While traveling, you might have noticed a white oval sticker adhered to the back of a vehicle with one black letter, two black letters, or even three black letters — especially when renting a car — which are the vehicle registration codes by country and are also usually found on the license plate itself…
Vehicle Registration Codes By Country: Interactive Chart and Answers.
…but do you know to what country each letter — or set of letters — corresponds?
The country in which the vehicle registration plate of a motor vehicle was issued is indicated by an official international license plate country code, which is formerly known as an International Registration Letter or International Circulation Mark that is displayed in big bold black block uppercase letters on a small white oval plate or sticker — which typically has a black oval border — near the number license plate on the rear of a motor vehicle.
When the distinguishing sign is incorporated into the registration license plate, it must also appear on the front registration license plate of the motor vehicle; and it may be supplemented with the flag or emblem of the national state — or the emblem of the regional economic integration organization to which the country belongs.
The distinguishing sign should be displayed on the far left or far right of the registration license plate. When a symbol, flag, or emblem is also displayed, the distinguishing sign is typically placed on the far left of the plate.
This interactive chart contains the answers from the past four articles:
| CODE | COUNTRY | YEAR | CONTINENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| A | Austria | 1911 | Europe |
| AFG | Afghanistan | 1971 | Asia |
| AL | Albania | 1934 | Europe |
| AND | Andorra | 1957 | Europe |
| AM | Armenia | 1992 | Asia |
| AUS | Australia | 1954 | Oceania |
| AZ | Azerbaijan | 1993 | Asia |
| B | Belgium | 1910 | Europe |
| BD | Bangladesh | 1978 | Asia |
| BDS | Barbados | 1956 | North America |
| BF | Burkina Faso | 1990 | Africa |
| BG | Bulgaria | 1910 | Europe |
| BH | Belize | 1938 | North America |
| BIH | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 1992 | Europe |
| BOL | Bolivia | 1967 | South America |
| BR | Brazil | 1930 | |
| BRN | Bahrain | 1954 | |
| BRU | Brunei | 1956 | |
| BS | Bahamas | 1950 | |
| BUR | Myanmar | 1956 | Asia |
| BVI | British Virgin Islands | 1910 | North America |
| BW | Botswana | 2003 | Africa |
| BY | Belarus | 1992 (2004) | Europe |
| CU | Cuba | 1930 | |
| CAM | Cameroon | 1952 | Africa |
| CDN | Canada | 1956 | North America |
| CGO | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 1997 | Africa |
| CH | Switzerland | 1911 | Europe |
| CI | Ivory Coast (Côte d'Ivoire) | 1961 | Africa |
| CL | Sri Lanka | 1961 | Asia |
| CO | Colombia | 1952 | |
| CR | Costa Rica | 1956 | |
| CY | Cyprus | 1932 | |
| CZ | Czech Republic | 1993 | Europe |
| D | Germany | 1910 | |
| DK | Denmark | 1914 | |
| DOM | Dominican Republic | 1952 | |
| DY | Benin | 1910 | Africa |
| DZ | Algeria | 1962 | Africa |
| E | Spain | 1910 | |
| EAK | Kenya | 1938 | |
| EAT | Tanzania | 1938 | Africa |
| EAU | Uganda | 1938 | |
| EAZ | Zanzibar | 1964 | |
| EC | Ecuador | 1962 | South America |
| ER | Eritrea | 1993 | Africa |
| ES | El Salvador | 1978 | |
| EST | Estonia | 1993 | Europe |
| ET | Egypt | 1927 | |
| ETH | Ethiopia | 1964 | Africa |
| F | France | 1910 | |
| FIN | Finland | 1993 | Europe |
| FJI | Fiji | 1971 | |
| FL | Liechtenstein | 1923 | |
| FO | Faroe Islands | 1996 | |
| G | Gabon | 1974 | Africa |
| GBA | Alderney | 1924 | GB 1923-1924 |
| GBG | Guernsey | 1924 | GB 1914-1924 |
| GBJ | Jersey | 1924 | GB 1914-1924 |
| GBM | Isle of Man | 1932 | |
| GBZ | Gibraltar | 1924 | GB 1911-1924 |
| GCA | Guatemala | 1956 | G |
| GE | Georgia | 1992 | SU |
| GH | Ghana | 1959 | WAC − 1957 |
| GR | Greece | 1913 | |
| GUY | Guyana | 1972 | BRG |
| H | Hungary | 1910 | |
| HKJ | Jordan | 1966 | JOR |
| HN | Honduras | ||
| HR | Croatia | 1992 | SHS 1919–29 |
| I | Italy | 1910 | |
| IL | Israel | 1952 | |
| IND | India | 1947 | BI |
