GERMANY

BUNDESREPUBLIK
DEUTSCHLAND

CURRENT SERIES 

(a)     Normal series plates are used for most vehicles in Germany and measure 520×110 mm or 280×200 mm, and 220×205 mm for motorcycles, although 240×130 mm plates are permitted on small motorcycles and other vehicles where the fitting of a larger plate is difficult.   Lettering is arranged on one line or two, with a one, two or three letter code denoting the administrative division (Table 1, note 2) above, or separated by a space from, the serial.   The prefix codes are listed in Table 1.   The serial is made up of one or two letters followed by up to four numerals, the total number of characters in the registration not exceeding eight. Except where shown the colouring is black on a white ground and plates may be reflective.
        Since January 1994 in Berlin and Brandenburg and throughout the country since January 1995 plates have had a blue band at the left bearing the twelve gold stars of the European Union above the letter D.
        The rear plate carries two circular seals, one coloured and dated showing that the vehicle has passed a safety test and the other with the provincial seal in full colour on white or silver, showing that insurance and taxes have been paid.   Since 1985 there has additionally been a coloured and dated hexagonal seal on the front plate of petrol driven vehicles showing that the vehicle has passed an exhaust emission test.
        Trailers are generally registered independently of their towing vehicles except agricultural and boat trailers which have the same registration as the towing vehicle but without seals and sometimes hand-painted.
        Owners of vehicles may elect to pay reduced taxes and use their vehicle for a limited number of months per year.   Such vehicles have normal format plates but with the addition at the (upper) right of two numerals above two numerals, being the first and last months in which it may be used.
        Historical vehicles (those over 30 years old) have normal series plates but with the letter H as a suffix.

(c)     Provincial official vehicles have their provincial code (see Table 1) followed by a number denoting the Ministry, a hyphen and a serial number.   Ministry codes 1 to 7 are the same for all provinces (see Table 2b); others vary between provinces.   Since October 2004 police vehicles in Nordrhein Westfalen have had NRW 4, a hyphen and a four digit serial.

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(e)     Vehicles paying no road taxes have normal series plates, but coloured green on white;  these include agricultural tractors which have smaller size plates but in the normal format.

(f)      Trade plates are coloured white with red lettering: the code letters, a hyphen and a serial number starting with 06 are used for “recurrent use” (dealers, etc.), with the 07 serials being used by private individuals for use on veteran vehicles only used occasionally.

(g)     Diplomatic vehicles have normal style plates in black on white, but with the number 0 followed by a hyphen, or above, a code denoting the embassy (see Table 4), a hyphen and a serial of up to three digits (with 1 usually denoting the ambassador or head of mission).   Replacement plates may be issued, but to Ambassadors only until the original is found or a given period has expired, with the usual registration suffixed by A.
        There is also a series of “semi-diplomatic” plates with B or BN, an embassy code, a hyphen and a serial number from 300 to 999 in Berlin or from 1 to 999 in Bonn.

(h)     Temporary plates for vehicles purchased for export, or for those temporarily imported into the country, have plates similar to normal series in black on white on one or two lines without a euroband.   The code denoting the administrative division (see Table 1) is above, or separated by a hyphen from, a serial consisting of up to four numerals and a letter.   To the (upper) right of the plate is a red band 55 mm wide with, in black, the day, month and last two digits of the year denoting the expiry date.   These plates have a black on red seal.
        Provisional plates, valid for five days only, are black on white (or green and white if tax free) and have the administrative division code (see Table 1) and a serial number commencing with 04 (plus 03 since March 2007) to the right of which is a yellow band with the day, month and year of expiry vertically aligned in black.   The plates have a blue validation sticker.

(j)      Military vehicles have white plates with black lettering on one line or two: the letter Y and up to six numerals preceded by the national black, red and gold tricolour.   The rear plate bears the Bundeswehr (army) seal.   Military trade plates are red on white and similar to normal military plates, but starting with Y 06 (formerly Y 04).
        Official vehicles at NATO Headquarters have black on white plates with the letter X followed by a serial number, usually of four digits.   Red on white plates with a lead zero and bearing the army seal are also known and assumed to be trade plates.

(k)     Mopeds have small squarish plates, 132×108 mm, with three numerals above three letters with GDV or ARISA and the year in full across the bottom in small characters.   These are issued annually by insurance companies and are valid from 1st March.   The plates are reflective white, but the lettering colour changes annually between black, green and blue (ABB to YZZ).   ZBB to ZZZ in red on white are reserved for trade plates.

Note:  See also the article on “Forces in Europe” for German Forces stationed in France and the Netherlands and also for foreign forces stationed in Germany.

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FORMER SERIES

(p)     Prior to the introduction of the current series, plates were similar but without the blue band and using squarer characters.   Many administrative division codes have been discontinued, marked * in Table 1.   The district code was originally followed by a hyphen but this was discontinued, for space reasons, when larger seals were introduced.

 
(q)     Until February 2007 local official vehicles, including foreign consular officials and police plates, carried the code letters for the administrative division followed by a numeric serial.   These numbers were split into blocks as shown in Table 2a.

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