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Tetyana Yermolenko
Correspondent
License plate series of Ukraine – complete list by region
Decoding car license plates is becoming increasingly relevant for Ukrainian drivers. What codes indicate the region of registration of a vehicle and how to read state license plates correctly? Detailed analysis of the Ukrainian car registration system on the Delo.ua portal. The system of state license plates in Ukraine has undergone radical changes in recent years. The new car registration reform, introduced in 2015, significantly simplified procedures and made license plates more informative.
Structure of modern Ukrainian car numbers
The current registration plate system is based on European standards and includes alphanumeric combinations with a clear regional distribution. The number format allows for quick identification of the registration area and vehicle type.
The main elements of the state registration mark:
- two letters – number series (AA, AB, AC, etc.);
- four digits – serial number (from 0001 to 9999);
- two letters – registration region code (AA, AB, AC, etc.);
- flag of Ukraine and country code UA – identification of the state;
- Hologram – protection against counterfeiting.
Kyiv license plates have the format AA 0000 AA, where the first two letters indicate the series, four digits are the serial number, and the last two letters AA indicate registration in the capital. Kyiv has the largest number of possible combinations due to the high density of cars.
Odessa license plates use the code VV , Kharkiv – AH , Dnipro – AE . Each regional center has its own unique two-letter code, which simplifies the geographical identification of the vehicle.
Area codes: a complete guide to regions
The territorial distribution of codes is based on the administrative-territorial structure of Ukraine. Each region and large cities have their own unique codes, which allows you to accurately determine the place of registration of the car.
Codes of regional centers and regions:
- AA – Kyiv, Kyiv region
- AB – Vinnytsia region (Vinnytsia)
- AS – Volyn region (Lutsk)
- AE – Dnipropetrovsk region (Dnipro)
- AN – Donetsk region (territory under Ukrainian control)
- AM – Zhytomyr region (Zhytomyr)
- AO – Transcarpathian region (Uzhhorod)
- AR – Zaporizhia region (Zaporizhia)
- JSC – Ivano-Frankivsk region (Ivano-Frankivsk)
- VA – Kirovohrad region (Kropyvnytskyi)
Lviv region uses the code VS , Luhansk (controlled territory) – VV , Mykolaiv region – VE , Poltava region – VI . The system makes it easy to remember the codes of the largest cities in Ukraine.
VN remains the most recognizable code due to Odessa, the tourist capital of Ukraine. Kharkiv uses AH , which is also easily associated with the city's name.
Special series and exceptions
In addition to the standard regional codes, there are special series of numbers for different categories of vehicles and organizations. These codes have a special status and are regulated by separate regulations.
Special license plate categories:
- red numbers are transit signs for new cars;
- green license plates – electric and hybrid cars;
- yellow numbers – taxis and commercial transportation;
- diplomatic series – embassies and consulates (CD, CC);
- military numbers – Armed Forces of Ukraine (special format).
Diplomatic cars have a unique coding system: CD (Corps Diplomatique) for the diplomatic corps, CC (Corps Consulaire) for consular posts. The first digits indicate the country, the following digits indicate the rank of the representative.
Electric vehicles receive green license plates with the letter E in the series, which provides them with benefits in paying for parking and toll roads in some cities in Ukraine.
Historical evolution of car numbers
The Ukrainian car license plate system has gone through a difficult path from Soviet standards to modern European requirements. Each stage of reform reflected political and economic changes in the country.
Stages of development of number systems:
- 1991-1995 – transitional numbers with Soviet codes;
- 1995-2004 – first national system (blue-yellow colors);
- 2004-2015 – modernized system with improved protection;
- 2015-present – European standard with regional codes;
- future plans – digitalization and QR codes.
Soviet heritage is still found on the roads in some places: 1980s-style license plates with region codes such as 01, 02, 03. These signs are gradually being phased out due to wear and tear and replacement with modern standards.
The 2015 reform introduced the current system of two-letter codes, which greatly simplified the identification of regions and increased the number of possible combinations for large cities.
Technological solutions and protection against counterfeiting
Modern Ukrainian license plates use advanced anti-forgery technologies. Multi-stage protection makes counterfeiting economically impractical and technically difficult.
License plate protection elements:
- reflective film – reflective properties for night visibility;
- holographic elements – protection against copying and counterfeiting;
- special fonts – unique design of letters and numbers;
- control codes – hidden information for verification;
- RFID tags (in the future) – electronic identification.
The Odessa service centers of the Ministry of Internal Affairs use the most modern equipment to produce numbers with an increased level of protection. The production time has been reduced from several days to 15-20 minutes.
Kyiv registration centers have implemented an electronic queue system and online services, which allows you to select the desired number series in advance (for an additional fee).
Regional features and statistics
Analysis of the distribution of car license plates shows interesting trends in motorization of different regions of Ukraine. The statistics reflect economic development and demographic processes in the regions.
Leaders by number of registered cars:
- Kyiv and the region (AA) – over 2.1 million vehicles;
- Kharkiv region (AKH) – about 850 thousand cars;
- Odessa region (VN) – approximately 720 thousand vehicles;
- Dnipropetrovsk region (AE) – about 680 thousand cars;
- Lviv region (VS) – over 620 thousand vehicles.
Zakarpattia Oblast (ZAO) has the highest density of foreign cars with European license plates – over 40% of the total car fleet. This is due to its proximity to the EU borders and the specifics of the local automotive market.
After liberation, the Kherson region is gradually restoring the vehicle registration system, introducing modern accounting and verification technologies.
Online services and mobile applications
Digitalization of automotive services allows you to quickly obtain information about a vehicle by license plate number. Official and private services offer a wide range of services for drivers.
The state in your smartphone provides the ability to check fines, registration status, and technical inspection by car license plate. The service is integrated with the databases of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Ukrposhta.
Private services like AUTO.RIA, RSA offer extended information: owner history, accident history, credit obligations. The search works both by full number and by region code.
The future of the Ukrainian car number plate system is connected with full digitalization and integration into European databases. It is planned to introduce QR codes and electronic license plates with remote reading of vehicle information.
