Greek car number plates

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Greek car number plates are composed of three letters and four digits per plate (e.g. AAA-1000). The letters represent the district that issues the plates while the numbers begin from 1000 and reach 9999. The same plates but with digits beginning from 1 and ending with 999 are issued to motorbikes that exceed 50 cc.

Except Athens and Thessaloniki (Salonica), all other districts are represented by the first 2 letters while the third changes after 9,000 issued plates. For example Patras district plates are AXA-1000, where AX represents the Achaia district in which Patras is the capital. When AXA-9999 is reached the plates turn to AXB-1000 and this continues until AXX is finished. The letters used are only from the intersection between the Latin and Greek alphabets by glyph appearance, namely A, B, E, Z, H, I, K, M, N, O, P, T, Y, X (in Greek alphabetical order), however Greek B, H, P, and X don't have the same meaning as in the English alphabet.

The combinations used for overseas residents are L-DDDD (where L = letter and D = digit) and are limitedly used. Some vehicles (e.g. sport utility vehicles) and tractors are not part of this system; they are given DDDDD. Until 2003, taxis used L-DDDD; the plate was aligned with the prefecture and the letters were colored red.

Contents

[edit] History

When license plates were introduced to Greece, they were numbered and in the late 1950s the system was D-DDD and DD-DDD. In the 1960s, the system was DDD-DDD. They became lettered in 1972 and the system was LL-DDDD while trucks used L-DDDD until the 1983, when they changed to LLL-DDDD and now use this present system.

[edit] Car designations

[edit] In Greek alphabetical order

The first 2 letters (which are listed below) of a licence plate usually represent the prefecture (nomos) where the car was registered. The almost full list of plates in Greece is below (next to the prefecture / district is its capital or an area within the prefecture that the plates are issued; some prefectures have more than one combination):

  • EB Evros prefecture - Alexandroupoli (EBB is omitted) (last seen: EBH)
  • EE Pella prefecture - Edessa (EEE is omitted)
  • EH Euboea (Evia) prefecture - Chalkida {motorcycles}
  • EZ Cyclades prefecture - Ermoupoli {motorcycles}
    • EK [A, B, E] (introduced maybe in 2003/2004, yellow colored) {trucks and other vehicles used for national (interprefectural and interaerial?) transport of goods}
  • EM Cyclades prefecture - Ermoupoli
  • EP Serres prefecture - Serres
  • ET Corfu (Kerkyra) prefecture - Kerkyra {motorcycles}
  • EY Lefkada prefecture - Lefkada (EYA plates are also issued in Rodos Island due to lack of PON plates at this time)
    • EY [Y] (red letters?) {tax free cars - offshore companies}
  • ME Aitoloakarnania prefecture - Messolongi
  • MH Lesvos prefecture - Limnos island
  • MI Phthiotis (Fthiotida) prefecture - Lamia (MII is omitted)
  • MO Samos prefecture - Samos (MOK,MOM and MOP plates for motorcycles were also issued in Rodos Island due to lack of PKM plates at that time)
    • MO [I, O, Y] (red letters) {tax free cars} (run out)
  • MY Lesvos prefecture - Mytilini (MYZ plates were also issued for cars in Rodos Island due to lack of POM plates at that time)

[edit] Special plates

Vehicles that belong to public services and armed forces use special license plates with the following letter combinations followed by numbers:

  • ΑΜ (Αγροτικά Μηχανήματα, Agrotika Mekhanemata) — Agricultural vehicles
  • ΑΝΠ (Ανάπηροι Πολέμου, Anaperoi Polemou) — Disabled in war (blue coloured)
  • ΔΟΚ (Δοκιμαστικές, Dokimastikes) — Test plates
  • ΔΣ (Διπλωματικό Σώμα, Diplomatiko Soma) — Diplomat or foreign delegation (eg ΔΣ 48 CD, ΔΣ 48-1 CD)
  • ΕΑ (Ελληνική Αστυνομία, Ellenike Astunomia) — Police
  • ΚΥ (Κρατική Υπηρεσία, Kratike Uperesia) — State
  • ΛΣ (Λιμενικό Σώμα, Limeniko Soma) — Coast Guard
  • ΜΕ (Μηχανήματα Έργων, Mekhanemata Ergon) — Public works vehicles (yellow coloured)
  • ΞΑ (Ξένες Αποστολές, Xenes Apostoles) — Foreign missions
  • ΠΑ (Πολεμική Αεροπορία, Polemike Aeroporia) — Hellenic Air Force
  • ΠΝ (Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemiko Nautiko) — Hellenic Navy
  • ΠΣ (Πυροσβεστικό Σώμα, Purosvestiko Soma) — Fire Guard

[edit] External links

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