- List of international vehicle registration codes
-
Example of the small white oval plate or sticker; this one represents the former East Germany
The country in which a motor vehicle's vehicle registration plate was issued is indicated by an international licence plate country code displayed in bold block uppercase on a small white oval plate or sticker near the number plate on the rear of a vehicle.
The allocation of codes is maintained by the United Nations as the Distinguishing Signs of Vehicles in International Traffic (sometimes abbreviated to DSIT), authorised 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 ISO two- or three-letter codes.
The 2004 South-East Asian Agreement ... for the Facilitation of Cross-Border Transport of Goods and People uses a mixture of ISO and DSIT codes: Myanmar uses MYA, China CHN, and Cambodia KH (ISO codes), Thailand uses T (DSIT code), Laos LAO, and Viet Nam VN (coincident ISO and DSIT codes).[1]
In the European Union, vehicles from one member state do not need to display the oval while within another state, provided the number plate is in the common EU standard format, which includes the international vehicle registration code on the plate.[2]
Contents
Current codes
Note: an asterisk (*) indicates that this code is unofficial (does not appear in the UN list of distinguishing codes).
Code Country From Before Notes A 
Austria1910 AFG 
Afghanistan1971 AG* 
Antigua and BarbudaAL 
Albania1934 AM 
Armenia1992 SU Formerly part of the Soviet Union AND 
Andorra1957 ANG* 
Angola1975 PAN: 1932–1957, P: 1957–1975 Formerly a territory of Portugal ARK* Antarctica AUA*, ARU* 
ArubaNA Formerly part of the Netherlands Antilles AUS 
Australia1954 AX* 
Åland Islands2002 SF Territory of Finland. FIN is the official code. AXA* 
AnguillaAZ 
Azerbaijan1993 SU Formerly part of the Soviet Union B 
Belgium1910 BD 
Bangladesh1978 PAK Formerly East Pakistan BDS 
Barbados1956 BF 
Burkina Faso1990 RHV / HV until August 2003, 1984; (République (de)) Haute Volta (Upper Volta) BG 
Bulgaria1910 BH 
Belize1938 former British Honduras. Uses BZ unofficially since 1980, although still officially registered as BH as of 2007. BHT* 
BhutanBIH 
Bosnia and Herzegovina1993 YU Bosna i Hercegovina (Bosnian) BOL 
Bolivia1967 BR 
Brazil1930 BRN 
Bahrain1954 BRU 
Brunei1956 BS 
Bahamas1950 BUR 
Myanmar1956 BA Also known as Burma. BVI 
British Virgin IslandsBW 
Botswana2003 BP unofficially for Botswana. Officially RB for Republic of Botswana. Formerly Bechuanaland Protectorate BY 
Belarus1992 (2004) SU Byelorussia; formerly part of the Soviet Union. The UN was officially notified of the change from SU to BY only in 2004.[3] BZ* Belize1980 former British Honduras. Still officially registered as BH (as of 2007). C 
Cuba1930 CAM 
Cameroon1952 F & WAN Formerly a territory of France CDN 
Canada1956 CA Canadian Dominion CH 
Switzerland1911 Confœderatio Helvetica (Latin) CI 
Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast)1961 F Formerly a territory of France CL 
Sri Lanka1961 Formerly Ceylon CN* 
People's Republic of ChinaCO 
Colombia1952 COM* 
ComorosF Formerly a territory of France CR 
