Greek car number plates

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A new Greek car number plate

Greek vehicle registration plates are composed of three letters and four digits per plate (e.g. AAA-1000). The letters represent the district that issues the plates while the numbers begin from 1000 and reach 9999. The same plates but with digits beginning from 1 and ending with 999 are issued to motorbikes that exceed 50 cc.

Except Athens and Thessaloniki (Salonica), all other districts are represented by the first 2 letters while the third changes after 9,000 issued plates. For example Patras district plates are AXA-1000, where AX represents the Achaia district in which Patras is the capital. When AXA-9999 is reached the plates turn to AXB-1000 and this continues until AXX is finished. The letters used are only from the intersection between the Latin and Greek alphabets by glyph appearance, namely A, B, E, Z, H, I, K, M, N, O, P, T, Y, X (in Greek alphabetical order), however Greek B, H, P, and X don't have the same meaning as in the English alphabet.

The combinations used for overseas residents are L-DDDD (where L = letter and D = digit) and are limitedly used. Until 2003, taxis used L-DDDD; the plate was aligned with the prefecture and the letters were colored red.

1 History
2 Car designations
- 2.1 In Greek alphabetical order
- 2.2 Special plates
3 External links

[edit] History

When license plates were introduced to Greece, they were numbered and in the late 1950s the system was D-DDD and DD-DDD. In the 1960s, the system was DDD-DDD. They became lettered in 1972 and the system was LL-DDDD while trucks used L-DDDD until 1983, when they changed to LLL-DDDD and now use the present system.

[edit] Car designations

[edit] In Greek alphabetical order

The first 2 of 3 letters (which are listed below) of a licence plate usually represent the prefecture (nomos) where the car was registered. The almost full list of plates in Greece is below (next to the prefecture / district is its capital or an area within the prefecture that the plates are issued; some prefectures have more than one combination):

AB Kavala prefecture - Kavala {motorcycles}
AZ Achaia prefecture - Patras {motorcycles}
AE Lasithi prefecture - Agios Nikolaos (future use)
AH Xanthi prefecture - Xanthi
AI Aitoloakarnania prefecture - Agrinio area
AK Laconia prefecture - Sparti
AM Phokida prefecture - Amfissa
- AM [O, P, T, Y, X] (red letters) tax free cars
AN Lasithi prefecture - Agios Nikolaos
AO Achaia prefecture - Patras {motorcycles}
AP Argolis (Argolida) prefecture - Argos
AT Arta prefecture - Arta
AX Achaia prefecture - Patras

BB Magnesia prefecture - Volos {motorcycles}
BE Piraeus prefecture {motorcycles}
BE Piraeus prefecture {motorcycles}
BH Piraeus prefecture (future use)
BI Boeotia (Viotia) prefecture - Livadeia
BK East Attica prefecture - Pallini (future use)
BM East Attica prefecture - Pallini (future use)
BN West Attica prefecture - Elefsina (future use)
BO Magnesia prefecture - Volos
BP West Attica prefecture - Elefsina (future use)

EB Evros prefecture - Alexandroupoli
EE Pella prefecture - Edessa
EH Euboea (Evia) prefecture - Chalkida {motorcycles}
EZ Cyclades prefecture - Ermoupoli {motorcycles}
- EK [A, B, E] (introduced maybe in 2003/2004, yellow colored) trucks and other vehicles used for national transport of goods
EM Cyclades prefecture - Ermoupoli
EP Serres prefecture - Serres
ET Corfu (Kerkyra) prefecture - Corfu {motorcycles}
EY Lefkada prefecture - Lefkada
- EY [Y] tax free cars of offshore companies

ZA Zakynthos prefecture - Zakynthos
ZZ Athens prefecture
ZH Athens prefecture
ZK Athens prefecture
ZM Athens prefecture
ZN Piraeus prefecture {motorcycles}
ZP Piraeus prefecture {motorcycles}
ZT West Attica prefecture - Elefsina {motorcycles}
ZY East Attica prefecture - Pallini
ZX East Attica prefecture - Pallini

HA Ilia prefecture - Pyrgos
HZ Heraklio prefecture - Heraklio {motorcycles}
HK Heraklio prefecture - Heraklio
HM Imathia prefecture - Veria
HN Thesprotia prefecture - Igoumenitsa
HP Heraklio prefecture - Heraklio

IA
- IA [A, B, E] (yellow colored) trucks used for international transport
IB Athens prefecture
IE Athens prefecture
IZ Athens prefecture
IH Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
IK Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
IM Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
IN Ioannina prefecture - Ioannina
IO Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
IP Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
IT Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
IY Athens prefecture {motorcycles}

