Code list for
Norwegian license plates
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[Current list] [Alphabetically sorted list] [Code list 1971] [Diplomatic] [Export] [Pre-1971 list] [Pre-1971 detailed list]
Since April 1st 1971 Norwegian license plates have a two letter prefix code denoting the traffic office where the vehicle was first registered. The registration stays with the vehicle, so if a vehicle is sold to another district or the owner moves the registration remains unchanged. When registering a new vehicle owners may choose any of the letter combinations currently in use throughout the country.
Reflective plates were introduced April 1st 1982, earlier plates were plain "metal" coloured, commonly referred to as silver. New style plates were first seen in December 2001 (although officially introduced from January 1st 2002). Trade plates became reflective in this style of plate. Nov 1st 2006 plates with a blue band with the Norwegian flag and identification letter N were officially introduced, but the first were seen Oct 25th. Jan 1st 2009 flat plastic plates in an otherwise unchanged format were introduced. Jan 1st 2012 they changed back to aluminium.
Since 2013 provisional plates are no longer geographically coded. Since 2015 trade plates are in a new, centrally issued series. Since 2017 four numeral plates are no longer geographically coded.
|
Black on reflective white |
Cars, buses, coaches, lorries, trucks, trailers, mopeds, motorcycles, agricultural tractors, "motorized equipment", some snow scooters. |
|
Black on reflective green |
Light commercial vehicles (e.g. vans and pickup trucks). |
| Yellow on reflective blue | Diplomatic vehicles. |
| White on reflective red | Dealer/ trade plates. |
| Black on red | Provisional plates. |
| Yellow on black | Vehicles not allowed on public roads (tax-free) (e.g. airport vehicles, some snow scooters) |
| White on black | Rally plates. |
| Black on amber | Military (no prefix letters). |
| Red on amber | Military test plates. Used only by FMU = Forsvarsmuseet (Museum of Defence) and T-U = Test og utvikling (Test and Development). |
Numerals:
| 5 - | Cars and commercial vehicles. |
| 4 - | Trailers, mopeds, motorcycles, agricultural tractors, "motorized equipment", snow scooters. |
| 3 - | Provisional plates |
| 2 - | Dealer/ trade plates (since 2015 three letters and two numerals) |
This is the code list. Note that the letters I, M, O, Q, Æ, Ø and Å are not used. Alphabetically sorted list here.
| CENTRALLY ISSUED | |
| Diplomatic vehicles | CD |
| Electrically powered vehicles | EL EK EV EB EC ED EE EF EH EJ EN |
| Military | FE (all-numerical military plates displayed until sold to private owners) |
| Gas powered vehicles | GA |
| Hydrogen powered vehicles | HY |
| ØSTFOLD | |
| Halden | AA AB AC |
| Hafslund (Fredrikstad/ Sarpsborg) (1) | AD AE AF AH AR AS AT AU AV AW DW(4-digit plates) AG(trade plates) FL(4-digit plates) DG(trade plates) ES(4-digit plates) |
| Mysen | AJ AK AL AN AP FN(4-digit plates) BW |
| Moss | AX AY AZ BA BB(trade plates) FN(trade plates) |
| AKERSHUS | |
| Follo (Drøbak) | BC BD BE BF BH BJ BK BG(trade plates) |
| Asker og Bærum (Billingstad) |
BL BN BP BR BS BT BU BV BX BY BZ CA CB |
| Lillestrøm (Romerike) | CC CE CF CH CJ CK CL CN CP CR CS CT CU(trade plates) EV(trade plates) CG(trade plates) FF(trade plates) |
| Jessheim | CV CX CY CZ CW(trade plates) CU(4-digit plates) |
