List of international vehicle registration codes
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On the international level, the designation of origin for a motor vehicle is distinguished by a supplementary international licence plate country code. This country designator is displayed in bold block uppercase on a small white oval plate or sticker near the number plate on the rear of a vehicle when driving outside the country in which the vehicle registration plate is issued.
The allocation of codes is maintained by the United Nations as the Distinguishing Signs of Vehicles in International Traffic, being authorized by the UN's Geneva Convention on Road Traffic of 1949 and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic of 1968. Many vehicle codes created since the adoption of ISO 3166 coincide with either the ISO two-letter or three-letter codes.
This code is not needed for vehicles registered in Canada, the United States or Mexico[citation needed], because the plates themselves are issued by states and provinces, not the federal government. All three countries are federations, and the plates indicate the state or province the vehicle is registered in. Inside the European Union, as an alternative, a blue stripe on the short edge of the plate, with the code inside, is accepted. This stripe is usually part of the design of newer registration plates.
The code is also not required in countries like Australia and Iceland which are both islands thus border crossing with vehicles is very infrequent.[citation needed]
Note: an asterisk (*) signals that this code is non-official.
Contents: Top - 0–9 A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
[edit] A |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Austria | 1910 | ||
| AFG | Afghanistan | 1971 | ||
| AG | Antigua and Barbuda | |||
| AL | Albania | 1934 | ||
| AND | Andorra | 1957 | ||
| ANG | Angola | 1975 | PAN: 1932-1957, P: 1957-1975 | |
| ARK* | Antarctica | |||
| ARM | Armenia | 1992 | SU | |
| ARU* | Aruba | NA | ||
| AUS | Australia | 1954 | ||
| AX* | Åland | 2002 | SF | |
| AXA | Anguilla | |||
| AZ | Azerbaijan | 1992 | SU | |
[edit] B |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| B | Belgium | 1910 | ||
| RB | Botswana | 1991 | Republic of Botswana | |
| BD | Bangladesh | 1978 | PAK | |
| BDS | Barbados | 1956 | ||
| BF | Burkina Faso | 1984 | RHV / HV | until August 2003, 1984: (République(de))Haute Volta (Upper Volta) |
| BG | Bulgaria | 1910 | ||
| BHT | Bhutan | |||
| BIH | Bosnia-Herzegovina | 1992 | YU | Bosna i Hercegovina (Bosn.) |
| BOL | Bolivia | 1967 | ||
| BR | Brazil | 1930 | ||
| BRN | Bahrain | 1954 | ||
| BRU | Brunei | 1956 | ||
| BS | Bahamas | 1950 | ||
| BU | Burundi | 1962 | RU | until 1962: part of former Belgian-mandated UN territory of Ruanda-Urundi |
| BY | Belarus | 1992 | SU | Беларусь (formerly Byelorussia) |
| BZ | Belize | 1938-1980s | BH | until 1973, British Honduras |
[edit] C |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| C | Cuba | 1930 | ||
| CAM | Cameroon | 1952 | F & WAN | |
| CGO | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1997 | CB,RCL,CGO,ZR,ZRE | Belgian Congo, Rép.de Congo (Léopoldville), Congo(Kinshasa), Zaire |
| CDN | Canada | 1956 | CA | |
| CH | Switzerland | 1911 | Confœderatio Helvetica (Latin) | |
| CI | Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast) | 1961 | F | |
