Vehicle registration plates of Austria


Austrian car number plates are mandatory vehicle registration plates displaying the registration mark 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

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 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. 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

The alphanumeric format for registration plates is "XX ∇=provincial emblem number+letter" or "XX ∇=provincial emblem personalised letters+number";
There are several lettering schemes:
In Austria, it is possible to obtain a customized registration plate by payment of 228,30 Euros for registration and 21,00 Euros for the plates themselves. The alphanumeric format is XX ∇ ABC 1, which makes them easily distinguishable from standard plates

Electric plates

Since 2017, electric plates have been introduced in Austria, these special plates are given only to electric vehicles and are exempt from parking charges in Vienna, Innsbruck, Klagenfurt, Wels, Linz, Graz, Mödling, Zell am See, Klosterneuburg and Krems.

Other plates

Export transit plates

Export transit plates are vehicle plates that are issued to vehicles that are being exported, the plate is used for vehicles that need to get to its desired export destination, but aren't allowed to use regular licence plates because they have been deregistered abroad. For motor vehicles the cost of an export transit plate is €385 excluding VAT, and the cost for trailers is €295. The export transit plates are valid for 21 days.

Provisional plates

Prefixes

CodeCity, District and official vehiclesNotes
AFederal officials Federal president's plate
AMAmstetten
BBregenz, Burgenland official
BABad Aussee sub-districtSuspended on July 1, 2013; replaced with LI.
BBBundesbahnen Obsolete, ÖBB vehicles now use W ∇ XXX BB plates
BDKraftfahrlinien Bundesbus Since 2008 for Postbus coaches only, until 1997 also for ÖBB coaches
BGBundesgendarmerie Obsolete since July 2005, when Gendarmerie and police merged
BHBundesheer
BLBruck an der Leitha
BMBruck-MürzzuschlagSince 2013, Bruck an der Mur until 2012.
BNBaden
BPBundespolizei Since July 2005 for all new registered police cars
BRBraunau am Inn
BZBludenz
DLDeutschlandsberg
DODornbirn
EEisenstadtAlso for the city of Rust, Burgenland.
EFEferding
EUEisenstadt-UmgebungEisenstadt surrounding area
FBFeldbachSuspended on July 1, 2013; replaced with SO.
FEFeldkirchen
FFFürstenfeldSuspended on July 1, 2013; replaced with HF.
FKFeldkirch
FRFreistadt
FVFinanzverwaltung since 2005
FWFeuerwehr since February 2020
GGraz
GBGröbming sub-district
GDGmünd
GFGänserndorf
GKConsular corps in Styria
GMGmunden
GRGrieskirchen
GSGüssing
GUGraz-UmgebungGraz surrounding area.
HAHallein
HBHartbergSuspended on July 1, 2013; replaced with HF.
HEHermagor
HFHartberg-FürstenfeldSince July 1, 2013.
HLHollabrunn
HOHorn
IInnsbruck
ILInnsbruck-LandInnsbruck countryside area.
IMImst
JEJennersdorf
JOSt. Johann im Pongau
JUJudenburgSuspended on July 1, 2012; replaced with MT.
JWJustizwache
KKlagenfurt
KBKitzbühel
KIKirchdorf an der Krems
KFKnittelfeldSuspended on July 1, 2012; replaced with MT.
KKConsular corps in Carinthia
KLKlagenfurt-Land
KOKorneuburg
KRKrems-LandKrems countryside area.
KSKrems City
KUKufstein
LLinz
LALandeck
LBLeibnitz
LELeoben City
LFLilienfeld
LILiezen
LLLinz-LandLinz countryside area.
LNLeoben Leoben countryside area.
LZLienz
MAMattersburg
MDMödling
MEMelk
MIMistelbach
MTMurtalSince July 1, 2012.
MUMurau
MZMürzzuschlagSuspended on July 1, 2012; replaced with BM.
NLower Austria official
NDNeusiedl am See
NKNeunkirchen
OUpper Austria official
OPOberpullendorf
OWOberwart
PSt. Pölten
PEPerg
PLSt. Pölten-LandSt. Pölten countryside area.
PTPost & Telekom Austria Actually for postal cars only.
RABad RadkersburgSuspended on July 1, 2013; replaced with SO
REReutte
RIRied im Innkreis
RORohrbach
SSalzburg City and official
SBScheibbs
SDSchärding, Diplomatic corps in Salzburg
SESteyr-LandSteyr countryside area.
SKConsular corps in Salzburg
SLSalzburg-UmgebungSalzburg countryside area.
SPSpittal an der Drau
SOSüdoststeiermarkSince July 1, 2013.
SRSteyr City
STStyria official
SVSt. Veit an der Glan
SWSchwechat City
SZSchwaz
TTirol official
TATamsweg
TDDiplomatic corps in Tirol
TKConsular corps in Tirol
TUTulln
UUUrfahr-Umgebung
VVorarlberg official
VBVöcklabruck
VDDiplomatic corps in Vorarlberg
VIVillach City
VKVölkermarkt, Consular corps in Vorarlberg
VLVillach-LandVillach countryside area.
VOVoitsberg
WVienna
WBWiener Neustadt-LandWiener Neustadt countryside area
WDDiplomatic corps in Vienna
WKConsular corps in Vienna
WEWels City
WLWels-LandWels countryside area
WNWiener Neustadt City
WOWolfsberg
WTWaidhofen an der Thaya
WUWien-UmgebungVienna surrounding area; suspended on January 1, 2017; replaced with BL, KO, PL, TU
WYWaidhofen an der Ybbs
WZWeiz
ZEZell am See
ZTZwettl
ZWZollwache Obsolete since 2005 when Zollwache merged with federal police

History

From 1906 until 1919, the plates always composed one letter followed by Roman numerals and three numbers. 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. The thousands of digits encoded the districts.
From 1939 until 1945, the plates comprised two letters followed by a hyphen and seven digits. 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, 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. One or two letters are the prefixes set by state and federals, they are:
CodeCountry
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
21
22
23
24
25
26
27
28
29
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39Sovereign Military Order of Malta
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization
69
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
81 International Atomic Energy Agency
82 United Nations Industrial Development Organization
83 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
84UNCB?
85 United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East
86
87 International Atomic Energy Agency
88
89 United Nations Industrial Development Organization
91 Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
92International Organization for Migration
93
94
95
96 OPEC Fund for International Development
97 Arab League
98
99?
247Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
515
532Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
551
622
623/ / ???
624
677
678
681?
712
718
723
726
728
846
848?
853
858
859
872?
891
982
995