Poland licence plates: formats and history

Current plate formats

StandardSince 2000
WA 12345
Two-letter area codes are used by many powiats and some cities with powiat rights, for example KR for Kraków. Electric and hydrogen vehicles use the same format on a light green background (since 2020).
black on white
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StandardSince 2000
KRA 2J45
Three-letter area codes are used by many powiats and some cities with powiat rights, for example ZSW for Świnoujście. The form XYZ 1234 is not in the resource list; it is the 1976 to 2000 form.
black on white
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MotorcycleSince 2000
WA 1234
Also used for mopeds and agricultural vehicles.
black on white
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HistoricCurrent
WA 123
Classic cars, with a vintage car symbol on the right. Issued to vehicles entered in the register of monuments or the voivodeship record (gov.pl). The regulation (§ 25-26) defines the plate as black on yellow; the minimum age is a vehicle rule outside the plate data.
black on yellow
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TemporaryCurrent
W1 2345
Temporary and export plates, with a seal showing the month and year of validity.
red on white
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PersonalisedSince 2000
W1 KAMIL
Personalised plates. Voivodeship letter and a digit, then 3 to 5 characters starting with a letter, letters before digits, at most 2 digits.
black on white
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DiplomaticCurrent
W 123456
The first three digits identify the country or organisation, the last three the vehicle's function (for example 500 to 501 for the head of mission).
white on dark blue
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Voivodeships (16)

Area codes (509)

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

Older formats

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

Standard1976–2000
WAB 1234
The first two letters identify one of the 49 voivodeships of the time. Still valid, but must be replaced when the vehicle changes owner.
white on black
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History

1922
First national system. Two-letter voivodeship abbreviation (W for Warsaw) and up to five digits, red letters and black digits on white.
1937
New system with white characters on black plates. A vehicle-type letter, a two-digit voivodeship number and a three-digit serial.
1946
Post-war format of one letter and five digits (LNN-NNN), with the province name at the bottom.
1956
Two letters (voivodeship and powiat) and four digits.
1976
Three letters and four digits on black plates, coded for the 49 voivodeships created in 1975.
2000
Current white plates with a blue band, the Polish flag and PL, following the 1999 reform to 16 voivodeships. In use from 1 May 2000.
2006
The Polish flag on the band is replaced by the EU stars from 1 May 2006.
2020
Light green plates introduced for battery-electric and hydrogen vehicles.
2022
New plate design from 4 September 2022 under the regulation of 31 August 2022, including reduced classic-car plates with a laser-engraved car symbol.