Germany
Special type plates

Pictures are to scale: 1 cm is approximately 10 pixels.
If you have any corrections, additions or remarks to any of the plates or their descriptions, please e-mail me.

Trade plates

Dealer plates, in pre-Euro and Euro style. AUR = Aurich, SG = Solingen. Dealer plates have red characters, and the serial number starts with 06. They are issued to car dealers, manufacturers and repair shops and can be used by them on any unregistered vehicle.

Moped dealer plate. Just like normal moped plates, dealer plates are issued annually by the insurance companies. But while normal moped plates have black, green and blue characters in a tri-annual pattern, dealer plates are always red and the first serial letter is always Z.

Temporary plates

Temporary plate. D = Düsseldorf. This is the older style. These plates were similar to dealer plates, but started with 04. Anyone could "borrow" such a plate from the registration authority for some days. Then the plates had to be returned.

Temporary plates.
WES = Wesel; one line car plate.
MKK = Main Kinzig Kreis; small motorcycle plate.
This is the newer style. The serial number still starts with 04, but the characters are in the usual black. The yellow field on the right shows the expiration date day/month/year. Such plates are valid up to 5 days, have a blue authority seal and no inspection stickers. They can be obtained by Germans as well as foreigners for export. Note that there is no blue Euro band on such plates. Because these plates have the expiration date embossed, they cannot be reused and do not need to be returned.

Temporary export plates

Pre-1967 temporary export plate. 728 = Stuttgart-Ost customs office. Until 1988, export plates were not issued by the normal registration authorities, but by the customs authority. Plates were oval and had a code denoting the customs office above the letter Z and up to four serial digits. This plate is from before 1967, when the code list changed. The seal reads "Zollzweigstelle Daimler-Benz Sindelfingen" (Customs branch office Daimler-Benz Sindelfingen). So this plate certainly was on a Mercedes car produced in the Sindelfingen plant, and registered right on the premises by the customs office there. I love such plates that tell their story!

1967-1989 temporary export plate. 890 = Stuttgart-West customs office. Until 1988, export plates were not issued by the normal registration authorities, but by the customs authority. Plates were oval and had a code denoting the customs office above the letter Z and up to four serial digits. This plate is from after 1967, when the code list changed. Some time after the code change, the inscription of the seal changed to a uniform "Bundesfinanzverwaltung D".

1967-1989 temporary export plate for motorcycles/trailers. 61 = Köln-Deutz customs office. This plate is from after 1967, when the code list changed. The new codes were three digits for cars (two plates), and one or two digits for motorcycles and trailers (one plate). This particular plate was on a trailer. The seal reads "Bundesfinanzverwaltung D".

Temporary export plates.

Up to four serial digits are followed by one serial letter. At the right is a red band showing the expiration date. Earlier plates had the year above the month, current plates have the date in the form day/month/year. Such plates are valid up to 1 year, have a red authority seal and no inspection stickers. They can only be obtained by non-Germans.

S = Stuttgart
WOB = Wolfsburg
HB = Bremen.

The WOB plate is a special format for American specifications cars, using the dies for the smaller style tractor-size plates. The validation seal on the HB plate shows that it is from Bremerhaven, an exclave of the city state of Bremen. Euro style export plates do not have the blue band at the left.

Historic vehicle plates

Historic vehicle plate pair. K = Köln. Such plates are issued to vehicles that are at least 30 years old and fulfill certain criteria. The letter H is appended to an otherwise normal series number. Note that the letter is not considered part of the registration number. Therefore, it is not possible that the normal number K-YC707 is issued at the same time. Also note that no exhaust emissions test is required, so there is no hexagonal sticker on the front plate.

Historic vehicle collector plate. W = Wuppertal. These plates are similar to trade plates, but starting with 07 instead of 06. Also their use is similar: They are not assigned to one vehicle, but to the entire fleet of an antique vehicle collector. Usage is strictly restricted to antique car events and test driving.

