Pune will retain its MH-12 vehicle registration identity after the Regional Transport Office (RTO) proposed a new format labelled MH-12 1A to extend the existing series. The proposed format places a digit and a letter after the MH-12 code and is designed to expand the number of available registrations without changing the city identifier. Authorities described the move as the first digit letter series of its kind in the country and said it would preserve Pune's long-standing registration code.

The Pune RTO is issuing registrations under the final ZZ series of MH-12 and officials said the series is nearing its limit. The office evaluated alternatives and found that a three letter series was not feasible, prompting the submission of the MH-12 1A proposal to the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH). MoRTH will consider the plan and assess technical and administrative aspects before any approval is granted.

Until the new series is formally introduced vehicles purchased in Pune will be registered under the temporary MH-61 code to ensure continuity. The arrangement aims to prevent disruption during the upcoming festive season and to allow dealers and buyers to complete transactions without delay. Vehicle owners who receive MH-61 plates in the interim will be allowed to transfer to the MH-12 1A series later upon payment of a nominal fee as outlined in the proposal.

The shift away from a permanent change of the MH-12 identity followed representations by local leaders and the intervention of the Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation and Cooperation Murlidhar Mohol, who approached the Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari seeking continuity. The ministerial exchange elicited a positive response from the transport minister and the proposal moved forward for formal consideration. A draft notification proposing the new registration format is expected to be published soon and will invite objections and suggestions from the public before the series is finalised and introduced.