| CL | Sri Lanka | 1961 | formerly Ceylon | |
| CO | Colombia | 1952 | ||
| COM | Comoros | F | ||
| CR | Costa Rica | 1956 | ||
| CV | Cape Verde | 1975 | P | |
| CY | Cyprus | 1932 | ||
| CZ | Czech Republic | 1993 | CS | |
[edit] D |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| D | Germany | 1910 | D - Deutschland (Germ.), also used until 1974 by GDR (DDR - Deutsche Demokratische Republik) | |
| DJI | Djibouti | F | ||
| DK | Denmark | 1914 | ||
| DOM | Dominican Republic | 1952 | ||
| DY | Benin | 1910 | Part of AOF (Afrique Occidentale Francais)-1960 | formerly Dahomey-1976 |
| DZ | Algeria | 1962 | F-1911 | Al Djazaïr (Arab.) |
[edit] E |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| E | Spain | 1910 | España (Span.) | |
| EAK | Kenya | 1938 | East Africa Kenya | |
| EAT | Tanzania | 1938 | EAT & EAZ | East Africa Tanzania; formerly East Africa Tanganyika & Zanzibar |
| EAU | Uganda | 1938 | East Africa Uganda | |
| EC | Ecuador | 1962 | ||
| ER | Eritrea | 1993 | AOI -1941 | Africa Orientale Italiana (It.) |
| ES | El Salvador | 1978 | ||
| EST | Estonia | 1993 | EW 1919-40 & 1991-93, SU 1940-91 | 1940-91 part of Soviet Union |
| ET | Egypt | 1927 | ||
| ETH | Ethiopia | 1964 | AOI -1941 | Africa Orientale Italiana (It.) |
[edit] F |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| F | France | 1910 | ||
| FIN | Finland | 1993 | SF | SF from "Suomi – Finland" (Finnish/Swedish) |
| FJI | Fiji | 1971 | ||
| FL | Liechtenstein | 1923 | Fürstentum Liechtenstein (Germ.) | |
| FO | Faroes | 1996 | FR | Sometimes FØ or Fø |
| FSM | Federated States of Micronesia | |||
[edit] G |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| G | Gabon | 1974 | ALEF - 1960 | Afrique Equatorial Francais |
| GB | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | 1910 | Before 1922 it was used for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland | |
| GBA | Alderney | 1924 | Great Britain - Alderney | |
| GBG | Guernsey | 1924 | Great Britain - Guernsey | |
| GBJ | Jersey | 1924 | Great Britain - Jersey | |
| GBM | Isle of Man | 1932 | Great Britain - Man | |
| GBZ | Gibraltar | 1924 | Great Britain - Gibraltar [Z was assigned as G was already used for Guernsey] | |
| GCA | Guatemala | 1956 | Guatemala Central America | |
| GE | Georgia | 1992 | SU | Soviet Union |
| GH | Ghana | 1959 | WAC-1957 | West Africa Gold Coast - 1957 |
| GW, RGB | Guinea-Bissau | 1974 | P | Portuguese Guinea - 1974. República da Guiné-Bissau |
| GQ* | Equatorial Guinea | E | Spanish Guinea - 1968 | |
| GR | Greece | 1913 | ||
| GUY | Guyana | 1972 | BRG | formerly British Guiana - 1966 |
[edit] H |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| H | Hungary | 1910 | ||
| HK | Hong Kong | 1932 | ||
| HN | Honduras | |||
| HR | Croatia | 1992 | SHS 1919-29, Y 1929-53, YU 1953-92 | Hrvatska (Croat.) |
[edit] I |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| I | Italy | 1910 | ||
| IL | Israel | 1952 | ||
| IND | India | 1947 | ||
| IR | Iran | 1936 | ||
| IRL | Ireland | 1962 | EIR-1938, SE-1924, GB-1910 | |
| IRQ | Iraq | 1930 | ||
| IS | Iceland | 1936 | Ísland (Iceland.) | |
[edit] J |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| J | Japan | 1964 | ||
| JA | Jamaica | 1932 | ||
| HKJ | Jordan | JOR | Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan | |
