Vehicle registration plate facts for kids
A vehicle registration plate is a special metal or plastic sign found on cars, trucks, motorcycles, and trailers. It's like an official ID card for a vehicle! Each plate has a unique code, usually a mix of numbers and letters, that helps identify the vehicle.
In some countries, this code is unique for the whole country. In others, it's unique for a specific state or province. People call these plates by different names, like license plate or tag in the US, licence plate in Canada, and number plate or registration plate in the UK.
Why Do Vehicles Need Plates?
Vehicle plates are super important for many reasons. They help the police and other authorities identify who owns a vehicle. This is useful for keeping track of cars, making sure they are registered correctly, and helping in emergencies. For example, if a car is involved in an accident or is stolen, the number plate helps find it.
What's on a Number Plate?
Most number plates have a special code that combines numbers and letters. This is called an alphanumeric code. This code helps identify the vehicle. Sometimes, the plate also shows where the vehicle is from, like a specific state or region. Some plates even have special designs or colors that tell you more about the vehicle, like if it's a private car, a taxi, or a government vehicle.
Images for kids
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Some places give licenses to unusual vehicles, like golf carts, especially for use on roads, such as this one in Put-in-Bay, Ohio.
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Botswana plate
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Burkina Faso passenger plate
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Cameroonian diplomatic registration plate
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An old Kenyan number plate from the 1970s
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Northern Province number plate (1995)
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Argentina's registration plate
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Bolivian registration plate from La Paz, shown by the "L" sticker.
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Plate for a private vehicle from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, issued in 2018.
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Standard New Brunswick plate
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Standard Michigan plate, with "SAMPLE" as an example number.
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Standard Pennsylvania plate
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Afghanistan LP – Kabul
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Blue PRC registration plate from 1992.
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Hong Kong registration plates
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Macau number plates for private vehicles, seen in 2009.
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Indian vehicle registration plate (West Bengal) (WB-06 means Kolkata).
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B shows the vehicle is from JADETABEK (Jakarta, Depok, Tangerang, South Tangerang, and Bekasi). 6703 WJF are random numbers and letters. 07.18 is the expiry date (July 2018), and there's a small logo of the Indonesian National Traffic Police. This design started in 2012.
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New Registration Plate in Iran
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Iraq registration plate 53964 – 2001
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Japanese registration plate (example). This plate is registered to Tama.
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Jordanian private vehicle registration plate
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North Korean registration plate from Pyongyang (1992).
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South Korean vehicle registration plate
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A standard Peninsular Malaysian registration plate, from Penang, on a dealership frame.
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2014 style Saudi Arabia registration plate
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Black on white (front) and black on yellow (rear) number plate style in Singapore.
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Sri Lankan Number Plate for the front of a vehicle.
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Vietnamese civilian vehicle registration plate. 51 means Ho Chi Minh City.
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Plates in Europe
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Russian registration plate
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Swedish registration plate
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Turkish vehicle registration plate
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UA number plate
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United Kingdom number plates
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NSW number plate
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Queensland number plate
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South Australia number plate
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Tasmania number plate
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Governors car
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Old New Zealand plate, issued in 1973.
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Rare Antarctica registration plate
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A "Euro Plate" from the Australian state of Western Australia.
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Temporary registration plate in Ontario.
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Miami Beach license topper
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The damage to the porcelain on this Wyoming license plate from 1916 caused the iron to rust.
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In 1944, Wyoming license plates were made from soybean-based fiberboard to save metal for World War II.
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Black leather car license tag with a brass number. This was the first car license plate in Minnesota, 1903.
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See also
In Spanish: Matrícula (automóviles) para niños