A state vehicle registration plate

KA Karditsa prefecture - Karditsa
KB Kavala prefecture - Kavala
KE Kefallinia (Kefalonia) prefecture - Argostoli
KZ Kozani prefecture - Kozani
KH Evrytania prefecture - Karpenisi
- KH [I, O, Y] (orange colored) state cars
KI Kilkis prefecture - Kilkis
KK Rhodope prefecture - Komotini {motorcycles}
KM Messinia prefecture - Kalamata
KN Pieria prefecture - Katerini
KO Rhodope (Rodopi) prefecture - Komotini (exception: KOH and KOK --> Thessaloniki prefecture, KOP --> Heraklio prefecture {motorcycles})
KP Corinthia prefecture - Corinth (Korinthos)
KT Kastoria prefecture - Kastoria
KY Corfu (Kerkyra) prefecture - Corfu
KX Dodecanese prefecture - Kos island
- KX [Y] (red letters) tax free cars

MO Samos prefecture - Samos (future use)
ME Aitoloakarnania prefecture - Messolongi
MH Lesvos prefecture - Myrina (Limnos island)
MI Phthiotis (Fthiotida) prefecture - Lamia
MO Samos prefecture - Samos
- MO [I, O, Y] (red letters) {tax free cars}
MT Lesbos prefecture - Mytilini (future use)
MY Lesbos (Lesvos) prefecture - Mytilini

NA Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki (Salonica)
NB Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki
NE Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki
NZ Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki
NH Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki
NI Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki {motorcycles}
NK Thessaloniki prefecture - Thessaloniki {motorcycles}
NM Thessaloniki prefecture (future use)
NN Thessaloniki prefecture (future use)
NO Thessaloniki prefecture (future use)
NP Thessaloniki prefecture (future use)
NT Thessaloniki prefecture (future use)
NY Thessaloniki prefecture (future use)
NX Thessaloniki prefecture (future use)
- NX [A, Y] (yellow colored) {trucks for transport of goods in a prefecture}

OP Evros prefecture - Orestiada area

PA Florina prefecture - Florina
- PA [I, O, Y] (red letters) tax free cars
PB Corinthia prefecture - Corinth (future use)
PE Rethymno prefecture - Rethymno
PZ Preveza prefecture - Preveza
PH Rethymno prefecture - Rethymno (future use)
PI Larissa prefecture - Larissa
PK Dodecanese prefecture - Rodos (Rhodes) {motorcycles}
PM Drama prefecture - Drama
PN Grevena prefecture - Grevena
- PN [I, M, N, O, P] (red letters) trucks
PO Dodecanese prefecture - Rhodes (Rodos)

TA
- TA [A, B, E, Z, H] (marked in yellow) taxis
TK Trikala prefecture - Trikala
TP Arcadia prefecture - Tripoli

YA Athens prefecture
YB Athens prefecture
YE Athens prefecture
YZ Athens prefecture
YH Athens prefecture
YI Piraeus prefecture
YK Piraeus prefecture
YM Piraeus prefecture
YN Piraeus prefecture
YO West Attica prefecture - Elefsina
YP West Attica prefecture - Elefsina
YT West Attica prefecture - Elefsina {motorcycles}
YY East Attica prefecture - Pallini
YX East Attica prefecture - Pallini

XA Euboea (Evia) prefecture - Chalkida
XB Chania prefecture - Chania {motorcycles}
XE Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
XZ Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
XH Athens prefecture {motorcycles}
XI Chios prefecture - Chios
XK Chalkidiki prefecture - Polygyros
XN Chania prefecture - Chania
XO Chios prefecture - Chios (future use)
XP Athens prefecture (future use)
XT Athens prefecture (future use)
XY Athens prefecture (future use)
XX Athens prefecture (future use)

[edit] Special plates

Vehicles that belong to public services and armed forces use special license plates with the following letter combinations followed by numbers:

ΑΜ (Αγροτικά Μηχανήματα, Agrotika Mekhanemata) — Agricultural vehicles
ΑΝ.Π. (Ανάπηροι Πολέμου, Anapiroi Polemou) — Disabled in war (blue coloured)
ΔΟΚ (Δοκιμαστικές, Dokimastikes) — Test plates
ΔΣ (Διπλωματικό Σώμα, Diplomatiko Soma) — Diplomat or foreign delegation (eg ΔΣ 48 CD, ΔΣ 48-1 CD) (green coloured)
Ε.Α. (Ελληνική Αστυνομία, Elliniki Astynomia) — Police
ΚΥ (Κρατική Υπηρεσία, Kratiki Ypiresia) — State
ΛΣ (Λιμενικό Σώμα, Limeniko Soma) — Coast Guard
ΜΕ (Μηχανήματα Έργων, Mekhanimata Ergon) — Public works vehicles (yellow coloured)
ΞΑ (Ξένες Αποστολές, Xenes Apostoles) — Foreign missions (yellow coloured)
ΕΣ (Ελληνικός Στρατός, Ellinikos Stratos) — Hellenic Army
ΠΑ (Πολεμική Αεροπορία, Polemiki Aeroporia) — Hellenic Air Force
ΠΝ (Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Polemiko Naftiko) — Hellenic Navy
ΠΣ (Πυροσβεστικό Σώμα, Pyrosvestiko Soma) — Fire Guard