Example of a license plate in Austria ("K" for Klagenfurt), with the Carinthian coat of arms

Austrian car number plates are mandatory vehicle registration plates displaying the registration mark (German: Kennzeichen) of motor vehicles in Austria. They are used to verify street legality, proof of a valid liability insurance and to identify and recognise the vehicle.

Appearance[edit]

Moped plate

The license plates are made of metal; the imprinted text is in black letters and digits on a white background. Since November 1, 2002 the common design comprises a blue section on the left with the EU circle of stars and the country code ('A') like other vehicle registration plates of the European Union. On the top and bottom, there are red-white-red tribands, the national colors of Austria. Two plates have to be present on each car (front and rear). Dealer plates show white letters on a green background, temporary plates show white letters on a cyan background, and foreign trailers show white letters on a red background.
For motorbikes and cars with smaller areas for plates, smaller license plates are available with two lines of text. Moped plates are in different appearance and shape, they show white letters on a red background.

Lettering system[edit]

License plate issued in Vienna ("W" for Wien)

A FF plate from former Fürstenfeld district, with the lowest digits 10 and Styrian arms

The alphanumeric format for registration plates is "XX ∇=provincial emblem number+letter(s)" or "XX ∇=provincial emblem personalised letters+number";

• XX - one or two letters which indicate the local registration office (district where the registered possessor resides). As a general rule, State capitals have one letter; other districts have two letters.


• heraldic emblem of the federal state the district belongs to (here shown as "∇"); diplomatic vehicles have a dash (–) instead, federal official vehicles wear the Austrian Federal Eagle.


• A three to six-letter/number sequence which uniquely distinguishes each of the vehicles displaying the same initial area code. The letter Q is excluded from all sequences.

There are several lettering schemes:

• The letter/number sequence must contain at least three characters (at least one digit and one letter). In countryside districts, the maximum is five characters. Regular plates start with a digit and end with a letter. Personalized plates, which can be obtained by paying an extra fee, are ordered vice versa. (exceptions: see below)


• The letter/number sequence of state capitals contains up to six characters (at least one digit one letter with a minimum of four characters) (e.g. W ∇ 12345 A).


• Until the year 2000 the plates were issued by the district administrations, who used a variety of lettering schemes, e.g. one digit and three letters (e.g. FK ∇ 1 ABC in the Feldkirch district), two digits and two letters (e.g. WL ∇ 12 AB in the Wels-Land district) or three digits and one letter.


• Since 2000 the vehicle registration have been carried out by car insurance companies on behalf of the government. The branch offices of these companies issue the plates, which show three digits and two letters (e.g. XX ∇ 123 AB) in each district or four digits and two letters in state capitals respectively.

Chilean ambassador in Vienna

• Army, diplomats, police etc. have a number up to five digits only (starting with 1, incrementing)


• There are standardized abbreviations for special types of cars. But most of them are in use in Vienna only:
  
  • 
    BB Bundesbahnen (Federal Railways), only with Index "W", e.g. W ∇ 1234 BB
    
  
  
  • 
    BE Bestattung (funeral services)
  
  
  • 
    EW E-Werk (electric power company)
  
  
  • 
    FF Freiwillige Feuerwehr (volunteer firemen)
  
  
  • 
    FW Feuerwehr (firemen)
  
  
  • 
    GW Gaswerk (gas power company)
  
  
  • 
    GT Gütertransport (vehicles transporting goods)
  
  
  • 
    KT Kleintransport (private vehicles transporting parcels)
  
  
  • 
    LO Linienomnibus (public service buses)
  
  
  • 
    LR Landesregierung (Local government of Niederösterreich)
  
  
  • 
    LV Landesregierung (Local government of Tyrol)
  
  
  • 
    MA Magistrat Wien (Local government of Vienna)
  
  
  • 
    MW Mietwagen (private hire car or bus service [with driver])
  
  
  • 
    RD Rettungsdienst (ambulance vehicles)
  
  
  • 
    RK Rotes Kreuz (Red Cross)
  
  
  • 
    TX Taxi (taxis)
  
  

Personalised plates[edit]

Personalised plate from Dornbirn, with Vorarlberg arms

In Austria, it is possible to obtain a customized registration plate by payment of 245 (=227+18)^{[citation needed]} Euros. The alphanumeric format is XX ∇ ABC 1, which makes them easily distinguishable from standard plates (e.g. I ∇ TOMMY 1)

Prefixes[edit]

