells you the state they are in. If the finder cannot match what you typed, it tells you the name is not on Sarathi’s list, and you can pick the state from the full state list.
The finder only searches the Sarathi state list.
Every state and UT on Sarathi
These are the options in Sarathi’s state list, with the two-letter codes Sarathi uses for them. The codes identify the state on the portal; they are not a list of vehicle registration series.
| State or UT on Sarathi | Code |
|---|---|
| Andaman and Nicobar | AN |
| Andhra Pradesh | AP |
| Arunachal Pradesh | AR |
| Assam | AS |
| Bihar | BR |
| Chandigarh | CH |
| Chhattisgarh | CG |
| Delhi | DL |
| Goa | GA |
| Gujarat | GJ |
| Haryana | HR |
| Himachal Pradesh | HP |
| Jammu and Kashmir | JK |
| Jharkhand | JH |
| Karnataka | KA |
| Kerala | KL |
| Ladakh | LA |
| Lakshadweep(UT) | LD |
| Madhya Pradesh | MP |
| Maharashtra | MH |
| Manipur | MN |
| Meghalaya | ML |
| Mizoram | MZ |
| Nagaland | NL |
| Odisha | OD |
| Pondicherry | PY |
| Punjab | PB |
| Rajasthan | RJ |
| Sikkim | SK |
| Tamil Nadu | TN |
| Telangana | TG |
| Tripura | TR |
| UT of DNH and DD | DD |
| Uttarakhand | UK |
| Uttar Pradesh | UP |
| West Bengal | WB |
Old and new names
Several names have changed over the years, and older documents may still use them:
- Orissa is now Odisha.
- Uttaranchal is now Uttarakhand.
- Pondicherry is officially Puducherry, but Sarathi still lists it as Pondicherry.
- Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu are now one union territory, listed on Sarathi as UT of DNH and DD.
- Ladakh is a separate union territory from Jammu and Kashmir and has its own option.
- Telangana was formed from Andhra Pradesh; residents of Hyderabad choose Telangana.
Which state to choose
Choose the state where you live or carry on business now, not where you were born or where your licence was first issued.
- New learner or driving licence: the state of your current address, shown on your proof of address.
- Renewal, duplicate or changes: Rule 18 says renewal goes to any licensing authority in the state where you ordinarily reside or carry on business. The Sarathi FAQ says you can renew in a different state by applying to the RTO for your present address, with a change of address, and no NOC is needed if your licence is in the Sarathi database.
- Licence not found: if Sarathi cannot find your licence in your new state, the issuing RTO may need to make a backlog entry first.
For vehicles, the RC stays with the state where the vehicle is registered until you get a new registration mark.
Moving state: licence and vehicle steps
| Item | What to do |
|---|---|
| Driving licence | Change address on Sarathi, new state |
| Vehicle, under 12 months | Keep RC, NOC not yet needed |
| Vehicle, over 12 months | NOC (Form 28), then Form 27 |
| RC address | Form 33 on Vahan |
| BH series vehicle | No new mark needed |
See licence address change, driving licence renewal, NOC and re-registration and vehicle registration.
Common mistakes when choosing a state
- Picking the state on your old licence. Choose where you live now; the record follows you.
- Choosing by city name. Sarathi lists states and union territories, not cities. Delhi is listed as Delhi; Gurugram is in Haryana and Noida in Uttar Pradesh.
- Missing the merged UT. Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Daman and Diu all come under one option.
- Starting again after an error. If you picked the wrong state and already paid, do not pay again in another state. The Sarathi FAQ says payments go to the treasury and are not refunded automatically; contact the transport department or RTO about the first payment.
- Using lookalike sites. The state list is only on sarathi.parivahan.gov.in. Sites that ask you to pick a state and then ask for payment or personal details outside parivahan.gov.in are not official.
State transport websites and Parivahan
Each state’s transport department has its own website with local notices, office addresses, holidays and state-specific rules, such as additional documents or tax rates. The applications themselves run on Sarathi and Vahan under parivahan.gov.in. The Sarathi state page warns that driving licence, vehicle and eChallan services are only available through parivahan.gov.in and the Nexgen mParivahan app, and that you should not click suspicious links or use unknown apps.
Frequently asked questions
Which state should I select on Sarathi?
The state where you live or carry on business now. If you have moved, choose the new state and include a change of address.
I can’t find my state’s old name. What do I do?
Use the finder, or check the old and new names in the renamed-states section. For example, Orissa is listed as Odisha, and Puducherry appears under its old name, Pondicherry.
Do I need an NOC to get licence services in a new state?
No, as long as your licence is in the Sarathi database, according to the Sarathi FAQ. Apply with a change of address.
Is Hyderabad in Andhra Pradesh or Telangana on Sarathi?
Telangana.
What do the two-letter codes mean?
They are the codes Sarathi uses to identify each state on the portal. Your licence number usually starts with your state’s letters, but the codes here are for choosing the portal, not for decoding numbers.
Can I apply in the state where I work instead of where I live?
Yes, for renewal. Rule 18 allows renewal by a licensing authority in the state where you ordinarily reside or carry on business. Use the address you can prove.
Where do I find my RTO?
After you choose your state on Sarathi, the application screens list the RTOs in that state. Pick the one for your address.
Related: learner licence, driving licence renewal, NOC and vehicle registration.