PAPlate Atlas
A FIELD GUIDE TO EUROPE

Every plate
tells a story.

Decode the geography, systems and surprising special series hidden in Europe's vehicle registration plates.

Explore countries How to read a plate
51country guides
200+plate series
100%free & independent
FRANCE · SIV
AB-123-CD
GERMANY · BERLIN
BPM 4821
NETHERLANDS · SIDE CODE 11
GBB-48-B
51
guides
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Four plates, four systems

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Western Europe
AB-123-CD
🇫🇷

France

National sequential

Since 2009
Southern Europe
HA482RT
🇮🇹

Italy

National, vehicle-bound

Since 1994 · restyled 1999
Central Europe
BPM 4821
🇩🇪

Germany

District coded

Since 1956 · Euro style compulsory 2000
Western Europe
LA 24 TLM
🇬🇧

United Kingdom

Age & region coded

Since September 2001
WHY PLATES?

Ordinary objects.
Extraordinary clues.

A plate can reveal a city, a vehicle's age, its diplomatic status—or almost nothing at all. Each country made different choices, turning a practical identifier into a pocket-sized map of bureaucracy and design.

Read our approach
LEARN THE LANGUAGE

Look closer

01

Geography

Discover which plates reveal a city, canton, county or département.

02

Numbering

Follow the sequences, exclusions and age codes behind each serial.

03

Special series

Meet diplomatic, military, historic, temporary and trade plates.