Code	City, District and official vehicles	Notes
A	Federal officials	Federal president's plate
AM	Amstetten
B	Bregenz, Burgenland official
BA	Bad Aussee sub-district	Suspended on July 1, 2013; replaced with LI.
BB	Bundesbahnen (Federal Railways)	Obsolete, ÖBB vehicles now use W ∇ XXX BB plates
BD	Kraftfahrlinien Bundesbus (Bus Service)	Since 2008 for Postbus coaches only, until 1997 also for ÖBB coaches
BG	Bundesgendarmerie (federal police)	Obsolete since July 2005, when Gendarmerie and police merged
BH	Bundesheer (Federal Army)
BL	Bruck an der Leitha
BM	Bruck-Mürzzuschlag	Since 2013, Bruck an der Mur until 2012.
BN	Baden
BP	Bundespolizei (federal police)	Since July 2005 for all new registered police cars
BR	Braunau am Inn
BZ	Bludenz
DL	Deutschlandsberg
DO	Dornbirn
E	Eisenstadt	Also for the city of Rust, Burgenland.
EF	Eferding
EU	Eisenstadt-Umgebung	Eisenstadt surrounding area
FB	Feldbach	Suspended on July 1, 2013; replaced with SO.
FE	Feldkirchen
FF	Fürstenfeld	Suspended on July 1, 2013; replaced with HF.
FK	Feldkirch
FR	Freistadt
FV	Finanzverwaltung (Financial Administration)	since 2005
G	Graz
GB	Gröbming sub-district
GD	Gmünd
GF	Gänserndorf
GK	Consular corps in Styria
GM	Gmunden
GR	Grieskirchen
GS	Güssing
GU	Graz-Umgebung	Graz surrounding area.
HA	Hallein
HB	Hartberg	Suspended on July 1, 2013; replaced with HF.
HF	Hartberg-Fürstenfeld	Since July 1, 2013.
HL	Hollabrunn
HO	Horn
I	Innsbruck
IL	Innsbruck-Land	Innsbruck countryside area.
IM	Imst
JE	Jennersdorf
JO	St. Johann im Pongau
JU	Judenburg	Suspended on July 1, 2012; replaced with MT.
JW	Justizwache (Justice police)
K	Klagenfurt
KB	Kitzbühel
KI	Kirchdorf an der Krems
KF	Knittelfeld	Suspended on July 1, 2012; replaced with MT.
KK	Consular corps in Carinthia
KL	Klagenfurt-Land
KO	Korneuburg
KR	Krems-Land	Krems countryside area.
KS	Krems City
KU	Kufstein
L	Linz
LA	Landeck
LB	Leibnitz
LE	Leoben City
LF	Lilienfeld
LI	Liezen
LL	Linz-Land	Linz countryside area.
LN	Leoben (district)	Leoben countryside area.
LZ	Lienz
MA	Mattersburg
MD	Mödling
ME	Melk
MI	Mistelbach
MT	Murtal	Since July 1, 2012.
MU	Murau
MZ	Mürzzuschlag	Suspended on July 1, 2012; replaced with BM.
N	Lower Austria official
ND	Neusiedl am See
NK	Neunkirchen
O	Upper Austria official
OP	Oberpullendorf
OW	Oberwart
P	St. Pölten
PE	Perg
PL	St. Pölten-Land	St. Pölten countryside area.
PT	Post & Telekom Austria (national mail and phone company)	Actually for postal cars only.
RA	Bad Radkersburg	Suspended on July 1, 2013; replaced with SO
RE	Reutte
RI	Ried im Innkreis
RO	Rohrbach
S	Salzburg City and official
SB	Scheibbs
SD	Schärding, Diplomatic corps in Salzburg
SE	Steyr-Land	Steyr countryside area.
SK	Consular corps in Salzburg
SL	Salzburg-Umgebung	Salzburg countryside area.
SP	Spittal an der Drau
SO	Südoststeiermark	Since July 1, 2013.
SR	Steyr City
ST	Styria official
SV	St. Veit an der Glan
SW	Schwechat City
SZ	Schwaz
T	Tirol official
TA	Tamsweg
TD	Diplomatic corps in Tirol
TK	Consular corps in Tirol
TU	Tulln
UU	Urfahr-Umgebung
V	Vorarlberg official
VB	Vöcklabruck
VD	Diplomatic corps in Vorarlberg
VI	Villach City
VK	Völkermarkt, Consular corps in Vorarlberg
VL	Villach-Land	Villach countryside area.
VO	Voitsberg
W	Vienna (Wien)
WB	Wiener Neustadt-Land	Wiener Neustadt countryside area
WD	Diplomatic corps in Vienna
WK	Consular corps in Vienna
WE	Wels City
WL	Wels-Land	Wels countryside area
WN	Wiener Neustadt City
WO	Wolfsberg
WT	Waidhofen an der Thaya
WU	Wien-Umgebung	Vienna surrounding area; suspended on January 1, 2017; replaced with BL, KO, PL, TU
WY	Waidhofen an der Ybbs
WZ	Weiz
ZE	Zell am See
ZT	Zwettl
ZW	Zollwache (Customs officials)	Obsolete since 2005 when Zollwache merged with federal police

History[edit]

1954 occupation license plate

From 1906 until 1919, the plates always composed one letter followed by Roman numerals and three numbers (e.g. "BXV 639"). Temporary admission plates always followed by prefix. The prefixes are G= Bosnia and Herzegovina, U= Hungary, Z= All other countries.

