Vehicle registration plates of Sweden

In Sweden, vehicle registration plates (Swedish: registreringsskylt) are used for most types of vehicles. They have three letters first, a space and two digits and one digit or letter after (e.g. ABC 123 or ABC 12A). The combination is mostly a random number and has no connection with a geographic location. The last digit is used to show what month the vehicle tax has to be paid, and before 2018 it was also used to show what month the car had to undergo vehicle inspection. Vehicles like police cars, fire trucks, public buses and trolley buses use the same type of plate as normal private cars and cannot be directly distinguished by the plate alone. Military vehicles have special plates. Part of the vehicle data is public and can be retrieved online.[1]

Ricky
A plate from 2010 to 2013 (no sticker needed)
A plate from 2019 with format, ABC 12A

Ordinary plates edit

Ordinary plates have black text on a white background. They consist of three letters first, a space, two digits and one more digit or letter. The space was formerly used for a taxation sticker, and on newer plates the space is narrower. Above it a manufacturer code and the vehicle identification number (VIN) are printed and above the last digit the date of plate manufacture is printed. All vehicles must legally carry both a front and a rear plate except for motorcycles, trailers (rear only), tractors and other off-road machinery (front only).

The registration number is tied to the vehicle's VIN and remains unchanged, even after change of ownership, until the vehicle is scrapped or exported. It is possible to decommission a registered vehicle for any length of time. A decommissioned registered vehicle does not require road tax or a valid insurance. The registration plate remains on the vehicle while decommissioned. Registration numbers of scrapped, exported and de-registered vehicles are put in quarantine before they are re-used with new registered vehicles.

Disallowed letters and combinations edit

All letters in the Swedish alphabet are used, except the letters I, Q, V, Å, Ä and Ö. As of 2019 a letter may be used instead of the last number; this character also excludes the letter O so as not to risk confusion with 0 (zero).[2] 91 additional letter combinations are not used since they may be offensive, political or otherwise unsuitable.[3] Examples include: APA (monkey), ARG (angry), DUM (stupid, bad), FAN (devil, damn), FEG (cowardly), FEL (error, wrong), FUL (ugly), GAY (homosexual), HOT (threat), LAT (lazy), NRP (Nordiska Rikspartiet), OND (evil, cruel), SEX, SUP (snaps), TOA (toilet), UFO, USA, XXL (extra extra large) and many others. MLB (no meaning in Swedish) is reserved for examples, movies, ads and similar, where a real plate connected to a car which might be sold is not desired. English language was not considered when making the list, so for example WTF exists on plates. Until the rules were relaxed somewhat in October 2010, the list included 69 additional exclusions.[3] The Swedish Transport Agency has made this list, which is larger than those in most other countries, to avoid requests to replace issued plate numbers once they are deemed unacceptable, which would cause administrative problems.

Sizes and EU stripe edit

Plate Size (mm) Notes
Old ordinary plate (last production date 31 dec 2013) 480×111
EU stripe plate 520×111 EU stripe
"American" plate 300×111 EU stripe
Square MC plate 119x155 EU stripe

Starting in 1994, smaller plates of 30×11 cm were offered for special applications where standard plates would not typically fit, e.g. American domestic market vehicles. These plates are made in a narrower typeface. Up until then large, square plates were used for these applications; however, these were too large height-wise for some American cars, in which case motorcycle plates were issued instead. There is also a self-adhesive plastic 'plate' for use on snowmobiles, ATV's and similar, where the design of the vehicle can make it awkward to fit a real plate. The blue EU stripe was introduced in 2002 as option. As of 1 January 2014 all new manufactured plates have the EU-stripe, and there are no exceptions for older vehicles. Motorcycle owners have often changed plates since it is often hard to find a place for the oval "S"-sticker otherwise needed abroad.

 
S
EDI 10B

Taxation sticker edit

 
All vehicles except taxis had to use a tax sticker (the sticker on the pictured plate is an interim sticker).

In the middle of the rear plate, a sticker had to be attached to allow driving. This sticker was sent to the owner when the road tax and the liability insurance had been paid and the vehicle had been approved in the inspection. Valid for one year, its colour varied with the year, and the clearly visible month number of expiry could easily be discerned by police. It was introduced in 1973. Since 1 January 2010, the tax sticker was abolished in Sweden, and newer plates have no room for it.

Special plates edit

Personal plates edit

In addition to the ordinary registration plate of three letters and three digits, personal registration plates are allowed. The personal registration plate works as an alias to the ordinary plate and can have (almost) any text or number combination up to seven characters, if it isn't used already. It costs 6200 kr (about 590 €) to get personal number for a vehicle. They are valid for ten years and may be moved to another vehicle. The approval sticker was placed to the left, not in the middle. Text too offensive or illegal is not allowed. For instance, the 64SALE number was not allowed, as the number 6 and the word "sex" are homonyms in the Swedish.