[edit] K |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| K | Cambodia | 1956 | F - 1949 | Kampuchea 1976-89 |
| KAN* | Saint Kitts and Nevis | |||
| KN* | Greenland | GRO | Kalaallit Nunaat | |
| KS | Kyrgyzstan | 1992 | SU-1991 | formerly Kirgizia S.S.R. - 1991 |
| KIR | Kiribati | formerly the Gilbert, Line & Phoenix Islands - 1975. Part of the Gilbert & Ellice Islands Colony. | ||
| KP | North Korea | Korea, Democratic People’s Republic of | ||
| KSA | Saudi Arabia | Kingdom of Saudi Arabia | ||
| KWT | Kuwait | 1954 | ||
| KZ | Kazakhstan | 1992 | SU - 1991 | |
[edit] L |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| L | Luxembourg | 1911 | ||
| LAO | Laos | 1959 | F - 1949 | formerly part of French Indo-China - 1949 |
| LAR* | Libya | 1972 | I - 1949, LT | Libyan Arab Republic |
| LB* | Liberia | 1967 | ||
| LS | Lesotho | 1967 | BL | Basutoland - 1966 |
| LT | Lithuania | 1992 | SU 1940-1991 | 1940-91 part of Soviet Union |
| LV | Latvia | 1992 | LR 1927-1940,SU 1940-1991 | Latvijas Republika (Latv.); 1940-91 part of Soviet Union |
[edit] M |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| M | Malta | 1966 | GBY 1924-66 | |
| MA | Morocco | 1924 | Maroc, El Maghreb | |
| MAL | Malaysia | 1967 | FM - 1957, PTM 1957-67 | formerly Federated Malay States, then Perseketuan Tanah Malayu |
| MAN | Isle of Man | 1910 | ||
| MC | Monaco | 1910 | ||
| MD | Moldova | 1992 | SU - 1991 | |
| MNE | Montenegro | 2006 | MN - 1913-1919, SHS 1919-29, Y 1929-53, YU 1953-2003, SCG 2003-2006 | |
| MEX | Mexico | 1952 | ||
| MGL | Mongolia | |||
| MH | Marshall Islands | |||
| MK | Macedonia | 1992 | YU - 1992 | |
| MOC | Mozambique | 1975 | MOC: 1932-56, P: 1957-75 | Moçambique |
| MS | Mauritius | 1938 | ||
| MV* | Maldives | |||
| MW | Malawi | 1965 | EA 1932-38, NP - 1938-70, RNY option 1960-65 | formerly The Nyasaland Protectorate |
| MYA | Myanmar | 1989 | BUR-89 | |
[edit] N |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| N | Norway | 1922 | ||
| NA | Netherlands Antilles | 1957 | ||
| NAM | Namibia | 1990 | SWA | South-West Africa |
| NAU | Nauru | 1968 | ||
| NC | New Caledonia | |||
| NEP* | Nepal | 1970 | ||
| NIC | Nicaragua | 1952 | ||
| NL | Netherlands | 1910 | ||
| NZ | New Zealand | 1958 | ||
[edit] O |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| OM | Oman | |||
[edit] P |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| P | Portugal | 1910 | ||
| PA | Panama | 1952 | ||
| PAK | Pakistan | 1947 | ||
| PAL | Palau | formerly part of the U.S. Trust Territory of the Pacific Islands - 1980 | ||
| PE | Peru | 1937 | ||
| PL | Poland | 1921 | ||
| PMR* | Transnistria | 1990 | SU-1991, MD 1991 | PMR stands for the initials of Приднестровская Молдавская Република (Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic), the full name of Transnistria |
| PNG* | Papua-New Guinea | 1978 | ||
| PS | Palestinian Authority | |||
| PY | Paraguay | 1952 | ||
| PR | Puerto Rico | |||
[edit] Q |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| Q | Qatar | 1972 | ||
[edit] R |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| RA | Argentina | 1927 | República Argentina (Span.) | |
| RB | Botswana | 1967 | Republic of Botswana | |
| RC | Republic of China (Taiwan) | 1932 | Republic of China (Taiwan) | |
| RCA | Central African Republic | 1962 | République Centrafricaine (French) | |