| OSLO | |
| DA DB DC DD DE DF DH DJ DK DL DN DP DR DS DT DU DV DX DY DZ EA EB(trade plates) EC(trade plates) ED(trade plates) EE(trade plates) EF(trade plates) EH(trade plates) EJ(trade plates) EK(trade plates) EN(trade plates) EP ER ES(trade plates) EU (2) | |
| INNLANDET | |
| Hamar | FS FT FU FV FX FY FZ(trade and 4-digit plates) HA(trade plates) FW ET |
| Elverum | HB HC HD HE HA(4-digit plates) FZ(5-digit plates by mistake in 2015) |
| Tynset | HF HH |
| Kongsvinger | HJ HK HL HN HP HR |
| Lillehammer | HS HT HU HV HX FB(4-digit plates (5-digit plates by mistake in 2015)) |
| Otta | HZ JA JB |
| Gjøvik | JC JD JE JF JH JJ JK JL JN JP |
| Fagernes | JR JS JT |
| BUSKERUD | |
| Hønefoss (Ringerike) | JU JV JX JY JZ KA |
| Hallingdal (Gol) | KB KC KD |
| Drammen | KE KF KH KJ KK KL KN KP KR KS KW(trade plates) EZ(trade plates) EW(trade plates) |
| Kongsberg | KT KU KV KX KY |
| VESTFOLD | |
| Horten | KZ LA LB LC LD(trade plates) LE(trade plates) LF(trade plates) (3) |
| Tønsberg | LH LJ LK LL LN LP LR LD(4-digit plates) |
| Larvik | LS LT LU LV LX NA(trade plates) NB NC |
| Sandefjord (4) | LY LZ NA(4-digit plates) |
| TELEMARK | |
| Skien (5) | ND NE NF NH NJ NK NL NN NP NR (6)NT NU NG(trade plates) |
| Notodden | NV NX NY NZ NW(trade plates) |
| Rjukan | PA PB |
| AGDER | |
| Arendal | PC PD PE PF PH PJ PK PG(trade plates) |
| Setesdal (7) | PL LF(4-digit plates) |
| Kristiansand | PN PP PR PS PT PU PV PW |
| Mandal | PX PY PZ RC RD |
| Flekkefjord | RA RB |
| ROGALAND | |
| Stavanger | RE RF RH RJ RK RL RN RP RR RS RT RU RV RX RY RW FB(trade plates) DW(trade plates) RG(trade plates) JG(trade plates) |
| Egersund | RZ SA SB |
| Haugesund | SC SD SE SF SH SJ SK SL |
| VESTLAND | |
| Bergen | SN SP SR SS(8) ST SU SV SX SY SZ TA TB TC TD TE HW(4-digit plates) |
| Voss | TF TH TJ TK |
| Stord | TL TN TP TR |
| Odda | TS TT TU |
| Førde | TV TX TY TZ TG(trade plates) |
| Nordfjordeid | UA UB FA(trade plates) |
| Sogndal | UC UD FJ(trade plates) |
| MØRE OG ROMSDAL | |
| Ålesund | UE UF UH UJ UK UL UG(trade plates) UW(trade plates) |
| Ørsta | UN UP BB(4-digit plates (5-digit plates by mistake in 2015)) |
| Molde | UR US UT UU UV |
| Kristiansund | UX UY UZ VA |
| Sunndalsøra | VB VC |
| TRØNDELAG | |
| Trondheim (9) | VD VE VF VH VJ VK VL VN VP VR FP VS(trade and 4-digit plates) VU (4-digit plates) VV NW(4-digit plates) |
| Støren (10) | VT VS(a few plates, code taken over by Trondheim) VU(trade plates) |
| Orkdal | VX VY VZ |
| Brekstad | XA XB XC |
| Steinkjer | XD XE XF XH XJ XW(4-digit plates) |
| Levanger (11) | XL XK XW(trade plates) VW(4-digit plates) |
| Stjørdal | XN XP YW(4-digit plates) |
| Namsos | XR XS XT XU XG(trade plates) |
| NORDLAND | |
| Mosjøen | XV XX XY XZ FA(4-digit plates (5-digit plates by mistake in 2015)) |
| Mo i Rana | YA YB YC YD |
| Bodø (12) | YE YF YH YJ FD EZ(4-digit plates (5-digit plates by mistake in 2015)) |
| Fauske | YK YL |
| Narvik | YN YP YR YS |
| Svolvær | YT YY FG(trade plates) |
| Sortland | YU YV YX |
| TROMS | |
| Storslett | FK SW(4-digit plates) |
| Harstad | YZ ZA ZB TW(4-digit plates) |
| Finnsnes (13) | ZF ZJ ZD EX(4-digit plates (5-digit plates by mistake in 2015)) |
| Tromsø (14) (including Svalbard) | ZE ZH ZK ZL ZN(15)ZC FL(trade plates) FC(trade and 4-digit plates (5-digit plates by mistake in 2015)) FH(4-digit plates (Svalbard)) |
| FINNMARK | |
