vehicle registration plates of Switzerland

{{short description|Switzerland vehicle license plates}}

{{Infobox vehicle registration plate

| name =

| image = Switzerland licence plate 2007 from Sankt Gallen canton.jpg

| caption = Rear plate from Canton of St. Gallen, long format

| nickname =

| country = Switzerland

| countrycode =

| slogan_label =

| slogan =

| size =

| material =

| serial_format = AB·123456

| current_start_date = 1972 (current size)
1987 (long rear format)

| front = {{cvt|300|x|80|mm|abbr=on|disp=br()|frac=4}}

| rear = {{cvt|300|x|160|mm|disp=br()|frac=4}}
{{cvt|500|x|110|mm|disp=br()|frac=4}}

| colour front =

| colour rear =

| designer =

| issuer =

| manufacturer =

| start_date =

}}

Image:111111 Ticino.jpg, high format]]

Image:Low number swiss license plate (front).jpg]]

Vehicle license plates of Switzerland, are composed of a two-letter code for the canton and a number with up to 6 digits. The rear plates also display two shields with the flags of Switzerland and the respective canton.

In 1987, the optional long format for rear plates, which had been abolished in 1972, was reintroduced.{{Cite web|url=http://www.license-plates.ch/index.htm|title=Swiss License-Plates|website=www.license-plates.ch}}

The vehicle license number plates are assigned to the car owner and not to the vehicle. If the owner changes the vehicle, the same vehicle license number plates are attached to the new vehicle. The previous vehicle receives the vehicle license number plates of the new owner.

It is also possible to own two (or more) vehicles that share the vehicle license number plates: the plates are physically unmounted from one vehicle and mounted on another, provided the vehicles in question are owned by the same owner of the vehicle license number plate.

In some cantons, when vehicle license number plates are returned and retired, they are made available again after a certain time.

Canton codes

{{Switzerland Cantons Labelled Map|float=right}}

class="wikitable"

!Code !!Flag !!Canton

AGImage:Flag of Canton of Aargau.svgAargau
AIImage:Flag of Canton of Appenzell Innerrhoden.svgAppenzell Innerrhoden
ARImage:Flag of Canton of Appenzell Ausserrhoden.svgAppenzell Ausserrhoden
BEImage:Flag of Canton of Bern.svgBern
BLImage:Flag of Canton of Basel Land.svgBasel-Landschaft
BSImage:Flag of Canton of Basel.svgBasel-Stadt
FRImage:Flag of Canton of Fribourg.svgFribourg
GEImage:Flag of Canton of Geneva.svgGeneva
GLImage:Flag of Canton of Glarus.svgGlarus
GRImage:Flag of Canton of Graubünden.svgGrisons
JUImage:Flag of Canton of Jura.svgJura
LUImage:Flag of Canton of Lucerne.svgLucerne
NEImage:Flag of Canton of Neuchâtel.svgNeuchâtel
NWImage:Flag of Canton of Nidwalden.svgNidwalden
OWImage:Flag of Canton of Obwalden.svgObwalden
SGImage:Flag of Canton of Sankt Gallen.svgSt. Gallen
SHImage:Flag of Canton of Schaffhausen.svgSchaffhausen
SOImage:Flag of Canton of Solothurn.svgSolothurn
SZImage:Flag of Canton of Schwyz.svgSchwyz
TGImage:Flag of Canton of Thurgau.svgThurgau
TIImage:Flag of Canton of Tessin.svgTicino
URImage:Flag of Canton of Uri.svgUri
VDImage:Flag of Canton of Vaud.svgVaud
VSImage:Flag of Canton of Valais.svgValais
ZGImage:Flag of Canton of Zug.svgZug
ZHImage:Flag of Canton of Zürich.svgZürich