| IR | Iran | 1936 | PR |
| IRL | Ireland | 1992 | GB − 1910-24 |
| IRQ | Iraq | 1930 | |
| IS | Iceland | 1936 | |
| J | Japan | 1964 | |
| JA | Jamaica | 1932 | |
| K | Cambodia | 1956 | |
| KG | Kyrgyzstan | 1992 | SU − 1991 |
| KSA | Saudi Arabia | 1973 | SA |
| KWT | Kuwait | 1954 | |
| KZ | Kazakhstan | 1992 | Asia |
| L | Luxembourg | 1911 | |
| LAO | Laos | 1959 | Asia |
| LAR | Libya | 1972 | Africa |
| LB | Liberia | 1967 | Africa |
| LS | Lesotho | 1967 | Africa |
| LT | Lithuania | 1992 | Europe |
| LV | Latvia | 1992 | Europe |
| M | Malta | 1966 | Europe |
| MA | Morocco | 1924 | |
| MAL | Malaysia | 1967 | Asia |
| MC | Monaco | 1910 | |
| MD | Moldova | 1992 | Europe |
| MEX | Mexico | 1952 | |
| MNE | Montenegro | 2006 | Europe |
| MGL | Mongolia | 2002 | |
| MOC | Mozambique | 1975 | Africa |
| MS | Mauritius | 1938 | |
| MV | Maldives | 1965 | |
| MW | Malawi | 1965 | Africa |
| N | Norway | 1922 | |
| NAM | Namibia | 1990 | Africa |
| NAU | Nauru | 1968 | |
| NEP | Nepal | 1970 | |
| NIC | Nicaragua | 1952 | |
| NL | Netherlands | 1910 | |
| NMK | North Macedonia | 2019 | Europe |
| NZ | New Zealand | 1958 | |
| OM | Oman | ||
| P | Portugal | 1910 | |
| PA | Panama | 1952 | |
| PE | Peru | 1937 | |
| PK | Pakistan | 1947 | |
| PL | Poland | 1921 | |
| PNG | Papua New Guinea | 1978 | |
| PY | Paraguay | 1952 | |
| Q | Qatar | 1972 | |
| RA | Argentina | 1927 | |
| RC | Republic of China (Taiwan) | 1932 | |
| RCA | Central African Republic | 1962 | |
| RCB | Republic of the Congo | 1962 | |
| RCH | Chile | 1930 | |
| RG | Guinea | 1972 | |
| RH | Haiti | 1952 | |
| RI | Indonesia | 1955 | |
| RIM | Mauritania | 1964 | |
| RKS | Flag of Kosovo.svg Kosovo | 2010 | Europe |
| RL | Lebanon | 1952 | |
| RM | Madagascar | 1962 | |
| RMM | Mali | 1962 | Africa |
| RN | Niger | 1977 | Africa |
| RO | Romania | 1981 | Europe |
| ROK | South Korea | 1971 | |
| RP | Philippines | 1975 | |
| RSM | San Marino | 1932 | |
| RU | Burundi | 1962? | |
| RUS | Russia | 1992 | |
| RWA | Rwanda | 1964 | Africa |
| S | Sweden | 1911 | |
| SD | Eswatini | 1935 | |
| SGP | Singapore | 1952 | |
| SK | Slovakia | 1993 | Europe |
| SLO | Slovenia | 1992 | Europe |
| SME | Suriname | 1936 | |
| SN | Senegal | 1962 | |
| SO | Somalia | 1974 | SP |
| SRB | Serbia | 2006 | Europe |
| SUD | Sudan | 1963 | |
| SY | Seychelles | 1938 | |
| SYR | Syria | 1952 | |
| T | Thailand | 1955 | SM |
| TCH | Chad | 1973 | |
| TG | Togo | 1973 | RT |
| TJ | Tajikistan | 1992 | SU − 1991 |
| TM | Turkmenistan | 1992 | SU − 1991 |
| TN | Tunisia | 1957 | F − 1956 |
| TO | Tonga | 1995 | |
| TR | Turkey | 1923 | |
| TT | Trinidad and Tobago | 1964 | |
| UA | Ukraine | 1992 | SU |
| UAE | United Arab Emirates | 1971 | |
| UK | United Kingdom | 2021 | Europe |
| USA | United States | 1952 | North America |
| UY | Uruguay | 2012 | South America |
| UZ | Uzbekistan | 1992 | Asia |
| V | Vatican City | 1931 | |
| VN | Vietnam | 1953 | |
| WAG | Gambia | 1932 | |
| WAL | Sierra Leone | 1937 | |
| WAN | Nigeria | 1937 | |
| WD | Dominica | 1954 | |
| WG | Grenada | 1932 | |
| WL | Saint Lucia | 1932 | |
| WS | Samoa | 1962 | |
| WV | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 1932 | |
| YAR | Yemen | 1960 | |
| YV | Venezuela | 1955 | |
| Z | Zambia | 1964 | Africa |
| ZA | South Africa | 1936 | |
| ZW | Zimbabwe | 1980 | Africa |
| CODE | COUNTRY | YEAR |
Final Boarding Call
This article is not meant to be an exhaustive list of vehicle registration codes by country — especially as some countries and territories have unofficially adopted their own codes — but this series of articles highlights at least 183 of them, including:
- So You Think You Know Vehicle Registration Codes By Country? Test Your Knowledge. Part One.
- So You Think You Know Vehicle Registration Codes By Country? Test Your Knowledge. Part Two.
- So You Think You Know Vehicle Registration Codes By Country? Test Your Knowledge. Part Three.
- So You Think You Know Vehicle Registration Codes By Country? Test Your Knowledge. Part Four.
All photographs ©2006, ©2018, and 2019 by Brian Cohen.
