LICENSE PLATE HISTORY

Page 1: 1990 - the future

1 Dec 1989 - (AND) New series on new style plates. No longer valid. One letter followed by four numerals.

1 Oct 1989 - (FIN) Provincial coding discontinued and new serial letters introduced. No change to the appearance of the plates. IIT-661

1989 - (FL) Single line rear plates allowed. FL 7343 FL 21798

1 Jan 1989 - (IS) Completely new system. TX 287

1988 - (V) New style plates. Private vehicle plates introduced with the letters CV. CV 03641

1 Jan 1988 - (L) New rear plates with the European flag. VE 830

Late 1987 - (CH) Single line rear plates changed dimensions. OW-65 ZG-139 OW-1000 SO-64921 ZH-821839

Sep 1987 - (RSM) New style plates. 42323

Aug 1987 - (GBM) New series. CMN 10M CMN 660V

11 Feb 1987 - (E) New lettering style. L-9027-P B-4551-OM ZA-7616-I SS-6019-AS

1 Jan 1987 - (IRL) Completely new system. Like 93-G-1828, but without the euroband and Gaelic name.

1986 - (I) System extended with a serial letter in the second position (at first only in Milano). MI 9X3659 MI 5P4293

1986 - (MC) New style plates. 7538 M672 H618

1986 - (CS) New style plates. No longer valid in Slovakia. ZL 5?-?9 BLD 62-47

Jan 1986 - (BG) New series on new style yellow plates. No longer valid. B-9499-H C-4277-AГ C3-2150-A

Jul 1985 - (GBM) New series. 1000 MAN up to 9999 MAN. Like 1981-MAN, but in former style and without hyphen.

1985 - (BG) System extended with a second serial letter in Sofiya. No longer valid.

1985 - (I) Plate colour changed from black to white. IS 072753 GE E34306 TO 28959M ROMA 96037R

1985 - (RO) Five digit serial introduced in Bucuresti. No longer valid. 1-B 54577

1985 - (TR) New series (at first only in İstanbul). 34 CRG 13

1984 - (AL) System extended with the addition of a fifth numeral. Two district code letters followed by five numerals. No longer valid.

1984 - (V) Letters before numerals on front plates.

1 Jan 1984 - (S) New style plates. EML 769

1 Aug 1983 - (GB) New series. J75 YET S53 CPA F585 WMS F724 GSU

May 1983 - (GBM) New series. MAN 1000 up to MAN 9999.

1983 - (GR) New series. YYT-8603 YIM-6185

1982 - (E) Bilbao became the first two letter code to use a second serial letter. Like SS-6019-AS, but in the former style.

1981 - (PL) Former series ceased to be valid. Black plates. Two code letters followed by two pairs of numerals or the reverse. Photo courtesy of Adrian Kot: 30-51-XW.

1 Jan 1981 - (FIN - Åland) System extended with the addition of a serial letter. ÅLH 60 ÅLG 386

1980 - (SU) New series. Still valid in parts of the former Soviet Union. P 9800 MT

1979 - (TR) New series (at first only in İstanbul). 06 K 0274

1 Aug 1979 - (M) Completely new system. No longer valid. L-7619

Jun 1979 - (RSM) New style plates. 24048

Jan 1979 - (GBM) New series. M613 MAN

2 Oct 1978 - (NL) New series. No longer valid on plates without euroband. SF-43-PR

1978 - (L) New series. XF 450

1978 - (MC) Plate colour changed from blue to white. This style of plate believed to be no longer valid.

1977 - (F) Corsica (2A and 2B) started to use two serial letters. 3746 FR 2B

1977 - (I) System extended with a serial letter after the numerals (at first only in Milano). 05705A TO 34358E ROMA MI 74659H ROMA 66825F

1977 - (NL) Yellow plates. Like SF-43-PR, but with two letters between two pairs of numerals. No longer valid.

15 Sep 1976 - (RSM) New series. White plates. RSM followed by five numerals. Front plates were small and had the numerals in front of RSM.

1976 - (FO) New series on new style white plates. F 80139

1976 - (DK) New style and colours. MD 22594

1976 - (I) Orange coloured province code on rear plates. CO 635075 FI D68551 ROMA U73109

1976 - (NL) New style and colours. 70-GS-49

1976 - (PL) New system. REM 0192

1 Jan 1976 - (F) Corsica divided into codes 2A and 2B. Each started with only one serial letter. Like 3746 FR 2B, but only one serial letter.

1975 - (FIN - Åland) Black border added. Like this trailer plate ÅS 3106, but with letters ÅL.

1975 - (RSM) New series. RSM B976. Front plates were small and had the serial letter and numerals in front of RSM.

