Vehicle registration plates of Austria

Austrian car number plates are license plates found on Austrian cars.

Appearance

The license plates are made of metal. On the left there is a blue bar like in other EU countries; the text is in black letters on a white background. Two plates have to be present on each car- one on the front and one on the rear.

Numbering system

The text format on the plates is "xx state number letters" or "xx state letters number";
* xx - one or two letters denoting the district of main residence of car holder. State capitals have one letter, all other districts have two letters.
* state - insignia depicting the state the district is in; diplomatic cars have a dash (–)
* number/letters - incrementing

there are several numbering schemes:

*Until the year 2000, the plates were issued by the district administrations and a variety of numbering schemes have been used, such as one digit and three letters (eg FK 1 ABC for a car from Feldkirch district, Vorarlberg), two digits and two letters (eg WL 12 AB for a car form Wels district in Upper Austria) etc.
*Since 2000, the plates are issued by car insurance companies and normally show three digits and two letters (eg xx 123 AB) in each county.
*Cars in Vienna spot up to 5 digit numbers + 1 letter (eg W 12345 A) or 4 digit numbers + 2 letters (eg W 1234 AB)

** moreover the letters are standardized for special types of cars:
***RD - Rettungsdienst (ambulances)
***BE - Bestattung (funeral services)
***TX - Taxi (cabs)
***LO - Linienomnibus (public buses)
***GT - Gütertransport (trucks)
*Army, diplomats, police etc. just have a number (starting with 1, incrementing)

Custom plates

For a fee (173 Euro) it is possible to customize license plates; the format on those is "xx state custom_letters custom_number". These plates can easily be distinguished from standard plates because here the letters are followed by the number. (eg. G TOMMY 1)

Location prefixes (complete list)

* State capitals
**W - Vienna
**S - Salzburg
**P - St. Pölten
**E - Eisenstadt
**G - Graz
**I - Innsbruck
**L - Linz
**K - Klagenfurt
**B - Bregenz

* Other cities and districts (usually districts; autonomous cities and their surrounding districts were indicated)
**AM - Amstetten (Lower Austria)
**BA - Bad Aussee
**BL - Bruck an der Leitha
**BM - Bruck an der Mur
**BN - Baden
**BR - Braunau am Inn
**BZ - Bludenz
**DL - Deutschlandsberg
**DO - Dornbirn
**EF - Eferding
**EU - Eisenstadt-Umgebung (Eisenstadt surrounding area)
**FB - Feldbach
**FE - Feldkirchen
**FF - Fürstenfeld
**FK - Feldkirch
**FR - Freistadt
**GB - Gröbming
**GD - Gmünd
**GF - Gänserndorf
**GM - Gmunden
**GR - Grieskirchen
**GS - Güssing
**GU - Graz-Umgebung (Graz surrounding area)
**HA - Hallein
**HB - Hartberg
**HL - Hollabrunn
**HO - Horn
**IL - Innsbruck-Land (Innsbruck countryside area)
**IM - Imst
**JE - Jennersdorf
**JO - St. Johann im Pongau
**JU - Judenburg
**KB - Kitzbühel
**KI - Kirchdorf an der Krems
**KF - Knittelfeld
**KL - Klagenfurt-Land
**KO - Korneuburg
**KR - Krems an der Donau-Land (Krems an der Donau countryside area)
**KS - Krems an der Donau (City of Krems an der Donau)
**KU - Kufstein
**LA - Landeck
**LB - Leibnitz
**LE - Leoben (City of Leoben)
**LF - Lilienfeld
**LI - Liezen
**LL - Linz-Land (Linz countryside area)
**LN - Leoben-Land (Leoben countryside area)
**LZ - Lienz
**MA - Mattersburg
**MD - Mödling
**ME - Melk
**MI - Mistelbach
**MU - Murau
**MZ - Mürzzuschlag
**ND - Neusiedl am See
**NK - Neunkirchen
**OP - Oberpullendorf
**OW - Oberwart
**PE - Perg
**PL - St. Pölten-Land (St. Pölten countryside area)
**RA - Bad Radkersburg
**RE - Reutte
**RI - Ried im Innkreis
**RO - Rohrbach
**SD - Schärding
**SE - Steyr-Land (Steyr countryside area)
**SL - Salzburg-Land (Salzburg countryside area)
**SP - Spittal an der Drau
**SR - Steyr (city of Steyr)
**SV - St. Veit an der Glan
**SW - Schwechat
**SZ - Schwaz
**TA - Tamsweg
**TU - Tulln
**UU - Urfahr-Umgebung
**VB - Vöcklabruck
**VI - Villach (City of Villach)
**VK - Völkermarkt
**VL - Villach-Land (Villach countryside area)
**VO - Voitsberg
**WB - Wiener Neustadt-Bezirk (Wiener Neustadt countryside area)
**WE - Wels (City of Wels)
**WL - Wels-Land (Wels countryside area)
**WN - Wiener Neustadt (city of Wiener Neustadt)
**WO - Wolfsberg
**WT - Waidhofen an der Thaya
**WU - Wien-Umgebung (Vienna surrounding area)
**WY - Waidhofen an der Ybbs
**WZ - Weiz
**ZE - Zell am See
**ZT - Zwettl

* Other
**WD - Diplomatic corps in Vienna
**GK - Consular officials in Styria
**BB - Bundesbahn (Federal Railways)
**BD - Kraftfahrlinien Bundesbus (Bus Service)
**BG - Gendarmerie (local police) - obsolete since 2005 when Gendarmerie and Police merged, but still valid on Gendarmerie/police cars registrated before 2005
**BP - Bundespolizei (state police) - since 2005 the only prefix for all newly registered police cars
**BH - Bundesheer (Federal Army)
**PT - Post & Telekom Austria (national Phone company)
**JW - Justizwache (Justice police)
**ZW - Zollwache (Customs officials)
**FV - Finanzverwaltung (Financial Administration)