By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, June 6: Meghalaya has officially drawn a line on the state’s VIP culture, enforcing a strict new ‘no official, no board’ rule that forbids government nameplates from being displayed on vehicles unless the dignitary is physically sitting inside.
The Display of Name Boards on Motor Vehicles Regulations, 2026, which took effect on June 1, aims to curb the misuse of official clout by drivers or relatives when the authorized official is not present. Under these rules, name boards must be removed or suitably covered whenever the dignitary is not traveling in the vehicle.
Issued by the Transport Department under the Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, the notification specifies a restricted list of individuals authorized to display designation boards. This includes the Governor, Chief Minister, Cabinet Ministers, Speaker, MPs, MLAs, and Chief Executive Members of Autonomous District Councils. Also included are the Chief Secretary, Additional Chief Secretary, judges, magistrates, police officers, and “senior government officers”—a category that remains broad as the notification does not specify a minimum rank or grade.
The regulations mandate that boards feature a red background with white lettering, displayed at both the front and rear of the vehicle.
Significantly, the government clarified that a name board does not grant any special privilege to bypass existing laws regarding tinted glass, black films, sirens, beacons, or flashers. Despite the prevalence of such features on many official vehicles, the notification notes that these remain illegal and continue to be regulated by the Home (Police) Department.
No vehicle is permitted to display the name of a department or a designation without prior permission from the Transport Department. Any future modifications to these rules will be reviewed by a committee headed by the Chief Secretary.
