International vehicle registration code

The country in which a motor vehicle's vehicle registration plate was issued may be indicated by an international vehicle registration code, also called Vehicle Registration Identification code or VRI code, formerly known as an International Registration Letter or International Circulation Mark. It is referred to as the Distinguishing sign of the State of registration in the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic of 1949 and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic of 1968.

The allocation of codes is maintained by[citation needed] the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe as the Distinguishing Signs Used on Vehicles in International Traffic (sometimes abbreviated to DSIT), authorised by the UN's Geneva Convention on Road Traffic and the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. Many vehicle codes created since the adoption of ISO 3166 coincide with ISO two- or three-letter codes. The 2004 South-East Asian Agreement ... for the Facilitation of Cross-Border Transport of Goods and People uses a mixture of ISO and DSIT codes: Myanmar uses MYA, China CHN, and Cambodia KH (ISO codes), Thailand uses T (DSIT code), Laos LAO, and Vietnam VN (coincident ISO and DSIT codes).

The Geneva Convention on Road Traffic entered into force on 26 March 1952. One of the main benefits of the convention for motorists is the obligation on signatory countries to recognize the legality of vehicles from other signatory countries. When driving in other signatory countries, the distinguishing sign of the country of registration must be displayed on the rear of the vehicle. This sign must be placed separately from the registration plate and may not be incorporated into the vehicle registration plate.

History

1909 Paris Convention

The display of a national distinctive mark on a white oval plate, 30 cm × 18 cm (12 in × 7 in) with black letters was first introduced by the 1909 International Convention with respect to the Circulation of Motor Vehicles signed in Paris. The plate was required to be affixed to the rear of the vehicle, separate from the number plate displaying the vehicle's national registration mark. The 1909 convention only allowed distinctive marks to be of one or two Latin letters.

1924 Paris Convention

The term distinguishing mark was adopted by the 1924 International Convention Relative to Motor Traffic signed in Paris, which extended the maximum length of mark from two to three Latin letters, and permitted distinguishing marks not just for states, but also for non-sovereign territories which operated their own vehicle registration systems.

Location

Since the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic entered into force on 21 May 1977, in signatory countries it replaces previous road traffic conventions, including the Geneva Convention on Road Traffic, in accordance with its Article 48. According to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, the distinguishing sign of the country of registration must be displayed on the rear of the vehicle. The sign may either be placed separately from the registration plate as a white oval plate or sticker, or be incorporated in the vehicle registration plate. When the distinguishing sign is incorporated in the registration plate, it must also appear on the front registration plate of the vehicle.

The requirement to display a separate distinguishing sign is not necessary within the European Economic Area, for vehicles with license plates in the common EU format, which satisfy the requirements of the Vienna Convention, and so are also valid in non-EU countries signatory to that convention. Separate signs are also not needed for Canada, Mexico and the United States, where the province, state or district of registration is usually embossed or surface-printed on the vehicle registration plate, though neither of these countries are parties to the Vienna Convention.[citation needed]

Current codes

Codes no longer in use

Unofficial codes

There are unofficial codes in common use, such as:

• AS for Asturias,
• BZH for Brittany (Breton Breizh),
• CAT for Catalonia or Catalan Countries,
• CSB for Kashubia (Cassubia),
• CSC for Corsica,
• CYM for Wales (Welsh Cymru),
• EH for Basque Country (Basque Euskal Herria),
• ENG for England,
• FRL for Frisia o Friesland,
• GRD for Groland (a fictional/satirical 'presipality'),
• NB for North Brabant,
• OC for Occitania,
• P for Palestine,
• PR for Puerto Rico,
• SCO for Scotland,
• SIC for Székely Land (Latin Terra Siculorum),
• TS for Transylvania,
• VL for Flanders (Dutch Vlaanderen).

Some of these, such as VL which is used by Flemish separatists, are used despite being specifically illegal under local laws.

In addition, in some areas, vehicle-style stickers have been used to denote and promote other entities, such as towns, islands, businesses, and even associations. These irregular stickers almost always bear an explanation of the code in small print near the edge of the sticker, as the codes used may be unfamiliar.

Diplomatic licence plate codes

A separate system is used for vehicles belonging to the diplomats of foreign countries with license plates from the host country. That system is host country-specific and varies largely from country to country. For example, TR on a diplomatic car in the USA indicates Italy, not Turkey. Such markings in other countries (e.g. Norway) are indicated with numbers only, again different from international standards (e.g. 90 means Slovakia in Norway). In the Australian capital Canberra diplomatic car plates are D.C. followed by a number indicating the country and then digits in descending order, for example the head of mission’s vehicle is 01, the deputy is 02. For overseas staff of diplomatic missions who are not diplomats, the prefix is D.X.

See also

• Aircraft registration
• International Driving Permit
• ISO 3166
• Vienna Convention on Road Traffic
• Vehicle identification number

Further reading

• "RPW": Neil Parker; John Weeks, Registration Plates of the World, Europlate; 4th edition (2004).

External links

• 2024-02-29 at the Wayback Machine, UNECE
• , UNECE
• , United Nations Treaty Collection
• , United Nations Treaty Collection
• , UN/SCETDG/33/INF.5 (table compares ISO 3166 and DSIT codes)
• 2021-03-09 at the Wayback Machine (data mostly from RPW, above)
• (registration required; data mostly from RPW, above)