International Vehicle Registration Codes
The country in which a motor vehicle's vehicle registration plate was issued may be indicated by an international licence plate country code, formerly known as an International Registration Letter or International Circulation Mark. It is referred to as the Distinguishing sign of the State of registration in the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic of 1949 and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic of 1968.
The allocation of codes is maintained by the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe as the Distinguishing Signs Used on Vehicles in International Traffic (sometimes abbreviated to DSIT), authorised by the UN's Geneva Convention on Road Traffic and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. 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 Vietnam VN (coincident ISO and DSIT codes).
The Geneva Convention on Road Traffic entered into force on 26 March 1952. One of the main benefits of the convention for motorists is the obligation on signatory countries to recognize the legality of vehicles from other signatory countries. When driving in other signatory countries, the distinguishing sign of the country of registration must be displayed on the rear of the vehicle. This sign must be placed separately from the registration plate and may not be incorporated into the vehicle registration plate.
Africa Vehicle Registration Codes
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| Current Code(s) | Country | From | Previous Code(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| BF | Burkina Faso | 1990 | RHV / HV | Until August 2003, 1984; (République de) Haute Volta (Upper Volta) |
| BW | Botswana | 2003 | BP | Officially used by Botswana since 2003. Formerly RB (Republic of Botswana) until 2004. Formerly Bechuanaland Protectorate |
| CAM | Cameroon | 1952 | F & WAN | Formerly a territory of France, plus a strip of territory from eastern Nigeria (WAN). Unofficially using CMR on their plates. |
| CI | Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) | 1961 | F | Formerly a territory of France |
| CV | Cape Verde | - | - | - |
| DJI* | Djibouti | - | F | - |
| DY | Benin | 1910 | Part of AOF (Afrique occidentale française) − 1960 | Dahomey (name until 1975). Uses RB unofficially (République du Bénin) |
| DZ | Algeria | 1962 | F − 1911 | Djazayer (Algerian Arabic); Formerly part of France |
| EAK | Kenya | 1938 | - | East Africa Kenya |
| EAT | Tanzania | 1938 | EAT & EAZ | East Africa Tanzania; formerly East Africa Tanganyika and East Africa Zanzibar |
| EAU | Uganda | 1938 | - | East Africa Uganda |
| EAZ | Zanzibar | 1964 | - | East Africa Zanzibar |
| ER | Eritrea | 1993 | AOI | Africa Orientale Italiana (Italian) |
| ET | Egypt | 1927 | - | - |
| ETH | Ethiopia | 1964 | AOI − 1941 | Africa Orientale Italiana (Italian) |
| G | Gabon | 1974 | ALEF − 1960 | Afrique Équatoriale Française. Unofficially using RG on their license plates. |
| GH | Ghana | 1959 | WAC − 1957 | West Africa Gold Coast − 1957 |
| GQ* | Equatorial Guinea | - | - | Guinée Équatoriale |
| LAR | Libya | 1972 | I − 1949, LT | Libyan Arab Republic |
| LB | Liberia | 1967 | - | - |
| LS | Lesotho | 1967 | BL | Basutoland − 1966 |
| MA | Morocco | 1924 | - | Maroc (French) |
| MOC | Mozambique | 1975 | MOC: 1932–56, P: 1957–75 | Formerly part of Portugal. Moçambique (Portuguese) |
| MS | Mauritius | 1938 | - | - |
| MW | Malawi | 1965 | EA 1932–38, NP – 1938–70, RNY option 1960–65 | Formerly the Nyasaland Protectorate |
| NAM | Namibia | 1990 | SWA | Formerly South West Africa |
| RCA | Central African Republic | 1962 | - | République Centrafricaine (French) |
| RCB | Republic of the Congo | 1962 | - | République du Congo Brazzaville (French). Unofficially and illegally using RC on their plates. |
| RG | Guinea | 1972 | - | République de Guinée (French). Also used illegally by Gabon. |