| RCB | Republic of the Congo | 1962 | République du Congo Brazzaville (Fr.) | |
| RCH | Chile | 1930 | República de Chile (Span.) | |
| RG | Guinea | 1972 | République de Guinée (Fr.) | |
| RH | Haiti | 1952 | République d'Haïti (Fr.) | |
| RI | Indonesia | 1955 | Republik Indonesia (Indones.) | |
| RIM | Mauritania | 1964 | République islamique de Mauritanie (Fr.) | |
| RL | Lebanon | 1952 | République Libanaise (Fr.) | |
| RM | Madagascar | 1962 | République de Madagascar(Fr.)Formerly Malagasy Republic 1970-79 | |
| RMM | Mali | 1962 | AOF-60 | République du Mali (Fr.) Formerly French Sudan - 1960 |
| RN | Niger | 1977 | AOF - 1960 | République du Niger (Fr.) Formerly part of French West Africa (Afrique Occidentale Française - 1960) |
| RO | Romania | 1981 | R | |
| ROK | Korea | 1971 | Republic of Korea | |
| ROU | Uruguay | 1979 | República Oriental del Uruguay (Span.) | |
| RP | Philippines | 1975 | Republic of the Philippines | |
| RSM | San Marino | 1932 | Repubblica di San Marino (It.) | |
| RT | Togo | 1960 | TT, TG | Republique Togolaise (French.)formerly French Togoland - 1960 |
| RUS | Russia | 1992 | SU-91 | |
| RWA | Rwanda | 1964 | RU-62 | formerly part of Ruanda-Urundi - 1962 |
[edit] S |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| S | Sweden | 1911 | ||
| SA | Saudi Arabia | 1973 | see KSA | |
| SD | Swaziland | 1935 | ||
| SGP | Singapore | 1952 | ||
| SK | Slovakia | 1993 | CS | |
| SLE* | Sierra Leone | 2002 | officially WAL; SLE is only used on local licence plates, written below the national flag | |
| SLO | Slovenia | 1992 | SHS 1919-29, Y 1929-53, YU 1953-92 | |
| SME | Suriname | 1936 | ||
| SMOM | Sovereign Military Order of Malta | |||
| SN | Senegal | 1962 | ||
| SO | Somalia | 1974 | ||
| SOL | Solomon Islands | |||
| SRB | Serbia | 2006 | SB - 1919, SHS 1919-29, Y 1929-53, YU 1953-2003, SCG 2003-2006 | |
| STP | São Tomé and Príncipe | 1975 | P | |
| SUD* | Sudan | 1963 | ||
| SY | Seychelles | 1938 | ||
| SYR | Syria | 1952 | ||
[edit] T |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| T | Thailand | 1955 | ||
| TCH* | Chad | 1973 | Tchad (French.) | |
| TG* | Togo | 1973 | SEE RT | |
| TJ | Tajikistan | 1992 | SU | |
| TL | Timor-Leste (East Timor) | P, RI | ||
| TM | Turkmenistan | 1992 | SU - 1991 | |
| TN | Tunisia | 1957 | F - 1956 | |
| TO | Tonga | |||
| TR | Turkey | 1935 | ||
| TS | Free Territory of Trieste | 1947 | Until 1954 | |
| TT | Trinidad and Tobago | 1964 | ||
| TUV | Tuvalu | formerly the Ellice Islands-75 (Gilbert & Ellice) | ||
[edit] U |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| UA | Ukraine | 1992 | SU | |
| UAE | United Arab Emirates | |||
| USA | United States of America | 1952 | Correctly used by U.S.-registered vehicles abroad. Today, U.S.-owned vehicles registered in Europe use the licence plate code of the country in which they are located. | |
| UZ | Uzbekistan | 1992 | SU | |
[edit] V |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| V | Vatican City | 1931 | Vanuatu | |
| VN | Vietnam | 1953 | ||
[edit] W |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| WAG | The Gambia | 1932 | West Africa Gambia | |
| WAL | Sierra Leone | 1937 | West Africa Sierra Leone; on local licence plates SLE is used | |
| WAN | Nigeria | 1937 | West Africa Nigeria | |
| WD | Dominica | 1954 | Windward Islands Dominica | |
