As of: February 10, 2024, 5:03 a.m
By: Sebastian Oppenheimer
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Many people want a “dish license plate” on their car.
But not every letter and number combination is allowed in Germany.
We clarify.
For some, a license plate is simply a combination of letters and numbers - for others, a license plate is an expression of personal individuality.
Many people want a so-called custom license plate on their vehicle.
Some time ago, a wealthy car owner in Dubai paid more than 13 million euros for a special license plate.
Probably the most popular choice in Germany: For the letters after the location you use the initials of your own name, the four numbers form the year of birth.
But there are people who are denied at least the first option.
The reason: their initials form a “forbidden combination”.
But: What exactly is not allowed in this country?
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Combinations on license plates must “not violate common decency”
The decisive sentence can be found in Section 9 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance (FZV).
It says that the combinations on the license plate “must not violate common decency”.
What exactly is prohibited is handled differently in the individual federal states.
Some abbreviations that had meaning during the National Socialist era are not used nationwide, including:
“KZ” (concentration camp)
“HJ” (Hitler Youth)
“SS” (protection squadron)
“SA” (Assault Department)
“NS” (National Socialism)
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Certain sequences of digits may also be prohibited in Germany
According to the Brandenburg State Center for Civic Education
, right-wing extremists also use certain number combinations to circumvent the “letter ban”
.
For example:
14 – indicates a US neo-Nazi slogan with 14 words
18 – stands for the first (“A”) and eighth (“H”) letters in the alphabet, the abbreviation for Adolf Hitler
28 – stands for the second (“B”) and eighth (“H”) letters in the alphabet, the abbreviation for the skinhead organization Blood & Honor, which was banned in 2000
88 – stands for the eighth (“H”) letter in the alphabet, abbreviation for “Heil Hitler”
The number combinations mentioned above are therefore not permitted in Brandenburg, nor are the number series “188”, “888”, “1888”, “8818” and “8888”.
Likewise, in some federal states, the abbreviation “SD” (“Security Service” of the Nazis) is prohibited on license plates in addition to the combinations mentioned above.
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License plates must always be legible - otherwise you risk a fine
But there are regulations not only for the embossed letters and numbers.
The driver is responsible for ensuring that his license plate is legible: Section 12 FZV stipulates that a license plate must neither be reflective nor dirty.
Anyone who does not comply with this must expect a fine.
The same applies to anyone who covers their license plate with foil, stickers or glass.
By the way, a fee is charged for a license plate of your choice: 10.20 euros are due nationwide, an online reservation costs an additional 2.60 euros - all in all, you can usually expect to pay at least 12.80 euros for the license plate of your choice.
Of course, only if the request is legal – and the desired combination has not yet been taken.
Diplomatic vehicles, for example, have very special license plates - anyone who can decipher the code can learn a lot about the driver.
Some combinations of location identification and letters on the license plate require careful consideration.
(Symbolic image) © blickwinkel/Imago
Of course, everyone has to decide for themselves whether they want to travel as “ES-EL” in Esslingen, in Dortmund with the word “DO-OF” or perhaps in the Mettmann district under the name “ME-GA”.
And: It doesn't always have to be a specially chosen combination that makes other road users laugh: many location identifiers on license plates are often ridiculed.