Licence plates in Germany
City letters and round seal stickers
A white plate with a D band, a city code and two round stickers between the letters is German.
- Format B AB 1234: city code, letters, numbers.
- Two round stickers (inspection and city seal) between the city code and the rest.
- Blue EU band with D and a narrow black font.
10 photos, grouped by the clue they show.
Key clue Round seal stickers 10
Germany: what its plates look like
German plates start with a city or district code of one to three letters, like B for Berlin or M for Munich, followed by letters and numbers: B AB 1234.
Between the city code and the rest sit two round stickers: the inspection sticker and the seal of the district. The font is narrow and black, with a blue EU band with D.
Every district has its own code, so a German plate tells you roughly where the car is registered.
Look-alikes: how to tell them apart
Austria
PolandAustria has red stripes along the top and bottom. Poland's region letters come first too, but without the round stickers and with a PL band.
Questions about plates in Germany
What are the round stickers on German plates?
One shows when the next vehicle inspection is due, the other is the official seal of the district where the car is registered.
What do the first letters on a German plate mean?
They are the city or district code, like HH for Hamburg or K for Cologne.