| RIM | Mauritania | 1964 | - | République islamique de Mauritanie (French) |
| RM | Madagascar | 1962 | - | République de Madagascar (French) |
| RMM | Mali | 1962 | AOF − 1960 | République du Mali (French). Formerly part of French West Africa (Afrique Occidentale Française) |
| RN | Niger | 1977 | AOF − 1960 | République du Niger (French). Formerly part of French West Africa (Afrique Occidentale Française) |
| RU | Burundi | 1962? | - | Belgian territory of Ruanda-Urundi. Unofficially using BU on their plates. |
| RWA | Rwanda | 1964 | RU − 1962 | Formerly part of Ruanda-Urundi − 1962 |
| SD | Eswatini | 1935 | - | Formerly Swaziland |
| SN | Senegal | 1962 | - | - |
| SO | Somalia | 1974 | - | - |
| STP* | Sao Tome and Principe | 1975 | P | São Tomé and Príncipe |
| SUD | Sudan | 1963 | - | - |
| SY | Seychelles | 1938 | - | - |
| TCH, TD | Chad | 1973 | - | Tchad (French) |
| TG | Togo | 1973 | - | - |
| TN | Tunisia | 1957 | F − 1956 | Formerly a territory of France |
| WAG | 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 |
| WSA* | Western Sahara | 1932 | - | Western Sahara |
| Z | Zambia | 1964 | RNR | Formerly Northern Rhodesia. However, "ZM" is used on current driving licences. |
| ZA | South Africa | 1936 | - | Zuid-Afrika (from Dutch; in Afrikaans it is Suid-Afrika) |
| ZRE | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1997 | CB, RCL, CGO | Congo Belge (French), République de Congo Léopoldville (French), Congo (Kinshasa), Zaïre, République Démocratique du Congo (French) |
| ZW | Zimbabwe | 1980 | SR, RSR | Formerly Southern Rhodesia until 1965, Rhodesia unrecognised until 1980 |
* - unofficial code.
Asia Vehicle Registration Codes
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| Current Code(s) | Country | From | Previous Code(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AFG | Afghanistan | 1971 | - | - |
| AZ | Azerbaijan | 1993 | SU | Formerly part of the Soviet Union |
| BD | Bangladesh | 1978 | PAK | Formerly East Pakistan |
| BRN | Bahrain | 1954 | - | - |
| BRU | Brunei | 1956 | - | - |
| MYA | Myanmar | 1956 | BA, BUR | Also known as Burma. |
| CL | Sri Lanka | 1961 | - | Formerly Ceylon. However, “SL” is being used on current driver licenses. |
| CN* | China | - | - | - |
| HK* | Hong Kong | 1932 | - | Hong Kong |
| HKJ | Jordan | 1966 | JOR | Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan |
| IL | Israel | 1952 | - | "Israel" is written on the plate also in Hebrew (ישראל) and Arabic (إسرائيل) |
| IND | India | 1947 | BI | - |
| IR | Iran | 1936 | PR | - |
| IRQ | Iraq | 1930 | - | - |
| J | Japan | 1964 | - | - |
| KH | Cambodia | 1956 | F − 1949, K | Known as Kampuchea 1976–89. Formerly a territory of France. |
| KG | Kyrgyzstan | 1992 | SU − 1991, KS − 2016 | Formerly part of the Soviet Union. The Kyrgyz government notified the change from "KS" to "KG", which featured on the new car registration plates from March 2016, in August that year to the UN Secretary-General. Additionally, most vehicles use "KGZ" oval stickers instead of "KS"{{cn}}. |
| KGZ* | Kyrgyzstan | 1992 | SU − 1991, KS 1991-2016 | Formerly part of the Soviet Union |
| KP* | North Korea | - | - | - |
| KSA | Saudi Arabia | 1973 | SA | Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |
| KWT | Kuwait | 1954 | - | - |
| KZ | Kazakhstan | 1992 | SU − 1991 | Formerly part of the Soviet Union |
| LAO | Laos | 1959 | F – 1949 | Formerly a territory of France (French Indochina) |
| MAL | Malaysia | 1967 | PRK – 1957, FM 1954-7, PTM 1957–67 | Formerly Perak, then Federated Malay States, then Persekutuan Tanah Melayu (Malay) |
| MGL | Mongolia | 2002 | - | MNG displayed on current plates. Nevertheless, the new format will include MGL once again. |
| MV* | Maldives | - | - | - |
| NEP | Nepal | 1970 | - | - |
| OM | Oman | ? | - | - |
| PK | Pakistan | 1947 | - | - |
| PS | Palestine | - | - | - |