Costa Rica1956 CV* 
Cape Verde1975 P Formerly a territory of Portugal CY 
Cyprus1932 CYM* 
WalesPart of the United Kingdom, CYM from Cymru (Wales) CZ 
Czech Republic1993 CS Formerly Československo (Czechoslovakia) D 
Germany1910 Deutschland (German); also used until 1974 by 
East Germany, which then used DDR until German reunification in 1990DJI* 
DjiboutiF Formerly a territory of France DK 
Denmark1914 DOM 
Dominican Republic1952 DY 
Benin1910 Part of AOF (Afrique occidentale française) − 1960 Dahomey (name until 1975) DZ 
Algeria1962 F − 1911 Dzayer (Algerian Arabic); Formerly part of France E 
Spain1910 España (Spanish) EAK 
Kenya1938 East Africa Kenya EAT 
Tanzania1938 EAT & EAZ East Africa Tanzania; formerly East Africa Tanganyika and East Africa Zanzibar EAU 
Uganda1938 East Africa Uganda EAZ 
ZanzibarEast Africa Zanzibar EC 
Ecuador1962 ENG* 
EnglandPart of the United Kingdom ER 
Eritrea1993 AOI − 1941, ETH 1964–1993 Africa Orientale Italiana (Italian), Ethiopia ES 
El Salvador1978 EST 
Estonia1993 EW 1919–1940 & 1991–1993; SU 1940–1991 Eesti Vabariik (Estonian); Formerly part of the Soviet Union ET 
Egypt1927 ETH 
Ethiopia1964 AOI − 1941 Africa Orientale Italiana (Italian) F 
France1910 FIN 
Finland1993 SF Suomi Finland (Finnish/Swedish) FJI 
Fiji1971 FL 
Liechtenstein1923 Fürstentum Liechtenstein (German) FO 
Faroe Islands1996 Sometimes FØ or Fø FRL* 
Frieslandunofficial; usually with the Frisian flag printed in the oval shape, behind the letters FSM* 
Federated States of MicronesiaG 
Gabon1974 ALEF − 1960 Afrique Équatoriale Française GB 
United Kingdom (of Great Britain and Northern Ireland)1910 Before 1922 it was used for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland GBA 
Alderney1924 Great Britain – Alderney GBG 
Guernsey1924 Great Britain – Guernsey GBJ 
Jersey1924 Great Britain – Jersey GBM 
Isle of Man1932 Great Britain – Isle of Man GBZ 
Gibraltar1924 Great Britain – Gibraltar [Z was assigned because G was already used for Guernsey] GCA 
Guatemala1956 Guatemala, Central America GE 
Georgia1992 SU Formerly part of the Soviet Union GH 
Ghana1959 WAC − 1957 West Africa Gold Coast − 1957 GQ* 
Equatorial GuineaE Formerly a territory of Spain – Spanish Guinea − 1968 GR 
Greece1913 GUY 
Guyana1972 BRG Formerly British Guiana − 1966 GW*, RGB* 
Guinea-Bissau1974 P Portuguese Guinea – 1974. República da Guiné-Bissau H 
Hungary1910 HK* 
Hong Kong1932 HKJ 
JordanJOR Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan HN* 
HondurasHR 
Croatia1992 SHS 1919–29, Y 1929–53, YU 1953–92 Hrvatska (Croatian). Formerly part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kraljevina Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca – Croatian), then part of Yugoslavia. In the period immediately following Croatia's declaration of independence from Yugoslavia in 1991, it was common to see unofficial oval stickers with the letters "CRO" sold across Croatia. Despite the initial anticipation that Croatia's international vehicle registration code would be "CRO", Croatia officially opted for the 2-letter "HR" (Hrvatska) code instead.
