Vehicle registration plates of Denmark
Vehicle registration plates in Denmark normally have two letters and five digits and are issued by authorities. Plates can be obtained at authorized car dealers, vehicle inspection stations or official registration centers (Skat Motor center) The combination is simply a serial and has no connection with a geographic location, but the digits have number series based on vehicle type.[1][2]
Danish license plates do not follow the owner or the vehicle, when a car is sold the plates are turned in and the new owner must apply for new plates. Exception is from this rule when a car is sold privately from one person to another person, the new owner can use the current plates that are on the car.
Numbering
On the number combination one can see the type of a vehicle:
| Vehicle type | Serial range | Highest assigned serial letters (without EU stripe)[3] |
Highest assigned serial letters (with EU stripe)[3] |
|---|---|---|---|
| Large mopeds (max 45 kmh) | 001 - 699 | RV | |
| Tractors | 700 - 999 | VU | DF |
| Trailers | 10 00 - 29 99 | YM | EF |
| Trailers and semi-trailers | 55 00 - 99 99 | PZ | HF |
| Small mopeds | 5 500 - 9 999 | XY | |
| Motorcycles | 10 000 - 18 999 | HT | AW |
| Tractors | 19 000 - 19 499 | ML | EG |
| Common vehicles (rectangular format) | 20 000 - 59 999 | FC | JF |
| Common vehicles (square format) | 60 000 - 75 999 | DT | AF |
| Diplomatenfahrzeuge | 76 000 - 76 999 | AX | AF |
| Diplomatic vehicles | 77 000 - 77 999 | AN | AF |
| Trucks, buses, vans (rectangular format) | 78 000 - 87 999 | DH, privat: GA | AF, privat: FA |
| Trucks, buses, vans (square format) | 88 000 - 97 999 | XS, privat: GE | DG, privat: FK |
| Taxis (rectangular format) | 98 000 - 99 699 | JH | BF |
| Taxis (square format) | 99 700 - 99 999 | BN | AW |
Types
| Type | Appearance | Additional explanation | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Private use |
|
The grey stripe in these images represents the security hologram fitted to all new plates. Registration tax: Up to 150% of car value. | ||
| Commercial use |
|
Registration tax: normal VAT rate only. Rear seats not allowed. | ||
| "Parrot-plate" "Papegøje-plade" |
|
Commercial vehicles that can also be used privately (this to make sure that nobody uses tax relieved vans (yellow plates) for personal use). Registration tax: around 50% of car value. Rear seats not allowed. | ||
| Diplomatic use |
|
Blue plates with white text. The same format as the (old) format for private vehicles. EU strip and hologram now on all new plates. | ||
| Historical | Black background, white text | Style used before 1976. For historical/antique vehicles, available upon special request. Plates representing 1950-1958 use only one prefix letter, with the letter corresponding to a Danish city or country. | ||
| Armed forces |  | (top-down): Army, Navy, Air Force, and the newer symbol common to all three branches. | ||
| Royal |  | The Queen's personal car used for official occasions only features a royal crown on a white background. | ||
| DEMA |  | - | ||
| "Fixed" temporary plate |  | For the special use of vehicle manufacturers, importers, distributors or car repairers[4] | ||
| Vanity plates |
|
These plates cost 6200 DKK per set as of 2006. 26 Roman letters, numbers and Danish letters like Ø, Æ, Å can be used in combination. The EU strip can be chosen optionally. | ||
| Ambulances and fire trucks |
|
These plates employ the insignia of the local fire brigade between the serials; this insignia often features a version the local coat of arms |
Hearses are registered as yellow-plate cars (commercial use). The actual plates are, however, white (personal use), reflecting the view that the deceased is a passenger rather than commercial freight.
EU plates
A new design with an EU stripe was expected in 2008, but has been delayed to 12 October 2009.[5] This makes Denmark potentially the last EU country to adopt euro plates (Vehicle registration plates of Europe). The EU stripe is, however, currently optional.[5] In preparation for the new design the font has been slightly condensed on some new plates issued since mid-2008. Since July 2009, buyers of a car can pick a license plate with or without an EU strip.[6]
If a Danish registered vehicle does not have the plate with the EU stripe then it must be equipped with an approved oval DK-sign when driving abroad. If one drives both with a car and a caravan/trailer, both must bear the label. The sign shall be elliptical (oval) 175×115 mm, white background with black lettering. The letters must be 80 mm in height, the distance between them shall be 10 mm, and there shall be no advertising.[7]
Faroe Islands
Cars registered in the Faroe Islands before 1996 have plates with white background, black text in Danish style, but with only one letter, F.
Cars registered after 1996 have white background, blue text in their own style, two letters and three digits. There is a blue stripe to the left with the Faroese flag and the code "FO". The Faroe Islands are outside the EU.
Greenland
Plates have a white background, and black text in Danish style with the serial letters "GR" reserved for Greenland. The EU stripe is not applicable since Greenland is a non-EU member.
References
External links
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Media related to License plates of Denmark at Wikimedia Commons - nrpl.dk - Comprehensive information about Danish license plates since their introduction