European vehicle registration plates

A European vehicle registration plate is a vehicle registration plate, a metal or plastic plate or plates attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. The registration identifier is a numeric or alphanumeric code that uniquely identifies the vehicle within the issuing authority's database. In Europe most countries have adopted a common format for number plates, such as the common EU format format issued in EU member states. This format satisfies the requirements in the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which states that cross-border vehicles must display a distinguishing code for the country of registration on the rear of the vehicle. This sign may either be an oval sticker placed separately from the registration plate or may be incorporated into the vehicle registration plate. When the distinguishing sign is incorporated into the registration plate, it must also appear on the front registration plate of the vehicle, and 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 common EU format of having a blue section on the extreme left with EU circle of stars and the country code was introduced by Council Regulation (EC) No 2411/98 of 3 November 1998 and entered into force on the 11 November 1998. It was based on a model registration plate which three member states had already introduced before: Ireland (1991),Portugal (1992) and Germany (1994).Luxembourg plates had displayed the European Flag on the left part since 1988.

Several countries have made efforts to avoid duplicating registration numbers used by other countries. Nevertheless, this is not completely successful and there are occasional difficulties for example in connection with parking fines and automatic speed cameras.

Individual European countries use differing numbering schemes and text fonts:

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