In 2019 the application for the plate TRUMP was denied because the authority considered it provocative.[4] A sticker declaring the alias relationship between the ordinary plate and the personal plate must be attached in one of the vehicle's windows. The above-mentioned limitation on allowed letters (I, Q, V, Å, Ä, Ö) does not apply to personal plates.

Sometimes Swedish personalised plates may run into troubles in foreign countries. In 2018, authorities in Romania confiscated a Swedish plate that's reads "MUIEPSD", which means "fuck the PSD (Social Democratic Party)", Romania's then-ruling party, in Romanian, despite Swedish embassy in Bucharest issued a Facebook post that clarifies all-letter Swedish personalised plates are valid throughout the European Union, including Romania.

Dealer plates edit

 
2003 series dealer's plate

Dealer plates have black text on a green background. These plates are used on vehicles without registration, insurance and vehicles which have failed inspection. The dealers have reported their car not to be driven, meaning they don't have to pay road tax. Cars can be parked for months awaiting sale. The cars can be used for short test drives with one of these licence plates. Unlike normal Swedish license plates, the dealer plate is not tied to any vehicle but to the plate owner. These plates can also be used by car manufacturers to test vehicles. The plate has a sticker indicating if the plate is for cars, trucks or trailers. The plate shows that the owner has a special insurance that covers test drives.

Diplomatic edit

 
2002 series, diplomatic plate. ML is not a real country, just used for examples, ads etc

Diplomatic plates have black text on a blue background. They consist of two letters, three serial digits and a last letter. The first two letters shows which diplomatic mission the vehicle belongs to (Letters I and Q not used). The letters don't correspond to any country acronym e.g. American diplomats don't have US as their first two letters. The first assigned codes were ordered by the sovereign states' name in the French language. Thus AA denotes South Africa (i.e. Afrique du Sud). AB denotes Albania (i.e. Albanie) and so forth up until DT. The three digits are just a serial number. The last letter shows what kind of task the diplomat has. The approval sticker was placed last on the right. Just like the personal plates these vehicles have a standard format registration as well, which means a re-registration is not needed if the vehicle changes owner.

Diplomatic mission (country) code
Code Country Notes
AA   South Africa
AB   Albania
AC   Algeria
AD   Germany
AE   Armenia
AF   United States
AG   Angola
AH   Saudi Arabia
AJ   Argentina
AK   Australia
AL   Austria
AM   Bangladesh
AN   Belgium
AO Not in use
AP   Bolivia
AR   Botswana
AS   Brazil
AT   Bulgaria
AU   Canada
AW   Chile
AX   China
AY   Colombia
AZ   South Korea Republic of Korea
BA   North Korea Democratic People's Republic of Korea
BB Not in use
BC   Cuba
BD   Denmark
BE   Dominican Republic
BF   Egypt
BG   Ecuador
BH   Spain
BJ   Ethiopia
BK   Finland
BL   France
BM   United Kingdom
BN   Greece
BO Not in use
BP   Guatemala
BR Not in use
BS   Hungary
BT   India
BU   Indonesia
BW   Iraq
BX   Iran
BY   Ireland
BZ   Iceland
CA   Israel
CB   Italy
CC   Japan
CD   Kenya
CE   Laos
CF   Lebanon
CG   Libya
CH   Malaysia
CJ   Morocco
CK   Mexico
CL   Mozambique
CM   Nicaragua
CN   Nigeria
CO Not in use
CP   Norway
CR Not in use
CS   Pakistan
CT   Panama
CU   Netherlands
CW   Peru
CX   Philippines
CY   Poland
CZ   Portugal
Diplomatic mission (country) code
Code Country Notes
DA   Romania
DB   Senegal
DC   Somalia
DD   Sri Lanka
DE    Switzerland
DF   Tanzania
DG   Czech Republic
DH   Thailand
DJ   Tunisia
DK   Turkey
DL   Russia
DM   Uruguay
DN   Venezuela
DO Not in use
DP   Vietnam
DR   Serbia
DS   Zambia
DT   Zimbabwe
DU UNHCR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
DW World Maritime University
DX Nordic Council
DY   Namibia
DZ   Sudan
EA ESA European Space Agency
EB   European Union
EC   Burundi
ED   Estonia
EE   Latvia
EF   Lithuania
EG   Croatia
EH   Slovenia
EJ   Slovakia
EK   Bosnia and Herzegovina
EL   Eritrea
EM   Ukraine
EN   Cyprus
EO Not in use
EP   North Macedonia
ER   Kuwait
ES   Honduras
ET   Rwanda
EU IDEA International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance
EW Not in use
EX   Cape Verde
EY CBSS Council of the Baltic Sea States
EZ Not in use
FA   Belarus
FB   Congo Republic of the Congo
FC   El Salvador
FD   Syria
FE GIWA Global International Waters Assessment
FF   Vatican City Apostolic Nunciature
FG Not in use
FH GWP Global Water Partnership
FJ   United Arab Emirates
FK   Moldova
FL   Georgia
FM   Azerbaijan
FN   New Zealand
Diplomatic status (last letter) code
Code Diplomatic status Notes
A Ambassador
B Embassy Vehicles owned by the embassy
C Diplomat
D Administrative or technical staff
E Consulate
F Consul
G Consulate staff
H International organisation
I International organisation staff