I 
Italy1919 IL 
Israel1952 IND 
India1947 IR 
Iran1936 IRL 
Ireland1962 GB − 1910, SE − 1924, EIR − 1938 Formerly Great Britain, Saorstát Éireann, Éire. Currently there is a campaign underway by Irish Language activists to have the name of the country in the native language represented by changing the code back to EIR or ÉIR. This is unnecessary, as Statutory Instrument No. 269 of 1961 provides: " ... the letters EIR are used to indicate the name of the State but the letters IRL may be substituted therefor." IRQ 
Iraq1930 IS 
Iceland1936 Ísland (Icelandic) J 
Japan1964 JA 
Jamaica1932 K 
Cambodia1956 F − 1949 Known as Kampuchea 1976–89. Formerly a territory of France. KAN* 
Saint Kitts and NevisKIR* 
KiribatiKN* 
GreenlandGRO Kalaallit Nunaat KP* 
Democratic People's Republic of KoreaKS 
Kyrgyzstan1992 SU − 1991 Formerly part of the Soviet Union KWT 
Kuwait1954 KZ 
Kazakhstan1992 SU − 1991 Formerly part of the Soviet Union L 
Luxembourg1911 LAO 
Laos1959 F – 1949 Formerly a territory of France (French Indochina) LAR 
Libya1972 I − 1949, LT Libyan Arab Republic; Formerly a territory of Italy LB 
Liberia1967 LS 
Lesotho1967 BL Basutoland − 1966 LT 
Lithuania1992 SU 1940–1991 Formerly part of the Soviet Union LV 
Latvia1992 LR 1927–1940, SU 1940–1991 Latvijas Republika (Latvian); Formerly part of the Soviet Union M 
Malta1966 GBY 1924–66 MA 
Morocco1924 Maroc (French) MAL 
Malaysia1967 PRK – 1957, FM 1954-7, PTM 1957–67 formerly Perak, then Federated Malay States, then Perseketuan Tanah Malayu (Malay) MC 
Monaco1910 MD 
Moldova1992 SU − 1991 Formerly part of the Soviet Union MEX 
Mexico1952 MGL 
MongoliaMH* 
Marshall IslandsMK 
Macedonia1992 YU − 1992 Formerly part of Yugoslavia MNE 
Montenegro2006 MN – 1913–1919, SHS 1919–29, Y 1929–53, YU 1953–2003, SCG 2003–2006 Formerly part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca – Serbo-Croatian), then part of Yugoslavia and then Serbia and Montenegro (Srbija i Crna Gora – Serbian) MO* 
Macau1930s? former Portuguese overseas province MOC 
Mozambique1975 MOC: 1932–56, P: 1957–75 Formerly part of Portugal. Moçambique (Portuguese) MS 
Mauritius1938 MV* 
MaldivesMW 
Malawi1965 EA 1932–38, NP – 1938–70, RNY option 1960–65 Formerly the Nyasaland Protectorate N 
Norway1922 NA 
Netherlands Antilles1957 NAM 
Namibia1990 SWA Formerly South West Africa NAU 
Nauru1968 NC* 
New CaledoniaNEP 
Nepal1970 NI* Northern Ireland Part of the United Kingdom NIC 
Nicaragua1952 NL 
Netherlands1910 NZ 
New Zealand1958 OM* 
OmanP 
Portugal1910 PA 
Panama1952 PAL* 
PalauPE 
Peru1937 PK 
Pakistan1947? PL 
Poland1921 PMR* 
Transnistria1990 SU − 1991, MD 1991 Pridnestrovian Moldavian Republic – officially part of Moldova. Formerly part of the Soviet Union.PNG 
Papua New Guinea1978 PR* 
Puerto RicoPS* 
Palestinian territoriesPY 
Paraguay1952 Q 
Qatar1972 RA 
Argentina1927 República Argentina (Spanish) RB Botswana1966 BP Republic of Botswana. Unofficially uses BW. Formerly Bechuanaland Protectorate RC 
Republic of China (Taiwan)1932 RCA 
Central African Republic1962 République Centrafricaine (French) RCB 
Republic of the Congo1962 République du Congo Brazzaville (French) RCH 
Chile1930 República de Chile (Spanish) RG 
Guinea1972 République de Guinée (French) RH 
Haiti1952 République d'Haïti (French) RI 
Indonesia1955 Republik Indonesia (Indonesian) RIM 
Mauritania1964 République islamique de Mauritanie (French) RKS* 
Kosovo2010 SRB; KS 1999–2010; RKS 2010 Serbia claims Kosovo as part of its territory. RL 
Lebanon1952 République Libanaise (French) RM 
Madagascar1962 République de Madagascar (French) RMM 
Mali1962 AOF − 1960 République du Mali (French). Formerly part of French West Africa (Afrique Occidentale Française) RN 
