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Sri Lanka's Motor Traffic Department to Resume Number Plate Issuance by Late May, Addressing 400,000-Vehicle Backlog
The Pulse
EconomyPoliticsGeneralHOTThursday, April 23, 2026

Sri Lanka's Motor Traffic Department to Resume Number Plate Issuance by Late May, Addressing 400,000-Vehicle Backlog

TLDR

  • DMT to resume number plate issuance by late May.

  • 413,000 vehicles lack plates; procurement finalized for late May.

  • New system allows names on number plates, replacing English letters.

  • Rs. 1.18 billion earned from 100,000 special registration numbers.

The Department of Motor Traffic (DMT) has announced that the issuance of standard registration number plates for new vehicles will resume by late May this year. This development was revealed during a session where DMT officials appeared before the parliamentary Committee on Public Finance (CoPF). The committee learned that approximately 413,000 vehicles are currently operating on Sri Lankan roads without proper number plates due to previous delays in issuance. Furthermore, the DMT plans to introduce a new system allowing vehicle owners to obtain personalized number plates displaying their names, with implementation expected within the next six months. CoPF Chairman Harsha de Silva noted the prior inclusion of provincial identifiers on plates, which have since been removed.

2 Updates

Update #3\u00b7 Apr 25 · 9:02 AM

The Motor Traffic Department (MTD) is developing a system to allow vehicle owners to display their names on number plates instead of English letters. This initiative, which is common in many countries, was disclosed by an MTD official during a session of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance. During the same committee session, MTD officials also revealed that the department has generated approximately Rs. 1.18 billion in revenue from issuing 100,000 special vehicle registration numbers.

Update #2\u00b7 Apr 24 · 12:38 AM

The Motor Traffic Department (MTD) confirmed that 413,000 vehicles are currently operating without proper number plates due to issuance delays. This updated figure was revealed during a session of the Parliamentary Committee on Public Finance, where MTD officials were summoned to provide information. Officials further informed the committee that procurement procedures for number plates have been finalized, reaffirming the department's expectation to resume issuance by late May.

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