Until 2020, vehicles in the Italian enclave of Campione d'Italia were registered in Ticino, but are now to be registered in the Italian town of Como.[https://www.laregione.ch/cantone/luganese/1394408/campione-niente-targhe-svizzere-dal-1-gennaio Campione, niente targhe svizzere dal 1° gennaio], La Regione, 29 September 2019[https://www.corrieredicomo.it/altra-beffa-per-campione-ditalia-chiude-lufficio-postale-svizzero-una-conseguenza-dellingresso-nellarea-ue/ Altra beffa per Campione d’Italia, chiude l’ufficio postale svizzero: una conseguenza dell’ingresso nell’area Ue] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191119134254/https://www.corrieredicomo.it/altra-beffa-per-campione-ditalia-chiude-lufficio-postale-svizzero-una-conseguenza-dellingresso-nellarea-ue/ |date=2019-11-19 }}, Corriere di Como, 18 November 2019

Types

Image:GR 999999, personalized swiss plate.jpg ]]

Image:Altes Kontrollschild Zürich.jpg ]]

Image:Altes Traktorkontrollschild St.Gallen.jpg ]]

Image:Temporary sticker 2020.jpg

class="wikitable"
130px

|Standard type for motor vehicles, motorcycles and trailers

130px

|Utility vehicles e.g. for construction, snow removal, fire brigade etc.

130px

|Exceptional vehicles that do not comply with mass and weight regulations

130px

|Agricultural vehicles

130px

|Military vehicles

130px

|For vehicle dealers and workshops, additional letter "U"

130px

|Temporary registration, with control mark showing the expiry date

130px

|Temporary, duty unpaid, with control mark and letter "Z"

100px

|Motorcycles and electric vehicles

100px

|Light motor vehicles and small motorcycles limited to 45 km/h

100px

|Mopeds and E-Bikes

100px

|Segway vehicles

100px

|Bicycle carriers, rear plate only

Diplomatic plates

{{multiple image

| align = right

| direction = vertical

| width = 210

| image1 = Swiss diplomatic license plate (Ambassador Liechtenstein).jpg

| caption1 = 1 = Ambassador, 15 = Liechtenstein

| image2 = Switzerland CC Diplomatic license plate ZH8•38.jpg

| caption2 = Consular plate, 38 = Iraq

| image3 = Switzerland CD Diplomatic license plate VD 351•03.jpg

| caption3 = UN Mission, 03 = WHO

| image4 = Switzerland CD Diplomatic license plate GE 29•201.jpg

| caption4 = Int. Organization, 201 = EU

}}

Swiss diplomatic plates display one of the prefixes "CD", "CC" or "AT", followed by a canton code, a serial number and a code for the country or organization. Low serial numbers are reserved for ambassadors or the head of an organization and their deputies.

{{RegPlate|BACK=#008800|BORDER=#008800|COLOR=#FFFFFF|WIDTH=30px| CD }}

  • Official cars of the diplomatic missions.
  • Motor vehicles of the members of the diplomatic staff of these missions .

{{RegPlate|BACK=#008800|BORDER=#008800|COLOR=#FFFFFF|WIDTH=30px| CC }}

  • Vehicles of consular posts headed by a professional official.
  • Motor vehicles of consular officials.

{{RegPlate|BACK=#1111DD|BORDER=#1111DD|COLOR=#FFFFFF|WIDTH=30px| CD }}

  • Vehicles of permanent missions or other representations to intergovernmental organizations and motor vehicles for the members of the diplomatic staff of these missions.
  • Vehicles of institutional beneficiaries such as intergovernmental organizations, international institutions, secretariats or other bodies set up under an international treaty, independent commissions, international courts, arbitral tribunals and other international bodies, who enjoy privileges, immunities and facilities, as well as the motor vehicles of the highest-ranking officials of these institutional beneficiaries, who enjoy diplomatic status in Switzerland.

{{RegPlate|BACK=#008800|BORDER=#008800|COLOR=#FFFFFF|WIDTH=30px| AT }}

  • Vehicles belonging to members of the administrative and technical staff of diplomatic missions .