| WG | Grenada | 1932 | Windward Islands Grenada | |
| WL | Saint Lucia | 1932 | Windward Islands Saint Lucia | |
| WS | Samoa | 1962 | formerly Western Samoa | |
| WSA* | Western Sahara | 1932 | SE - 1976 | formerly Spanish Sahara (Sahara Español), mostly occupied by Morocco (MA), some territory administered by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic |
| WV | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | 1932 | Windward Islands Saint Vincent | |
[edit] Y |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| YEM | Yemen | Formerly YAR (Yemen Arab Republic) | ||
| YV | Venezuela | |||
[edit] Z |
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| Code | Country | From | Before | Notes |
| Z | Zambia | 1966 | ||
| ZA | South Africa | 1936 | From the Dutch (which was one of South Africa's official languages before 1961) Zuid Afrika. | |
| ZW | Zimbabwe | 1977 | ||
[edit] Old Codes
| Code | Country | Until | After | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ADN | Aden | 1967 | Y | |
| BP | Bechuanaland Protectorate, now Botswana | 1966 | RB | |
| BUR | Burma | 1989 | MYA | |
| CS | Czechoslovakia | 1992 | CZ / SK | |
| DA | Free City of Danzig | 1939 | 1939-1945:D, since 1945: PL | |
| DDR | German Democratic Republic | 1990 | D | Deutsche Demokratische Republik |
| EW | Estonia | 1993 | EST | Eesti Vabariik (Estn.) |
| FR | Faroes | 1996 | FO | |
| GRO | Greenland | KN | ||
| HV | Haute Volta, now Burkina Faso | 1984 | BF | Upper Volta |
| LR | Latvia | 1927-1940 | SU, LV | Latvijas Republika (Latv.) |
| R | Romania | 1981 | RO | |
| RSR | Southern Rhodesia | 1960-1979 | ZW | Now Zimbabwe |
| RNR | Northern Rhodesia | Z | Now Zambia | |
| RNY | Rhodesia-Nyasaland Fed. | MW | Now Malawi | |
| SA | Saarland | 1956 | D | also D between 1935 and 1945 |
| SB | Serbia | 1919 | SHS | Serbia became part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes |
| SCG | Serbia and Montenegro | 2006 | MNE, SRB | Presumably from Serbian name "Srbija i Crna Gora". Now Montenegro, Serbia |
| SF | Finland | 1993 | FIN | SF from "Suomi – Finland" (the names of the country in both of its official languages, Finnish and Swedish) |
| SHS | Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes | 1929 | Y | Kingdom changed its name to Yugoslavia |
| SU | Soviet Union | 1991 | EST, LT, LV, BY, MD, UA, TJ, TUR, GE, KZ, UZ, KS, AZ, ARM, RUS | |
| SWA | South West Africa | 1990 | NAM | Namibia |
| Y | Yugoslavia | 1953 | YU | Yemen started using Y afterwards |
| YU | Yugoslavia | 2003 | BIH, HR, MK, MNE, SRB, SLO | Now Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia |
| ZRE | Zaire | 1997 | CB |
- Note1
- There are other, unofficial codes in common use, such as "BZH" for Brittany, "CYM" for Wales, "VL" for Flanders, "NI" for Northern Ireland, "SCO" for Scotland, "V" for Vojvodina/Vajdaság and "CD" for "Corps Diplomatique". These often signify places which are not internationally recognised as independent states. See http://www.kingkong.demon.co.uk/where/unoff.htm for a list of some of these.
- Note2
- Some license plates even tell us from which part of the country they are originating from. See http://www.kingkong.demon.co.uk/where/where.htm for these origins.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
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