Irish Vehicle Registration Plates

Number plates in Ireland conform to the European standard, with a blue band and the stars of the European union. The numbers on a plate follow the following format reading from left to right:

A two-digit year identifier.
A one- or two-letter county identifier.
A sequence number, starting with 1.

However, not all two-letter county identifiers identify counties, as in the case of Tipperary.

Typically, a populous area with many registrations has a one-letter code, with others getting two letters.

The general rule for two-letter codes is: The initial letter of the county name (in English) is used, followed the final letter. Exceptions where ambiguous.

The changed specification is given in Irish Statute Statutory Instrument No. 432 of 1999 titled "VEHICLE REGISTRATION AND TAXATION (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS, 1999." The original SI 318 of 1992 should also be consulted.

The letters are as follows:

County Carlow - CW

County Cavan - CN

County Clare - CL

County Cork - C

County Donegal - DL

County Dublin - D - by far the most common

County Galway - G

County Kerry - KY

County Kildare - KE

County Kilkenny - KK

County Laois - LS