Niger1977 AOF − 1960 République du Niger (French). Formerly part of French West Africa (Afrique Occidentale Française) RO 
Romania1981 R ROK 
Republic of Korea1971 ROU 
Uruguay1979 República Oriental del Uruguay (Spanish) RP 
Philippines1975 Republic of the Philippines RSM 
San Marino1932 Repubblica di San Marino (Italian) RU 
Burundi1962? Belgian territory of Ruanda-Urundi RUS 
Russia1992 SU Formerly part of the Soviet Union RWA 
Rwanda1964 RU − 1962 Formerly part of Ruanda-Urundi − 1962 S 
Sweden1911 SA 
Saudi Arabia1973 SCO* 
ScotlandPart of the United Kingdom SD 
Swaziland1935 SGP 
Singapore1952 SK 
Slovakia1993 CS 1919–39,1945–92, SQ 1939–45 Formerly Československo (Czechoslovakia) SLE* 
Sierra Leone2002 officially WAL; SLE is only used on local licence plates, written below the national flag SLO 
Slovenia1992 SHS 1919–29, Y 1929–53, YU 1953–92 Formerly part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, then part of Yugoslavia SME 
Suriname1936 SMOM* 
Sovereign Military Order of MaltaSN 
Senegal1962 SO 
Somalia1974 SOL* 
Solomon IslandsSRB 
Serbia2006 SB – 1919, SHS 1919–29, Y 1929–53, YU 1953–2003, SCG 2003–2006 Formerly part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca – Serbo-Croatian), then part of Yugoslavia and then Serbia and Montenegro (Srbija i Crna Gora – Serbian) STP* 
São Tomé and Príncipe1975 P Formerly a territory of Portugal SUD 
Sudan1963 SY 
Seychelles1938 SYR 
Syria1952 T 
Thailand1955 TCH, TD 
Chad1973 Tchad (French) TG 
Togo1973 TJ 
Tajikistan1992 SU − 1991 Formerly part of the Soviet Union TL* 
Timor-LesteP, RI Formerly a territory of Portugal, then part of Indonesia TM 
Turkmenistan1992 SU − 1991 Formerly part of the Soviet Union TN 
Tunisia1957 F − 1956 Formerly a territory of France TO* 
TongaTR 
Turkey1935 TT 
Trinidad and Tobago1964 TUV* 
TuvaluUA 
Ukraine1992 SU Formerly part of the Soviet Union UAE 
United Arab EmiratesUSA 
United States1952 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 
Uzbekistan1992 SU Formerly part of the Soviet Union V 
Vatican City1931 VN 
Vietnam1953 VU* 
VanuatuWAG 
Gambia1932 West Africa Gambia WAL Sierra Leone1937 West Africa Sierra Leone; on local licence plates SLE is used WAN 
Nigeria1937 West Africa Nigeria WD 
Dominica1954 Windward Islands Dominica WG 
Grenada1932 Windward Islands Grenada WL 
Saint Lucia1932 Windward Islands Saint Lucia WS 
Samoa1962 formerly Western Samoa WSA* Western Sahara 1932 SE − 1976 formerly Sahara Español (Spanish); now mostly occupied by Morocco, with some territory administered by the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic WV 
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines1932 Windward Islands Saint Vincent YAR 
YemenNorth Yemen formerly known as the Yemen Arab Republic YV 
Venezuelathe same code is used for aircraft Z 
Zambia1964 NR formerly Northern Rhodesia ZA 
South Africa1936 Zuid-Afrika (from Dutch; in Afrikaans it is Suid-Afrika[4]) ZRE 
Democratic Republic of the Congo1971? CB, RCL, CGO, ZR Congo Belge (French), République de Congo Léopoldville (French), Congo (Kinshasa), Zaïre ZW 
Zimbabwe1980 SR, RSR formerly Southern Rhodesia until 1965, Rhodesia unrecognised until 1980 Codes no longer in use
Code Country Until After Notes ADN Aden 1980 Y From 1938. a.k.a. South Yemen, People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (1967) BA Myanmar1956 BUR From 1937. BP Bechuanaland Protectorate 1966 Now Botswana CS Czechoslovakia 1992 CZ / SK DA Free City of Danzig (Gdańsk)
1939 D (1939-1945)