May 1974 - (GBM) New series. MAN 88V MAN 147P MAN 111Y MAN 110A

Mar 1974 - (F) System extended with a third serial letter (at first only in Paris). 709 JYK 75

1974 - (DDR) System extended with a third letter. No longer valid. KUG 6-82

1974 - (FL) New style plates. FL 3478 FL 4041 FL 16057 FL 20615

1 Jan 1974 - (L) Yellow plates front and rear. U 2046

1973 - (E) System extended with a second serial letter (at first only in Barcelona). B-2061-HN

1 May 1973 - (B) New series. JTY-168

1 May 1973 - (S) Former series ceased to be valid. S 534

Apr 1973 - (GBA) AY 1000 reached. AY 1111

1973 - (A) System extended with a serial letter (at first only in Niederösterreich). N 645.A87

1973 - (CH) New style plates. NW 16 FR-248 SZ 193 BE-2745 AI 6955 BL-48349 SO 42680 GE-174341 BL 127259

1973 - (GB) White front and yellow rear plates mandatory. THE 3S MGD 6Y LNV 46Y SWJ 31S TJE 813K KPX 849Y

1973 - (GBZ) White front and yellow rear plates. Black plates still optional. G 70980 G 57966

1973 - (NL) New series. 67-FL-66

1 Aug 1972 - (S) Completely new system. CHS 456

7 Jun 1972 - (FIN) New series. KLN-576

1972 - (GR) New system. AT-8843

Nov 1971 - (GBM) New series. MN 1 up to MN 9999.

Oct 1971 - (E) System changed to four numerals and a serial letter. Z-9051-N GC-0915-V

1 Apr 1971 - (N) Completely new system. TV 18360

1971 - (B) New series. R.929.U

1971 - (FO) System extended with a fifth numeral. Fø 58.143

1971 - (L) White front and yellow rear plates. One letter followed by four numerals. Believed to be no longer valid.

1970 - (IRL) System reversed so that numbers preceded letters (at first only in Dublin). 85 BTI

Plates in use as of 31 Dec 1969:

(A) Former series, still valid. B 969 B 992 O-37.485 G 86.927 W 747.114 St 303.711

(AL) Former series. White plates. Two district code letters followed by four numerals. No longer valid.

(AND) Former series, still valid. 54012

(B) Former series, still valid. 794.YV

(BG) Former series, no longer valid. A-B-6573 BP-B-5230

(CH) Same series as today, but in former style. Still valid. SO-2286 NW-3588 SH-13096 ZH 69744 BE-52337 ZH-201209 BE-148828

(CS) Former series, still valid in the Czech Republic. TN-77-90 BOB-9?-?5

(CY) Former series, still valid. Like AAM 449, but only two letters. Black plates or white front and yellow rear.

(D) Same series as today, but in former style. Still valid. W-N 8 PI-KP 606 STD-H 6263

(DDR) East German series, no longer valid. CN 22-13

(DK) Same series as today (with some blocking changes), but black plates. Still valid. DR 46.772

(E) Former series, still valid. M-98239 B-60/9358 NA-60722

(F) Former series. Still valid. 76 VW 77 362 KZ 06 5629 RK 66

(FIN) Former series, still valid. OVK-98

(FIN - Åland) Former series, still valid. Like this trailer plate: ÅS 3106, but with letters ÅL and without the border.

(FL) Same series as today, but in former style. Still valid. FL 4515

(FO) Former series, still valid. Fø 6.943

(GB) Former series, still valid. EDE 38C ANM 149H. White front and yellow rear plates optional. THE 3S SWJ 31S TJE 813K KPX 849Y

(GB - Northern Ireland) Same series as today. RJI 1816 HIJ 3652

(GBA) Same series as today, but only three numerals. Black plates or white front and yellow rear. AY/888 AY 581 AY 512

(GBG) Same series as today. 56 111 45909 37921 6407

(GBJ) Same series as today, but less than six numerals. J 1202 J 19/747 J 56484 J 35746

(GBM) Former series, still valid. 25 EMN

(GBZ) Former series, still valid. G 82481

(GR) Former series. White plates. District code and IX above a serial of up to six numerals. Believed to be no longer valid.

(H) Former series, no longer valid. White plates. Two letters, hyphen, two numerals, hyphen, two numerals.

(I) Former series, still valid. 290021 PS Y33862 ROMA CO 283416

(IRL) Former series, still valid. IX 101 ZS 7539 UZY 873

(IS) Former series, still valid. E 58 D 598 G 4099 G 24443

(L) Former series, still valid. Black plates. One letter followed by four numerals.

(M) Former series, no longer valid. Black plates. Up to five numerals.

(MC) White on blue plates, no longer valid. Series more or less like until 2014, when the system reversed.

(N) Former series, still valid. R-96098 C-509929 34-03-40

(NL) Former series, still valid. 50-34-PL

(P) Former series, still valid. QS-91-25 UL-94-05

(PL) Former series, no longer valid. Photo courtesy of Adrian Kot: 30-51-XW. Also issued with the letters before the numerals.

(RO) Former series, no longer valid. 2-SV 5735

(RSM) Former series, still valid. RSM 1160. Front plates were small and had the numerals in front of the letters.

(S) Former series, no longer valid. S 534

(SU) Former series, still valid in parts of the former Soviet Union. 79-82 ЧБA

(TR) Same system as today, though the serial has been extended in many provinces. 34 AY 763

(V) Same series as today. White plates. S.C.V. followed by up to three numerals. Front plates had the numerals in front of the letters.

(YU) Former series. Believed to be no longer valid in any parts of the former Yugoslavia. SK 56-68 SA 982-48 MB 333-237