Taxi edit

 
2002 series taxi plate

Taxi plates have black text on a yellow background. Taxis get yellow plates after they are approved. The plates have the same registration as the car had before it was a taxi. Thus if it isn't used as a taxi anymore, or if the car or the Taximeter fails inspection, the normal plates are put back on and the yellow ones are confiscated. Just like normal plates, taxi plates do not have an approval sticker. Until 1 April 2017, a smaller T indicating "taxi" was printed in the right hand corner (unless it had personal plates, in which case the T was omitted). The T was removed to streamline the manufacturing process, as taxi plates issued after this date solely differ from standard plates by background colour.[5]

Temporary edit

 
2002 series temporary plate

Temporary plates have white text on a red background. Used as a temporary registration for import and export. Like the standard plates, it has three letters and three digits, but with an expiry day and month to the left and year to the right. When an imported vehicle has been approved it will get ordinary white plates with the same registration as previously given on red plates.

Military edit

 
A Volvo used by the Swedish armed forces.
 
1906 series military plate

Military registration plates have yellow digits on a black background. The licences usually consist of four to six digits and may be used for all kinds of vehicles, from ordinary automobiles to tanks. Cars and lorries have plates with the number mounted to the vehicles, while on tanks and terrain vehicles the number is usually painted on the vehicle. The 1906 series format is still used. The register and issuing of plates is done by the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration thus completely separate from the civilian counterpart.

History edit

1906–1973 series edit

 
1906–1973 series (A = Stockholm)

Until 1973 the plates contained one or two letters and up to five digits. The letters are standardised codes for the counties of Sweden. A second letter (A or B) was used for some counties for which the 5 digits were not enough to cover all vehicles.

The typeface used was not consistent as the vehicle owner bought either a plate or a kit from various dealers, such as petrol stations.

Opposite to many other countries, there were no special codes for police, post or other national services apart from the military. One tradition was that the official vehicle of the county governor had the number 1 after the county code, however "A 1" belonged to the king.

These plates were not used after 1974. All vehicles had to replace the plates. There are no historic plates in Sweden and historic cars have to use modern (post-1973) plates. All vehicles over 30 years old and not being used as a commercial vehicle are regarded as "veteran" by the road authority, becoming tax-exempt and only needing to pass vehicle inspection every second year. These vehicles use ordinary plates and approval stickers.

 
Map of Sweden with county codes from 2007, after the merger of some counties.

Codes edit

After 1973 edit

After 1973 the format changed to three letters followed by three digits. The typeface was custom made to increase readability, and the plates were made in embossed sheet steel. In January 1984 the plates were changed to plastic with reflective tape on them, still embossed. This caused problems since the tape would wear off and decrease the readability of the plate. In January 1994 a new plate was introduced that was made from a solid piece of plastic, with a customised Helvetica typeface. The issue of these plates was halted quickly when Photoblocker spray paint became popular and on 1 January 2002 they were replaced with embossed aluminium plates clad in 3M reflective film.

Post 2018 edit

In 2015 Transportstyrelsen, the organisation responsible for the Swedish car registry submitted a proposal to the Swedish government on how to adapt the registration number system to avoid running out of registration numbers sometime during 2019. The necessary legal adjustments were made on 16 February 2017 to allow the last character to be either a letter or a digit.[6] The first registration plates using the new format were issued on 16 January 2019.[7] As before, the letters I, Q, V, Å, Ä, Ö are not in use, and the letter O is also not used for the last character.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ biluppgifter.se
  2. ^ a b "Nu kommer de nya registreringsnumren" [The new license plates are coming] (in Swedish). Transportstyrelsen. 2019-01-16. Archived from the original on 2019-02-20.
  3. ^ a b "Registreringsskyltar" [Registration plates] (PDF) (in Swedish). Transportstyrelsen. 2010-10-19. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2012-04-25.
  4. ^ Trump inget för svenska bilplåtar
  5. ^ "Inte längre några T på taxiskyltar". www.transportstyrelsen.se (in Swedish). Retrieved 2017-12-13.
  6. ^ Beslutat – nya registreringsnummer införs under 2019 2017-02-17
  7. ^ Nya registreringsskyltar på gång 6 january 2019

External links edit