Swedish licence plates
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Swedish licence plates are used to most types of vehicles. Licences plates have three letters first and three digits after. The code has no connection with the geographic location.
All letters A-Z in the Swedish alphabet are used, except the letters I, Q, V, Å, Ä and Ö.
Contents |
[edit] Disallowed combinations
About 150 letter combinations are not used, since they may be offensive, political or otherwise unsuitable. Examples: APA (monkey), DUM (stupid), DYR (expensive), FAN (devil, damn), FEG (cowardly), FEL (error/wrong), FUL (ugly), GAY, GLO (stare), HOT (threat), LAT (lazy), NEJ (no), NRP (Nordiska Rikspartiet), OND (evil), SAP (Sveriges socialdemokratiska arbetareparti (Swedish Social Democratic Party)), SEX, SUP (snaps), TOA (toilet), UFO, USA, XXL (extra extra large) and many others. The road authority has made the list, which is larger than those in most other countries, to avoid requests to change plate numbers, which would cause administrative problems.
[edit] Personal plates
The exception to the rule about three letters and three digits are the personal registration plates. They can have (almost) any text or number combination with up to seven letters, if that isn't used already. It costs 6000 kr (about 640 €) to get plates for a car. The sticker is placed on the left, not in the middle. Too offensive or illegal text isn't allowed. For example 64SALE (6 is written sex in Swedish) was not allowed.
[edit] Smaller size
The normal size is 11*52 cm, or 11*48 cm without the EU-stripe. Since approximately the late 1990-ies, there is a possibility to get one or both of the plates in a smaller size, 11*30 cm, in a narrower typeface and without the EU-stripe. It must be proven that it is needed, e.g. for an American car.
[edit] EU stripe
The blue EU stripe has been used since 2002, but it is up to the owner to decide whether or not he or she wants it. This decision is usually made when buying a new car, but some very EU-positive people have changed plates on their present car. Motorcycles owner have often changed plates since it's often hard to find a place for the oval "S"-sticker otherwise needed abroad.
[edit] Approval sticker
In the middle of the rear plate, a sticker must be attached to allow driving. This sticker is sent to the owner when the tax and the liability insurance have been paid, and the vehicle has been approved by the car test authority. It has one-year validity. Its colour varies with the year, and the month number of expiry is clearly visible, making it easy for the police to see the expiry month.
[edit] Special Plates
[edit] Dealer
Black text on on green background. These plates are used on vehicles without registration, insurance and vehicles which have failed inspection. The dealers have reported their car not to be driven, meaning they don't have to pay tax. Cars can be parked for months awaiting sale. The cars can be used for short test drives, with this licence plate. Unlike normal Swedish license plates the dealer plate is not tied to any vehicle but to the plate owner. These plates can also be used by car manufacturers for test vehicles. The plate has a sticker indicating if the plate is for cars, trucks or trailers.
[edit] Diplomatic
Black text on blue background. It consists of two letters, three serial digits and a last letter. The two letters shows which country the car is from. The letters don't correspond to to any country acronym e.g. American cars don't have US as their first two letters. The three digits is just a serial number. The last letter show what kind of task the diplomat who's driving it has. The approval sticker is placed last.
[edit] Taxi
Black text on yellow background. Taxis get yellow plates after they are approved. The plates has the same registraion as the car had before it was a taxi. Thus if it's not used as taxi anymore or if the car fails inspection the normal plates are put back on and the yellow ones are confiscated. The plates does not have an approval sticker but a smaller T indicating taxi in the right corner. If a car has personal plates and is going to be used as a taxi it will get personal yellow plates but without the little T in the right corner.
[edit] Temporary
White text on red background. Used as temporary registration for import and export for instance. It has like a normal plates three letters and three digits. But with expiry day to the left and year to the right.
[edit] Military
Yellow digits on black background. The 1906 Series is still used. The licence plates consists of four to six digits and may be used for all types of vihicles, such as ordinary automobiles and tanks.
[edit] History
[edit] 1906-1973 Series
The typeface used was not consistent as the vehicle owner bought either a plate or a kit from various dealers.
- A - Stockholm (City)
- B - Stockholms län
- C - Uppsala län
- D - Södermanlands län
- E - Östergötlands län
- F - Jönköpings län
- G - Kronobergs län
- H - Kalmar län
- I - Gotlands län
- K - Blekinge län
- L - Kristianstads län (today part of Skåne län)
- M - Malmöhus län (today part of Skåne län)
- N - Hallands län
- O - Göteborgs och Bohus län (today part of Västra Götalands län)
- P - Älvsborgs län (today part of Västra Götalands län)
- R - Skaraborgs län (today part of Västra Götalands län)
- S - Värmlands län
- T - Örebro län
- U - Västmanlands län
- W - Kopparbergs län (today Dalarnas län)
- X - Gävleborgs län
- Y - Västernorrlands län
- Z - Jämtlands län
- AC - Västerbottens län
- BD - Norrbottens län
The letters are standardised codes for the counties of Sweden. A second letter (A or B) were used for some counties for which the 5 digits were not enough.
These plates have not been used after 1974. All vehicles had to replace the plates. There are no historic plates in Sweden and historic cars have to use modern (past-1973) plates.
[edit] Past 1973
After 1973 the format changed to three letters followed by three digits. The typeface was custom made to increase readability. The plates were made in steel. Later the plates were changed to plastic with reflective tape on them. This caused problems since the tape would wear off and decrease the readability of the plate. A new plate was introduced that was a solid piece of plastic. The typeface was a customised Helvetica. Later the plates was again made in sheet metal, but aluminium instead of steel.
