Czechia

International code: CZ
ISO code: CZ / CZE
Data status: Verified

Plates show the state or region of registration.

Explore 77 districts on the map Driving in Czechia: plates, vignettes and zones

Current plate formats

StandardSince 2001
1A2 3456
Seven characters in two groups. The letter after the first digit is the region (kraj) of first registration, then one more letter or digit, a gap for the inspection sticker, and four more. From 2009 Praha adds a second letter (1AA 1234), then Středočeský, Jihomoravský (2014), Moravskoslezský (2015), Ústecký (2019), Jihočeský (March 2023) and Plzeňský (August 2025) follow. Praha has also issued a third letter (1AA A123) since 2023. Since 2015 the plate stays with the vehicle when the owner moves, so the region is where it was first registered.
black on white
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Dealer and testSince 2001
A 1234
Green characters on white. Manipulation plates (dealers, test drives) and vehicles not yet approved for traffic. The region letter, then four or five letters or digits (five or six characters in all, per decree 343/2014); in practice four digits.
#1b7a3a on white
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SpecialSince 2001
A 12 3456
Black characters on yellow. Special motor vehicles, mostly working machinery (farm, military, building). The region letter, a two-digit series and four digits.
black on #f2c200
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TemporarySince 2001
A 123456
Black characters on green paper. One-off transfer plates with limited validity (for example driving a new vehicle home from the seller). The region letter and six more characters (digits or letters, seven in all per decree 343/2014); in practice digits.
black on #1b7a3a
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Dealer and testCurrent
F 1234
Green characters on white. Test plates. The same letter F for the whole country, then four digits or letters (five characters in all per decree 343/2014).
#1b7a3a on white
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HistoricCurrent
01V 1234
Green characters on white. Historic vehicles. A two-digit region number (01 Praha, 02 Jihomoravský, 03 Jihočeský, 04 Pardubický, 05 Královéhradecký, 06 Vysočina, 07 Karlovarský, 08 Liberecký, 09 Olomoucký, 10 Plzeňský, 11 Středočeský, 12 Moravskoslezský, 13 Ústecký, 14 Zlínský), the letter V for the whole country, and four digits (later series also use a letter, 01V P123). This numbering differs from the region letters, so search does not decode it.
#1b7a3a on white
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SpecialCurrent
01R 1234
Green characters on white. Racing vehicles, built like the veteran plates but with the letter R. The region number uses the same 01 to 14 numbering (see the veteran plates), which search does not decode.
#1b7a3a on white
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ElectricSince 2020
EL-123-AB
Electric vehicles, since 2020 (EL, then five digits or letters, issued as three digits and two letters). The plate carries no region. Electric cars get benefits such as exemption from motorway tolls and free parking.
black on white
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DiplomaticCurrent
123 CD 45
Blue characters on white. A three-digit code for the embassy, then CD (diplomatic immunity), XX (limited immunity), XS (diplomatic staff) or HC (honorary consul), then a two-digit serial.
#1d4f9c on white
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MilitaryCurrent
123 4567
Army of the Czech Republic. Digits only, a group of three and a group of four.
black on white
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PersonalisedSince 2016· broad pattern
KAMIL123
Personalised plates (since January 2016). Up to eight characters (seven on a motorcycle) with at least one digit, and never G, O, Q or W. No region is shown.
black on white

Regions (14)

Area codes (111)

Each code opens a page with the region it stands for.

Older formats

No longer issued, but some may still be on the road.

Standard1960–2001
ABC 12-34
Plates from before 2001, still valid on older vehicles. The first two letters are the district (okres) of registration (Praha has only the letter A), the third letter is a series, then two pairs of digits. From the 1990s busy districts also used other districts' series, so the code is not always where the owner lives.
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History

1960
Plates in the form OO-ČČ-ČČ, two letters for the district (okres) and two pairs of digits.
1986
The plate is redesigned, with a gap instead of a hyphen after the district letters (en.wikipedia dates this to 1984). Busy districts already issued a third series letter (OOP-ČČ-ČČ) before.
2001
A new law replaces district codes with one letter per region (kraj), as in 1A2 3456. The district codes had run short during the 1990s, and a vehicle could be registered in any district regardless of where the owner lived.
2004
From 1 May, with EU accession, plates carry the blue EU strip with the letters CZ.
2009
Praha runs through its one-letter series and starts issuing two-letter series (1AA 1234); other regions follow in later years.
2015
From 1 January the plate stays with the vehicle when the owner moves to another region.
2016
Personalised plates become available.
2020
Plates for electric vehicles (EL) are introduced.
2023
Praha adds a third letter to its series (1AA A123).