| Q | Qatar | 1972 | - | - |
| RC | Republic of China (Taiwan) | 1932 | - | The Republic of Congo also uses RC illegally on their license plates (République du Congo). |
| RI | Indonesia | 1955 | - | Republik Indonesia (Indonesian) |
| RL | Lebanon | 1952 | - | République Libanaise (French) |
| ROK | South Korea | 1971 | - | Republic of Korea, since September 2019 passenger plates now display the code KOR. |
| RP | Philippines | 1975 | - | Republika ng Pilipinas (Republic of the Philippines) |
| SGP | Singapore | 1952 | - | - |
| SYR | Syria | 1952 | - | - |
| T | Thailand | 1955 | SM | - |
| TJ | Tajikistan | 1992 | SU − 1991 | Formerly part of the Soviet Union, used code PT for "Республика Таджикистан" on plates from 1993 to 2003 |
| TL* | East Timor | - | P, RI | Timor-Leste |
| TM | Turkmenistan | 1992 | SU − 1991 | Formerly part of the Soviet Union |
| UAE | United Arab Emirates | 1971 | - | - |
| UZ | Uzbekistan | 1992 | SU | Formerly part of the Soviet Union |
| VN | Vietnam | 1953 | - | - |
| YAR | Yemen | 1960 | - | North Yemen formerly known as the Yemen Arab Republic |
* - unofficial code.
Europe Vehicle Registration Codes
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| Current Code(s) | Country | From | Previous Code(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A | Austria | 1911 | - | Austria (Latin, English, ...) vs. Österreich (German); 1939-1945? |
| ABH* | Abkhazia | 2006 | - | - |
| AL | Albania | 1934 | - | - |
| AM | Armenia | 1992 | SU | Formerly part of the Soviet Union |
| AND | Andorra | 1957 | - | - |
| AX | Åland Islands | 2002 | SF | Official code - FIN |
| B | Belgium | 1910 | - | - |
| BG | Bulgaria | 1910 | - | - |
| BIH | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1992 | YU | Bosna i Hercegovina. Formerly part of Yugoslavia. |
| BY | Belarus | 1992 (2004) | SU | Byelorussia; formerly part of the Soviet Union. The UN was officially notified of the change from SU to BY only in 2004. |
| BZH* | Brittany | - | - | Region located in the west of France |
| CAT* | Catalonia | - | - | An autonomous community in Spain on the northeastern corner of the Iberian Peninsula |
| CD* | diplomatic and consular corps | - | - | - |
| CH | Switzerland | 1911 | - | Confœderatio Helvetica (Latin) |
| CY | Cyprus | 1932 | - | - |
| CYM* | Wales | 1932 | - | Cymru |
| CZ | Czech Republic | 1993 | CS | Formerly Československo (Czechoslovakia) |
| D | Germany | 1910 | - | Deutschland (German); also used until 1974 by East Germany, which then used DDR until German reunification in 1990 |
| DK | Denmark | 1914 | - | - |
| E | Spain | 1910 | - | España (Spanish) |
| EH* | French Basque Country | - | - | Region lying on the west of the French department of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques |
| ENG* | England | - | - | - |
| EST | Estonia | 1993 | EW 1919–1940 & 1991–1993, SU 1940–1991 | Eesti Vabariik (Estonian; old style Eesti Wabariik) |
| F | France | 1910 | - | - |
| FIN | Finland | 1993 | SF | Suomi / Finland (Finnish/Swedish) |
| FL | Liechtenstein | 1923 | - | Fürstentum Liechtenstein (German, Principality of Liechtenstein) |
| FO | Faroe Islands | 1996 | - | Føroyar |
| GBA | Alderney | 1924 | - | United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland – Alderney |
| GBG | Guernsey | 1924 | - | United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland – Guernsey |
| GBJ | Jersey | 1924 | - | United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland – Jersey |
| GBM | Isle of Man | 1932 | - | United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland – Isle of Man |
| GBZ | Gibraltar | 1924 | - | United Kingdom of Great Britain & Northern Ireland – Gibraltar (Z was assigned because G was already used for Guernsey) |
| GE | Georgia | 1992 | SU | Formerly part of the Soviet Union. Older licence plates use "GEO" instead of "GE". Also used illegally by Equatorial-Guinea (Guinea Ecuatorial). |