From 1919 until 1930, the plates format is the same as before but became authority supplied.

From 1930 until 1939, the plates comprised one letters followed by five digits. (e.g. B 12345) The thousands of digits encoded the districts.^{[clarification needed]}

From 1939 until 1945, the plates comprised two letters followed by a hyphen and seven digits. (e.g. W-1234567) This followed the Nazi German system.

From 1945 until 1946, the plates comprised by a state coat of arms followed by maximum six numbers. They were only issued in the USSR-occupied zone.

From 1947 until 1989, the plates comprised one or two letters to indicate the state or federal code followed by up to six digits (e.g. W 123.456), the first number block was reserved for vehicles, the second one was the serial, when they run out of serials they began to issue XX 999.A99. The background is black with white characters for private vehicles (unknown for all other vehicles). One or two letters are the prefixes set by state and federals, they are:

• 
  B  Burgenland
  


• 
  BH Bundesheer (Federal Army)


• 
  G  Graz
  


• 
  K  Carinthia
  


• 
  L  Linz
  


• 
  N  Lower Austria
  


• 
  O- Upper Austria (the dash after the letter O prevents misunderstandings with the number 0)
  


• 
  PT Post & Telekom Austria (Federal Mail and Telekom)


• 
  S  Salzburg (state)
  


• 
  St Styria (the only prefix with a lower case letter)


• 
  T  Tirol
  


• 
  V  Vorarlberg
  


• 
  W  Vienna (Wien)
  

Diplomatic codes^[1][edit]

Code	Country
1	Vatican City
2	South Africa
3	Albania
4	Germany
5	United States
6	Saudi Arabia
7	Egypt
8	Argentina
9	Australia
11	Belgium
12	Brazil
13	Bulgaria
14	Canada
15	Chile
16	Colombia
17	South Korea
18	Cuba
19	Denmark
21	Luxembourg (formerly  El Salvador?)
22	Spain
23	Finland
24	France
25	United Kingdom
26	Greece
27	Hungary
28	India
29	Indonesia
31	Iraq
32	Iran
33	Israel
34	Italy
35	Japan
36	Lebanon
37	Mexico
38	Norway
39	Sovereign Military Order of Malta
41	Pakistan
42	Panama
43	Netherlands
44	Peru
45	Poland
46	Portugal
47	Romania
48	Sweden
49	Switzerland
51	Czech Republic
52	Thailand
53	Turkey
54	Russia
55	Ukraine
56	Venezuela
57	Serbia (formerly  Serbia and Montenegro?)
58	Ecuador
59	Tunisia
61	Morocco
62	Democratic Republic of the Congo (formerly  Zaire)
63	Algeria (formerly  Gabon?)
64	China
65	Syria
66	Libya
67	Costa Rica
68	East Germany (no longer used)
69	Guatemala
71	Ivory Coast
72	Malaysia
73	New Zealand
74	Philippines
75	Nigeria
76	Oman
77	Ireland
78	North Korea
79	Qatar
81	International Atomic Energy Agency
82	United Nations Industrial Development Organization
83	United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
84	UNCB?
85	United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
86	Nicaragua
87	International Atomic Energy Agency
88	Kuwait
89	United Nations Industrial Development Organization
91	Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
92	International Organization for Migration
93	United Arab Emirates
94	Senegal
95	Jordan
96	OPEC Fund for International Development
97	Arab League
98	European Union
99	?
247	Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
515	Slovakia
532	Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
551	Vietnam
622	Kenya
623	Azerbaijan/  Namibia/  Zimbabwe???
624	Cape Verde
677	Ethiopia
678	Armenia
681	?
712	Slovenia
718	Macedonia
723	Montenegro
726	Estonia
728	Latvia
846	Malta
848	?
853	Tajikistan
858	Kazakhstan
859	Georgia
872	China?
891	Angola
982	Cyprus
995	Bolivia

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Media related to License plates of Austria at Wikimedia Commons

Information with images about license plates With a lot of examples.