Hungarian car numbers

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Number plates in Hungary have a white background with black letters. Usually a three-letter combination is followed by a three-number combination. Plates issued before Hungary joined the European Union in May 2004 had the Hungarian flag above the letter 'H' for Hungary. Since Hungary joined the European Union, the left side has a blue stripe with 12 yellow stars and the letter 'H'. However, these new plates are only visible on vehicles purchased or registered after May 1, 2004, and the former plates are still valid. The plates started with AAA-001 in the early 1990s. As of 2005, the sequential system has reached the letter 'K' for the first letter. Motorcycles have 'U' as first letters, Trucks have 'F', and Trailers formerly also had 'F' and now have 'X'.

Diplomatic plates have a blue background and white writing with the letters 'DT' followed by a four digit numerical combination. (e.g. DT 12-34). Police (Rendőrség) vehicles have 'RB' as the first letters followed by a four digit numerical combination. (e.g. RB 12-34) Specialty plates are issued for certain organizations as well. Magyar Televízió (the Hungarian television agency) uses the combination 'MTV' for the first three digits of the plates on its vehicles. As of 2006, the National Ambulance Service is permitted to use their old format MA 12-34 registrations, but on the new EU-style plates. The Budapest Transport Limited (BKV Rt.) uses plates beginning with BPO-123, or BPI-123, and the transport company identifies the buses internally by the numbers 01-23 and 11-23 respectively. This system is only used on Ikarus buses, whilst Volvo buses use a yellow 'F' plate.

A short summary of some special plates, indicating the format as well:

(Note: in Hungary, an "automobile", or a "person-carrier" is defined in the Highway Code as a "vehicle licenced to carry no more than 9 persons, including the driver, provided that the car is not restricted to carrying fewer persons." Usually it is restricted to 5 persons. The issue of Vehicle Registration Plates is regulated by the "Order No. 35 of 2000 of the Minister of Interior Affairs".)

EXX-123*: A taxi registration plate. Most common are EAX-123 to ECX-123.

FXX-123*: A vehicle which is not registered as "automobile", but as a "truck".

MTV-123: Hungarian Television plate.

XXX-123: A trailer plate, formerly this would have been an 'F' plate. 'X' plates are white.

UXX-123: Motorcycle plate. Recent issues are beyond UXA-123, so a new system may follow shortly.

YXX-123: A "slow vehicle" plate. This plate is red on white, and special regulations apply.

CK 12-34: Consular plate. Used by consular, but not diplomatic bodies.

DT 12-34: Diplomatic plate. Used by diplomatic, but not consular bodies. Plate is white on EU-blue.

HA 12-34: Hungarian Army plate. (Order 35/2000 states that Army plates begin with 'H')

MA 12-34: National Ambulance Service plate.

OT 12-34: Old-timer registration plate. For antique cars.

RB 12-34: Hungarian Police plate. (Order 35/2000: Police and Border Patrol plates begin with 'R')

RR 12-34: Hungarian Customs and Excise plates, but also prisoner transports use this.

C-X 1234: A vehicle owned by a non-Hungarian national, natural or legal person.

X-A 1234, X-B 1234 and X-C 1234: Rent-a-car plates.

Temporary plates:

E-12345: A car that is due to be exported from Hungary.

P-12345: An experimental or trial vehicle ("Próba").

V-12345: A car which must undergo a customs process

Z-12345: A car which is to be imported from abroad.

• 'EXX' and 'FXX' plates are "commercial plates", and are thus yellow.

There is no system in use giving the exact date and place of the issue of the plate. Naturally, it is included in the car registration documents, but there is no simple way, like in the UK, to tell the age of the car, or a simple way, like in Germany (as well as in most countries in C/E Europe), to tell where the car is from. However, as plates are issued by the Documents Office of each municipality with issuing rights, and as they get plates in boxes of 50 pairs, there are some ways to tell where the plate is from. Also, one is able to tell approximately when a plate was issued, by looking at the sequence of letters. However, as plates come in boxes of 50, it isn't incommon, that a plate beginning with 'KD' is issued before a 'KC' plate, and so forth. This means that you could be between three to six months off when guessing the age of a plate.

The old-style (non-EU) licence plates are based on the Hungarian Standard "MSZ 140/1990".