| GR | Greece | 1913 | - | - |
| H | Hungary | 1910 | - | - |
| HR | Croatia | 1992 | SHS 1919–29, Y 1929–53, YU 1953–92 | Hrvatska (Croatian). Formerly part of Yugoslavia. Immediately after Croatia's declaration of independence in 1991, it was common to see unofficial oval stickers with the letters "CRO". Despite the initial anticipation that Croatia's international vehicle registration code would be "CRO", Croatia opted for "HR" (Hrvatska) instead. SHS was for the Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kraljevina Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca). |
| I | Italy | 1910 | - | - |
| IRL | Ireland | 1992 | GB − 1910, SE − 1924, EIR − 1938, EIR/IRL − 1962 | - |
| IS | Iceland | 1936 | - | Ísland (Icelandic) |
| KN* | Greenland | 1910 | GRO | Kalaallit Nunaat. The official code is DK |
| L | Luxembourg | 1911 | - | - |
| LT | Lithuania | 1992 | SU 1940–1991 | - |
| LV | Latvia | 1992 | LR 1927–1940, SU 1940–1991 | Latvijas Republika (Latvian) |
| M | Malta | 1966 | GBY 1924–66 | - |
| MC | Monaco | 1910 | - | - |
| MD | Moldova | 1992 | SU − 1991 | Formerly part of the Soviet Union |
| MNE | Montenegro | 2006 | MN 1913–1919, SHS 1919–29, Y 1929–53, YU 1953–2003, SCG 2003–2006 | Independent nation until 1918. After that, part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kraljevina Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca – Serbo-Croatian), then part of Yugoslavia and then Serbia and Montenegro (Srbija i Crna Gora – Serbian). Independence restored in 2006. |
| N | Norway | 1922 | - | - |
| NIR* | Northern Ireland | - | - | - |
| NL | Netherlands | 1910 | - | - |
| NMK | North Macedonia | 2019 | YU − 1992, MK 1992–2019 | Formerly part of Yugoslavia. Known as Republic of Macedonia until 2019. Mix of English North and Macedonian Makedonija |
| P | Portugal | 1910 | - | Unofficially and illegally used by Palestine as well |
| PL | Poland | 1921 | - | - |
| PMR* | Transnistria | 1990 | - | - |
| RKS | Kosovo | 2010 | SHS 1919–29, Y 1929–53, YU 1953–92, SCG 2003–2006, SRB 2006-2010 | Republic of Kosovo |
| RO | Romania | 1981 | R - 1981 | - |
| RSM | San Marino | 1932 | - | Repubblica di San Marino (Italian) |
| RSO* | South Ossetia | - | - | - |
| RUS | Russia | 1992 | SU | Formerly part of the Soviet Union |
| S | Sweden | 1911 | - | - |
| SCO* | Scotland | - | - | - |
| SCV* | Vatican City | - | - | - |
| SK | Slovakia | 1993 | CS 1919–39,1945–92, SQ 1939–45 | Formerly Československo (Czechoslovakia) |
| SLO | Slovenia | 1992 | SHS 1919–29, Y 1929–53, YU 1953–92 | Formerly part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes Kraljevina Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca, then part of Yugoslavia |
| SRB | Serbia | 2006 | SB – 1919, SHS 1919–29, Y 1929–53, YU 1953–2003, SCG 2003–2006 | Formerly part of the Kingdom of Serbia. Then part of Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (Kraljevina Srba, Hrvata i Slovenaca – Serbo-Croatian). Then part of Yugoslavia. Then Serbia and Montenegro (Srbija i Crna Gora – Serbian) |
| TR | Turkey | 1923 | - | - |
| UA | Ukraine | 1992 | SU | Formerly part of the Soviet Union |
| UK | United Kingdom | 2021 | GB (1910–2021) | Before 1922, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. Until 2021, "GB" was used, but from 28 September 2021 the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland changed its international vehicle registration code from "GB" to "UK". (This does not affect territories for which the United Kingdom controls international relations outside Great Britain and Northern Ireland.) "UK" was and is the country code on British driving licences, even prior to 2021. |
| V | Vatican City | 1931 | - | CV (Città del Vaticano) is used as a prefix on the licence plate number itself. |
| VL* | Flanders | 1923 | - | The Dutch-speaking northern portion of Belgium. |
* - unofficial code.
