Germany
Normal series plates

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Pre-1956 Plates

Pre-1945 normal series plate. IIB = Oberbayern (Upper Bavaria).
For pre-1945 plates issued in Austria during the German occupation, see the Austria page.

1946-1984 front motorcycle plate. Red color = French Zone, BD = Süd-Baden, 36 = Überlingen.

1948-1956 normal series motorcycle and car plate.
FB = French Zone Baden
BN = British Zone Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony)
These plates were phased out by 1958.

1956-2000 DIN Style Plates

Early 1956 series plate. LB = Ludwigsburg. This plate is a bit higher than modern German plates, and its hyphen is above the vertical center. This is because the plate was most likely made before the introduction of the inspection sticker in 1960.

1960s plastic plate. B = Berlin. In the 1960s, some plates were made of soft plastic. This one has a technical inspection sticker from 1964.

1956-1989 non-reflective normal series plates. Non-reflective plates were produced until 1989 and are still valid if on a vehicle since then.
Here are three examples with 1, 2 and 3 letter district codes:
  M = München (Munich)
  DA = Darmstadt
  WES = Wesel
All three are rear plates with a round general inspection sticker. On the third plate, there are some letters in a narrower script. This was done in case the number would otherwise not have fit on the plate.

Umlaut plate. BÜS = Büsingen (a small German town entirely surrounded by Swiss territory). The district abbreviations use umlaut characters, when applicable. Those characters are not used as serial letters

This otherwise normal series plate is funny, because "dumm" is German for "stupid". DU = Duisburg.

1971-2000 reflective normal series plate. LB = Ludwigsburg. Reflective plates were introduced optionally in 1971, and became mandatory in 1989. Front plate with hexagonal emission test sticker.

American car plates.
  CB = Cottbus
  EN = Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis
  GL = Rheinisch-Bergischer-Kreis (Bergisch Gladbach)
  NF = Nordfriesland
Whenever possible, American made cars receive short number combinations, so that a plate can be made that does not exceed 12 inches in length. Usually a normal height plate is made, but sometimes non-standard 6 inch high plates were made and accepted by the authority. With the narrow die variety up to six characters can be fitted onto a 12 inch plate.
For more than six characters, it is necessary to use two lines. Normally, small motorcycle/tracor size plates are used for that. You can see such plates at the bottom of this page. The NF plate, however, is a rare odd type, having NF in the size used on the normal small plates, and the serial number in a medium size I have never seen anywhere else.
The GL plate is another oddball, having seven characters squeezed into one line by utilizing the empty space within the letter L.

DIN-Euro Mixed Plate

Mixed dies error plate. RS = Remscheid. The letters RS are made with the old dies from the pre-Euro series, the serial part is made with new Euro-style dies. This should never have happened, and the plate should never have received validation stickers. Obviously the error was overlooked by the registration authority.

1994 onwards Euro Style Plates

First Euro series plate. EE = Elbe-Ester. This is the first series of Euro style plates introduced only in Berlin and Brandenburg province in 1994. They have a hyphen and the smaller old style authority seal. When Euro plates were introduced in the rest of the country, the larger colored seals were introduced at the same time and the hyphen was omitted.

1995 onwards Euro style plates. These plates became optionally available in 1995, and became mandatory in 2000.
Here are three examples with 1, 2 and 3 letter district codes:
  B = Berlin
  LB = Ludwigsburg
  SAD = Schwandorf
The first two are front plates with a hexagonal exhaust emission test sticker, the third one is a rear plate with a round general inspection sticker. On the third plate, narrower dies are used. This is done in case the number would otherwise not fit on the plate.

Umlaut plate. TÜ = Tübingen. The district abbreviations use umlaut characters, when applicable. Those characters are not used as serial letters.

American car plate. FS = Freising. If possible, American cars receive a number consisting of not more than five charachters, so that it can be put on a plate that is about 12 inches long. If that is not possible, a two line small motorcycle/tractor size plate is issued.

1956 onwards DIN and Euro Small Size Plates


   Motorcycle plates. Nominally, motorcycle plates are identical to two line car plates. However, they are usually less wide, either by having short numbers or by using narrow dies.
  M = München (Munich)
  EM = Emmendingen
  S = Stuttgart
  LB = Ludwigsburg
The upper two plates are in the old pre-2000 style. The Stuttgart plate is a late version of that style, having already the bigger colorful sticker introduced for the Euro style plates in the late 1990s. The Ludwigsburg plate is in the Euro style introduced in 1995.

   Small size plates. These plates are always used on small motorcycles and tractors. With special permission, they can also be used in cases where a full size plate would not fit (e.g. American cars).
  UN = Unna
  AN = Ansbach
  LDS = Landkreis Dahme-Spreewald
The top plate is in the 1971-2000 style, the bottom plates are in the 1995 onwards style. All are rear plates with a round general inspection sticker. Placement of the stickers varies on those plates.

          Moped plates for 1971, 1978, 1979 and 1980. These plates are issued annually by the insurance companies. Colors are black, blue and green in a three year pattern. At the bottom of the plate, there is the writing "HUK-VERBAND" followed by the year. Plates are valid until the end of February of the following year. The 1971 is not yet reflective.

