Vehicle Registration Plates of Hungary - Overview

Overview

Plates issued before 1990 were in the format AA▪12▪34. Plates issued between 1990 and May 1, 2004, when Hungary joined the European Union 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 current system of registration plates started with AAA-001 in 1990, with the old format plates being replaced with new ones upon their first technical inspection in the 1990s. As of 2005, the sequential system has reached the letter K for the first letter. The current first letter on registration plates is the letter L, which is being issued since (2008), and as of October 2010, this letter is quickly running out. It can be expected that letter M plates will be issued as early as 2011. Plates starting with JDA-001 have the EU flag on them. Motorcycles have 'U' as first letters, Trucks have 'F', and Trailers formerly also had 'F' and now have 'X'. Unlike many other countries in the European Union, in Hungary mopeds are not required to be registered and thus have license plates, either, their owners are only to possess a document claiming their ownership.

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 (because in the former license plate system, two letters were followed by four numbers, thus and old plate BP 0123 have been changed to BPO-123), whilst Volvo buses use a yellow 'F' plate***.