PL (since 1945)Danzig (German for Gdańsk) DDR German Democratic Republic 1990 D Deutsche Demokratische Republik EW Estonia 1993 EST Eesti Vabariik (Estonian) FR Faroe Islands 1996 FO Føroyar (Faroese) GRO Greenland KN HV Haute Volta, now Burkina Faso 1984 BF Upper Volta LR Latvia 1927–1940 SU, LV Latvijas Republika (Latvian) R Romania 1981 RO RNY Rhodesia-Nyasaland Fed. 1953 - 1963 NP, NR, SR Now Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe RSR Southern Rhodesia 1965–1979 SR Now Zimbabwe RT Togo1973 TG République togolaise (French). Formerly French Togoland − 1960 SA Saarland 1956 D also D between 1935 and 1945; SA is now Saudi Arabia SB Serbia 1919 SHS Serbia became part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes SCG Serbia and Montenegro 2006 MNE, SRB From Serbian name "Srbija i Crna Gora". Now Montenegro, Serbia SF Finland 1993 FIN SF from "Suomi – Finland" (the names of the country in its official languages, Finnish and Swedish) SHS Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes 1929 Y Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca – Serbo-Croatian. 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 now Namibia TS Free Territory of Trieste 1947–1954 I, YU, SLO Y Yugoslavia 1953 YU Yemen started using Y afterwards YU Yugoslavia 2003 BIH, HR, KS, MK, MNE, SRB, SLO Now Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia - Note1
- There are unofficial codes in common use, such as "BZH" for Brittany, "VL" for Flanders, "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 licence plates indicate from which part of the country they originate. See http://www.kingkong.demon.co.uk/where/where.htm for these origins.
See also
References
- ^ Agreement between and among the Governments of the Kingdom of Cambodia, the People's Republic of China, the Lao People's Democratic Republic, the Union of Myanmar, the Kingdom of Thailand, and the Socialist Republic of Viet Nam for the Facilitation of Cross-Border Transport of Goods and People, Annex 2: Registration of Vehicles in International Traffic, 2004 (also here and here)
- ^ European Council (1998-11-10). "Council Regulation (EC) No 2411/98 of 3 November 1998 on the recognition in intra-Community traffic of the distinguishing sign of the Member State in which motor vehicles and their trailers are registered". Official Journal L 299. Eurlex. pp. 1–3. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ.do?uri=CELEX:31998R2411:EN:HTML. Retrieved 2008-07-05. "Article 3: Member States requiring vehicles registered in another Member State to display a distinguishing registration sign when they are being driven on their territory shall recognise the distinguishing sign of the Member State of registration displayed on the extreme left of the registration plate in accordance with the Annex to this Regulation as being equivalent to any other distinguishing sign that they recognise for the purpose of identifying the State in which the vehicle is registered."
- ^ http://www.minbuza.nl/en/Key_Topics/Treaties/Search_the_Treaty_Database?verdragid=12396
- ^ See article .za
External links
- UN Economic Commission for Europe, Working Party on Road Transport (WP.11)
- Miscellaneous Proposals of Amendments to the Model Regulations on the Transport of Dangerous Goods: Identification of Approval Country in Marking, UN/SCETDG/33/INF.5 (table compares ISO 3166 and DSIT codes)
- Association Francoplaque: Collectionneurs de Plaques d'Immatriculation (data mostly from RPW, below)
- European Registration Plate Association: Registration Plates of the World Online (registration required; data mostly from RPW, below)
- "RPW": Neil Parker and John Weeks, Registration Plates of the World, Europlate; 3rd edition (May 1994)
Categories:- Country codes
- Lists of abbreviations
- Vehicle registration plates
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