       Moped plates for 2000, 2001 and 2002, marking the start of the new millenium. Some time before 2000, the writing at the bottom was changed to "GDV" followed by the year.

Small size mystery plate. BGL = Berchtesgadener Land. This is a moped sized plate with a normal number on it. The plate was definitely used on a vehicle, but it is in a size and shape that should not exist.

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	Early 1956 series plate. LB = Ludwigsburg. This plate is a bit higher than modern German plates, and its hyphen is above the vertical center. This is because the plate was most likely made before the introduction of the inspection sticker in 1960.
	1960s plastic plate. B = Berlin. In the 1960s, some plates were made of soft plastic. This one has a technical inspection sticker from 1964.
	1956-1989 non-reflective normal series plates. Non-reflective plates were produced until 1989 and are still valid if on a vehicle since then. Here are three examples with 1, 2 and 3 letter district codes: M = München (Munich) DA = Darmstadt WES = Wesel All three are rear plates with a round general inspection sticker. On the third plate, there are some letters in a narrower script. This was done in case the number would otherwise not have fit on the plate.
	Umlaut plate. BÜS = Büsingen (a small German town entirely surrounded by Swiss territory). The district abbreviations use umlaut characters, when applicable. Those characters are not used as serial letters
	This otherwise normal series plate is funny, because "dumm" is German for "stupid". DU = Duisburg.
	1971-2000 reflective normal series plate. LB = Ludwigsburg. Reflective plates were introduced optionally in 1971, and became mandatory in 1989. Front plate with hexagonal emission test sticker.
	American car plates. CB = Cottbus EN = Ennepe-Ruhr-Kreis GL = Rheinisch-Bergischer-Kreis (Bergisch Gladbach) NF = Nordfriesland Whenever possible, American made cars receive short number combinations, so that a plate can be made that does not exceed 12 inches in length. Usually a normal height plate is made, but sometimes non-standard 6 inch high plates were made and accepted by the authority. With the narrow die variety up to six characters can be fitted onto a 12 inch plate. For more than six characters, it is necessary to use two lines. Normally, small motorcycle/tracor size plates are used for that. You can see such plates at the bottom of this page. The NF plate, however, is a rare odd type, having NF in the size used on the normal small plates, and the serial number in a medium size I have never seen anywhere else. The GL plate is another oddball, having seven characters squeezed into one line by utilizing the empty space within the letter L.

	First Euro series plate. EE = Elbe-Ester. This is the first series of Euro style plates introduced only in Berlin and Brandenburg province in 1994. They have a hyphen and the smaller old style authority seal. When Euro plates were introduced in the rest of the country, the larger colored seals were introduced at the same time and the hyphen was omitted.
	1995 onwards Euro style plates. These plates became optionally available in 1995, and became mandatory in 2000. Here are three examples with 1, 2 and 3 letter district codes: B = Berlin LB = Ludwigsburg SAD = Schwandorf The first two are front plates with a hexagonal exhaust emission test sticker, the third one is a rear plate with a round general inspection sticker. On the third plate, narrower dies are used. This is done in case the number would otherwise not fit on the plate.
	Umlaut plate. TÜ = Tübingen. The district abbreviations use umlaut characters, when applicable. Those characters are not used as serial letters.
	American car plate. FS = Freising. If possible, American cars receive a number consisting of not more than five charachters, so that it can be put on a plate that is about 12 inches long. If that is not possible, a two line small motorcycle/tractor size plate is issued.

	Motorcycle plates. Nominally, motorcycle plates are identical to two line car plates. However, they are usually less wide, either by having short numbers or by using narrow dies. M = München (Munich) EM = Emmendingen S = Stuttgart LB = Ludwigsburg The upper two plates are in the old pre-2000 style. The Stuttgart plate is a late version of that style, having already the bigger colorful sticker introduced for the Euro style plates in the late 1990s. The Ludwigsburg plate is in the Euro style introduced in 1995.
	Small size plates. These plates are always used on small motorcycles and tractors. With special permission, they can also be used in cases where a full size plate would not fit (e.g. American cars). UN = Unna AN = Ansbach LDS = Landkreis Dahme-Spreewald The top plate is in the 1971-2000 style, the bottom plates are in the 1995 onwards style. All are rear plates with a round general inspection sticker. Placement of the stickers varies on those plates.
	Moped plates for 1971, 1978, 1979 and 1980. These plates are issued annually by the insurance companies. Colors are black, blue and green in a three year pattern. At the bottom of the plate, there is the writing "HUK-VERBAND" followed by the year. Plates are valid until the end of February of the following year. The 1971 is not yet reflective.
	Moped plates for 2000, 2001 and 2002, marking the start of the new millenium. Some time before 2000, the writing at the bottom was changed to "GDV" followed by the year.
	Small size mystery plate. BGL = Berchtesgadener Land. This is a moped sized plate with a normal number on it. The plate was definitely used on a vehicle, but it is in a size and shape that should not exist.