Seasonal plates

Seasonal plates. MG = Mönchengladbach. NZ = Neustrelitz (not issued anymore). These are otherwise normal series plates, showing the first and last month of validity on the right. The registrant can choose any period between 2 to 10 months. The MG plate is valid every year from March to October. The NZ plate is valid in the winter season, from October to April.

Seasonal motorcycle plate. UM = Uckermark. This is also an example of the stickers being placed on the left side of the lower line, which is permitted for motorcycles if a shorter plates is possible that way.

Tax free plates

Tax free plates, in pre-Euro and Euro style. MH = Mülheim an der Ruhr, JL = Jerichower Land. Tax free plates (e.g. for ambulances, charitable organizations, certain trailers) have green characters.

Agricultuaral tractor plates in pre-Euro ans Euro style. UE = Uelzen, OSL = Oberspreewald-Lausitz. These are smaller size and have green characters, because such vehicles pay no road taxes.

Back to Germany
Back to the country index
Back to Plates.Lachs.Net

	Dealer plates, in pre-Euro and Euro style. AUR = Aurich, SG = Solingen. Dealer plates have red characters, and the serial number starts with 06. They are issued to car dealers, manufacturers and repair shops and can be used by them on any unregistered vehicle.
	Moped dealer plate. Just like normal moped plates, dealer plates are issued annually by the insurance companies. But while normal moped plates have black, green and blue characters in a tri-annual pattern, dealer plates are always red and the first serial letter is always Z.

	Pre-1967 temporary export plate. 728 = Stuttgart-Ost customs office. Until 1988, export plates were not issued by the normal registration authorities, but by the customs authority. Plates were oval and had a code denoting the customs office above the letter Z and up to four serial digits. This plate is from before 1967, when the code list changed. The seal reads "Zollzweigstelle Daimler-Benz Sindelfingen" (Customs branch office Daimler-Benz Sindelfingen). So this plate certainly was on a Mercedes car produced in the Sindelfingen plant, and registered right on the premises by the customs office there. I love such plates that tell their story!
	1967-1989 temporary export plate. 890 = Stuttgart-West customs office. Until 1988, export plates were not issued by the normal registration authorities, but by the customs authority. Plates were oval and had a code denoting the customs office above the letter Z and up to four serial digits. This plate is from after 1967, when the code list changed. Some time after the code change, the inscription of the seal changed to a uniform "Bundesfinanzverwaltung D".
	1967-1989 temporary export plate for motorcycles/trailers. 61 = Köln-Deutz customs office. This plate is from after 1967, when the code list changed. The new codes were three digits for cars (two plates), and one or two digits for motorcycles and trailers (one plate). This particular plate was on a trailer. The seal reads "Bundesfinanzverwaltung D".
	Temporary export plates. Up to four serial digits are followed by one serial letter. At the right is a red band showing the expiration date. Earlier plates had the year above the month, current plates have the date in the form day/month/year. Such plates are valid up to 1 year, have a red authority seal and no inspection stickers. They can only be obtained by non-Germans. S = Stuttgart WOB = Wolfsburg HB = Bremen. The WOB plate is a special format for American specifications cars, using the dies for the smaller style tractor-size plates. The validation seal on the HB plate shows that it is from Bremerhaven, an exclave of the city state of Bremen. Euro style export plates do not have the blue band at the left.

	Seasonal plates. MG = Mönchengladbach. NZ = Neustrelitz (not issued anymore). These are otherwise normal series plates, showing the first and last month of validity on the right. The registrant can choose any period between 2 to 10 months. The MG plate is valid every year from March to October. The NZ plate is valid in the winter season, from October to April.
	Seasonal motorcycle plate. UM = Uckermark. This is also an example of the stickers being placed on the left side of the lower line, which is permitted for motorcycles if a shorter plates is possible that way.

	Tax free plates, in pre-Euro and Euro style. MH = Mülheim an der Ruhr, JL = Jerichower Land. Tax free plates (e.g. for ambulances, charitable organizations, certain trailers) have green characters.
	Agricultuaral tractor plates in pre-Euro ans Euro style. UE = Uelzen, OSL = Oberspreewald-Lausitz. These are smaller size and have green characters, because such vehicles pay no road taxes.