= Codes =

class="wikitable"

|+ Diplomatic Codes (UN Missions){{Cite web|url=http://www.license-plates.ch/Diplomaten.htm|title=Diplomaten-Codes|website=www.license-plates.ch}}

style="vertical-align:top"

| width="15%" rowspan="2" align="left"|

01 – UN

02 – ILO

03 – WHO

04 – WMO

05 – ITU

| width="15%" rowspan="2" align="left"|

06 – WIPO

07 – CERN

08 – WTO

09 – EFTA

010 – IOM

| width="15%" rowspan="2" align="left"|

011 – IBE

012 – IPU

013 – ICDO

014 – APEF

015 – UPU

| width="15%" rowspan="2" align="left"|

016 – OTIF

017 – ADB

018 – IHC

019 – WCED

020 – BIS

| width="15%" rowspan="2" align="left"|

021 – ITCB

022 – SC

023 – ILC

024 – ACTED

025 – EC

| width="15%" rowspan="2" align="left"|

026 – ICRC

027 – . . .

028 – . . .

029 – . . .

030 – IFRC

| width="15%" rowspan="2" align="left"|

031 – ACWL

032 – OSCE

033 – WMO

034 – . . .

035 – GFATM

036 – . . .

class="wikitable"

|+ Diplomatic Codes (Int. Organizations)

style="vertical-align:top"

| width="15%" rowspan="2" align="left"|

201 – EU

202 – OAS

203 – SICA

204 – SCI

205 – AGC

206 – OAU

207 – Commonwealth

208 – Arab League

209 – ATO

210 – IIDC

| width="15%" rowspan="2" align="left"|

211 – OIC

212 – G-15

213 – OIF

214 – World Bank

215 – ACP

216 – (WTO)

217 – PIF

3xx – International Disarmament Talks ( xx = Country Code e.g. 309 = USA )

5xx – World Trade Organization (WTO) ( xx = Country Code e.g. 509 = USA )

class="wikitable"

|+ Diplomatic Codes (Countries)

style="vertical-align:top"

