The Department of Motor Traffic plans to clear the long-standing backlog of pending vehicle license plates within the next six months, Commissioner General of Motor Traffic Air Vice Marshal (Retd.) Tushara Indunil Fernando said.
He said once the backlog is cleared, vehicle owners will be able to receive their permanent number plates within seven days of registering a vehicle.
Fernando said a contract awarded on March 10 has already resulted in the production of nearly 60,000 license plates, while around 32,000 plates from the 2023–2024 period remain to be collected by vehicle owners.
He said the department currently faces a shortfall of around 320,000 license plates and will sign an additional contract next week to accelerate production. Contractor South Technologies will also operate double shifts as part of efforts to clear the backlog.
Meanwhile, the Department has introduced green-coloured number plates for electric vehicles under the Ministry of Transport’s “Green Sri Lanka” initiative.
Fernando said the green plates, symbolising zero tailpipe emissions and environmental protection, will be issued to all electric vehicles, including cars, SUVs and motorcycles, with plates displayed at both the front and rear.
Addressing concerns over police enforcement of temporary number plates, Fernando said police authorities had been clearly briefed on the approved formats. He urged motorists not to use unauthorised customised plates, including white numbers on black or red backgrounds.
He said vehicles using the standard temporary number plate format—white at the front and yellow at the rear—would remain valid while the Department works to issue permanent plates.