| Vadsø (16) | ZP ZR FR(trade and 4-digit plates (5-digit plates by mistake in 2015)) LE(4-digit plates) |
| Kirkenes | ZS EY(4-digit plates (5-digit plates by mistake in 2015)) |
| Alta | ZT ZU ZV ZY ZW UW(4-digit plates) |
| Hammerfest | ZX FF(4-digit plates) |
| Lakselv | ZZ CW(4-digit plates) |
My notes:
- AD AE AF AH listed as Fredrikstad. These used to be for Sarpsborg, but the office there was closed and the letters were transferred to Fredrikstad. A new office for both Fredrikstad and Sarpsborg has now opened in Hafslund. 5 digit AE plates are still issued for Sarpsborg, and AS for Fredrikstad. 4 digit plates use a single series.
- The following were originally allocated to Oslo, but are now used by a different office: EV Lillestrøm, EW Drammen, EX Finnsnes, EY Kirkenes, EZ Bodø (4-digit plates), EZ Drammen (trade plates), FA Mosjøen (4-digit plates), FA Nordfjordeid (trade plates), FB Lillehammer (4- digit plates), FB Stavanger (trade plates), FC Tromsø, FD Bodø, FE Military, FF Hammerfest, FJ Sogndal, FK Storslett, FL Tromsø, FN Mysen (4-digit plates), FN Moss (trade plates), FP Trondheim, FR Vadsø.
- LE and LF were allocated to Vadsø and Setesdal respectively in 2003 and LD to Tønsberg in 2015. However, LD, LE and LF trade plates have been issued by Horten.
- LY LZ NA NB NC used to be Sandefjord. Now Sandefjord is only listed with LY. The rest are transferred to Larvik. However, trade plates and 4 digit plates had already reached LZ and 4 digit plates are currently using NA.
- NN NP NR NT NU used to be Porsgrunn. The office there is closed and the letters transferred to Skien. Skien has now exhausted 4 digit NN plates and moved on to NP and NR.
- NS was the Norwegian Nazi party during the war. The letters are not going to be used.
- LF was allocated to Setesdal in 2003. 4 digit plates now use LF after most of PL was skipped. LF trade plates were issued by Horten.
- SS was used for 2, 3 and 4 digit plates, but not for 5 digit plates, because the public objected to its use, even 50 years after the war.
- VU was allocated to Trondheim in 2005 and VV in 2009. FP was used before VU (since 1997), issues commenced from VD. Around 90 5 digit VP plates were issued because of a mistake by the plate manufacturer the autumn of 2001.
- Støren commenced issues from VT. Some VS plates were issued in 2006. Since 2013 VS is issued by Trondheim for trade plates and 4 digit plates.
- Levanger commenced issues from XL. 5 digit XL plates reached just above 36000, at which time XK was issued from 10000.
- FD was allocated to Bodø in 2004.
- ZD was allocated to Finnsnes in 1992, issues commenced from ZF. A handful of 5 digit ZD plates were issued in November 2001, probably by mistake.
- ZC (1992) and FL (1997) have been allocated to Tromsø, issues commenced from ZE. FL will only be used for trade plates. FC allocated to Tromsø in 2009.
- ZN officially listed as Tromsø (including Svalbard). In practice ZN is for Svalbard only, except for trade plates.
- FR was allocated to Vadsø in 1989, issues commenced from ZP. LE was allocated to Vadsø in 2003, although Horten had already issued trade plates with LE.
Export/ tourist series
These plates are issued by the Police. The first numeral denotes the town. The vast majority are
issued in Oslo.
- Oslo
- Larvik
- Kristiansand
- Stavanger
- Bergen
- Trondheim
- Tromsø
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