North America & Caribbean Vehicle Registration Codes
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| Current Code(s) | Country | From | Previous Code(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AG* | Antigua and Barbuda | - | - | - |
| AXA* | Anguilla | - | - | - |
| BDS | Barbados | 1956 | - | - |
| BH | Belize | 1938 | - | Formerly British Honduras. Still officially registered as BH as of 2007. New driving licenses appear to have 'BZ' instead of 'BH' as Belize's code. |
| BS | Bahamas | 1950 | - | - |
| BVI | British Virgin Islands | 1910 | - | - |
| CU | Cuba | 1930 | C | - |
| CDN | Canada | 1956 | CA | CDN for "Canada Dominion" |
| CR | Costa Rica | 1956 | - | - |
| DOM | Dominican Republic | 1952 | - | - |
| ES | El Salvador | 1978 | - | - |
| GCA | Guatemala | 1956 | G | Guatemala, Central America |
| HN | Honduras | ? | - | Unofficial: no other code found for Honduras |
| JA | Jamaica | 1932 | - | - |
| KAN* | Saint Kitts and Nevis | - | - | - |
| MEX | Mexico | 1952 | - | - |
| NA | Netherlands Antilles | 1957 | - | - |
| NIC | Nicaragua | 1952 | - | - |
| PA | Panama | 1952 | - | - |
| PR* | Puerto Rico | - | - | - |
| RH | Haiti | 1952 | - | République d'Haïti (French) |
| TT | Trinidad and Tobago | 1964 | - | - |
| USA | United States | 1952 | US | - |
| WD | Dominica | 1954 | - | Windward Islands Dominica |
| WG | Grenada | 1932 | - | Windward Islands Grenada |
| WL | Saint Lucia | 1932 | - | Windward Islands Saint Lucia |
| WV | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 1932 | - | Windward Islands Saint Vincent |
* - unofficial code.
Oceania Vehicle Registration Codes
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| Current Code(s) | Country | From | Previous Code(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARK* | Antarctica | - | - | - |
| AUS | Australia | 1954 | - | - |
| FJI | Fiji | 1971 | - | - |
| FSM* | Federated States of Micronesia | - | - | Federated States of Micronesia |
| KIR* | Kiribati | - | - | - |
| MH* | Marshall Islands | - | - | Marshall Islands |
| NAU | Nauru | 1968 | - | - |
| NC* | New Caledonia | 1968 | - | Nouvelle-Calédonie |
| NZ | New Zealand | 1958 | - | - |
| PAL* | Palau | - | - | - |
| PNG | Papua New Guinea | 1978 | - | - |
| SOL* | Solomon Islands | - | - | - |
| TO | Tonga | 1995 | - | - |
| TUV* | Tuvalu | - | - | - |
| VU* | Vanuatu | - | - | - |
| WS | Samoa | 1962 | - | Formerly Western Samoa |
* - unofficial code.
South America Vehicle Registration Codes
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| Current Code(s) | Country | From | Previous Code(s) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARU* | Aruba | - | - | - |
| BOL | Bolivia | 1967 | - | - |
| BR | Brazil | 1930 | - | - |
| CO | Colombia | 1952 | - | - |
| EC | Ecuador | 1962 | EQ | - |
| GUY | Guyana | 1972 | BRG | Formerly British Guiana − 1966 |
| HN* | Guyana | - | - | - |
| PE | Peru | 1937 | - | - |
| PY | Paraguay | 1952 | - | - |
| RA | Argentina | 1927 | - | República Argentina (Spanish) |
| RCH | Chile | 1930 | - | República de Chile (Spanish) |
| SME | Suriname | 1936 | - | - |
| ROU | Uruguay | 2012 | U | - |
| YV | Venezuela | 1955 | - | - |
* - unofficial code.