| width="15%" rowspan="2" align="left"|

1 {{VAT}}

2 {{CAN}}

3 {{LKA}}

4 {{AUS}}

5 {{IRN}}

6 {{ESP}}

7 {{ISR}}

8 {{KWT}}

9 {{USA}}

10 {{BRA}}

11 {{MEX}}

12 {{IRL}}

13 {{JPN}}

14 {{NZL}}

15 {{LIE}}

16 {{MCO}}

17 {{ZAF}}

18 {{EGY}}

19 {{SYR}}

20 {{DZA}}

21 {{ARG}}

22 {{AUT}}

23 {{BOL}}

24 {{CHL}}

25 {{COL}}

26 {{KOR}}

27 {{CRI}}

28 {{CIV}}

29 {{CUB}}

30 {{ECU}}

31 {{FIN}}

32 {{FRA}}

33 {{GHA}}

34 {{GTM}}

35 {{HTI}}

36 {{IND}}

37 {{IDN}}

38 {{IRQ}}

39 {{ITA}}

40 {{LBN}}

41 {{PAN}}

42 {{PER}}

43 {{PHL}}

44 {{PRT}}

45 {{TUN}}

| width="15%" rowspan="2" align="left"|

46 {{TUR}}

47 {{URY}}

48 {{VEN}}

49 {{VNM}}

50 {{COD}}

51 {{DEU}}

52 {{NGA}}

53 {{PAK}}

54 {{BGR}}

55 {{CHN}}

56 {{HUN}}

57 {{POL}}

58 {{ROU}}

59 {{SRB}}

60 {{CZE}}

61 {{SAU}}

62 {{BEL}}

63 {{DNK}}

64 {{GRC}}

65 {{LBY}}

66 {{MAR}}

67 {{NOR}}

68 {{NLD}}

69 {{SWE}}

70 {{THA}}

71 {{JOR}}

72 {{GBR}}

73 {{RUS}}

74 {{LUX}}

75 {{ETH}}

76 {{DOM}}

77 {{PRY}}

78 {{SLV}}

79 {{TPE}}

80 {{JAM}}

81 {{SMR}}

82 {{TTO}}

83 {{YEM}}

84 {{GAB}}

85 {{MYS}}

86 {{LBR}}

87 {{SDN}}

88 {{MNG}}

89 {{MLT}}

90 {{BLR}}

| width="15%" rowspan="2" align="left"|

91 {{UKR}}

92 {{ISL}}

93 {{COG}}

94 {{TCD}}

95 {{MMR}}

96 {{SEN}}

97 {{NIC}}

98 {{FJI}}

99 {{HND}}

100 {{BGD}}

101 {{KHM}}

102 {{PRK}}

103 {{BEN}}

104 {{CYP}}

105 {{SGP}}

106 {{CAF}}

107 {{QAT}}

108 {{OMN}}

109 {{CMR}}

110 {{MDG}}

111 {{KEN}}

112 {{SOM}}

113 {{ARE}}

114 {{TZA}}

115 {{BDI}}

116 . . . . (Yemen until 1990)

117 {{NPL}}

118 {{BHR}}

119 {{AFG}}

120 {{RWA}}

121 {{BTN}}

122 {{GIN}}

123 {{ZWE}}

124 {{HKG}}

125 {{ALB}}

126 {{BRN}}

127 {{DMA}}

128 {{STP}}

129 {{GNQ}}

130 {{BLZ}}

131 {{MUS}}

132 {{KGZ}}

133 {{SVN}}

134 {{HRV}}

135 {{ZMB}}

| width="15%" rowspan="2" align="left"|

136 {{BIH}}

137 {{SVK}}

138 {{LTU}}

139 {{LVA}}

140 {{JOR}}

141 {{AGO}}

142 {{MKD}}

143 {{GMB}}

144 {{ARM}}

145 {{EST}}

146 {{UGA}}

147 {{KAZ}}

148 {{ERI}}

149 {{GEO}}

150 {{MRT}}

151 {{MDA}}

152 {{AZE}}

153 {{LSO}}

154 {{BRB}}

155 {{CPV}}

156 {{MOZ}}

157 {{AND}}

158 {{BWA}}

159 {{MLI}}

160 {{UZB}}

161 {{BFA}}

162 {{NAM}}

163 {{TLS}}

164 {{KNA}}

165 {{SWZ}}

166 {{DJI}}

167 {{MDV}}

168 {{MNE}}

169 {{GRD}}

170 {{NER}}

171 {{TJK}}

172 . . . .

173 {{KOS}}

174 {{PSE}}

175 {{TGO}}

176 {{COM}}

177 {{TKM}}

178 . . . .

179 {{SLE}}

180 . . . .

181 {{SSD}}

Obsolete types

File:Administration_Autonummer.png

Civilian Federal vehicles had registration plates composed of the Swiss shield followed by the letter "A" (short for "Administration") and a number with up to five digits. The first digit indicated the department. In 2004 these plates were replaced with normal cantonal plates.

  • A 1xxxx – Federal Department of Foreign Affairs
  • A 2xxxx – Federal Department of Home Affairs
  • A 3xxxx – Federal Department of Justice and Police
  • A 4xxxx – Federal Department of Defense, Civil Protection and Sport
  • A 5xxxx – Federal Department of Finance
  • A 6xxxx – Federal Department of Economy
  • A 7xxxx – Federal Department of Environment, Transport, Energy and Communication

File:Post Autonummer back.jpg

The Post, Telegraph and Telephone company (PTT) and the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) were part of the federal government until 1997/98. Their vehicles had registration plates composed of the Swiss coat followed by the letter "P" (short for "Post") and a number with up to five digits. When they became independent companies, the P-plates were replaced with cantonal plates in 2004.

  • P 1xxxx to P 7xxxx were attributed to PTT
  • P 8xxxx to P 9xxxx were attributed to SBB

References

{{Reflist}}