International Ovals
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This is a list of International Identification Letters for vehicles, past & present, usually displayed as a black & white oval on the rear of the vehicle.   Official codes are recognized by the United Nations, as listed in "Distinguished Signs of Vehicles in International Traffic notified to the Secretary General of the United Nations in accordance with the 1968 Convention on Road Traffic and the 1949 Convention on Road Traffic ."  The original conventions were in 1909 & 1926.  There are many unofficial codes also listed, and several "still official" codes are no longer used. (In some cases the countries no longer exist.)
This list is compiled from various sources, including the 1996 update of the above document, Registration Plates of the World, and several sources on the web.  Some of the information may be out of date.

Regular text indicates a code no longer used.
Boldface indicates an OFFICIAL current code, as listed by the United Nations in 1996.
Boldface Italics indicates an unofficial current code.
-----  Indented codes are countries using the code of a parent country.

A           Austro-Hungarian Empire (Austria) -  1909-18
A        Austria  - 1918 -->
ADN     1937-67  Aden Colony
ADN     South Yemen  1967-1990
ADN      Yemen   -  1990-->
AFG    Afghanistan   - 1971 -->
AL       Albania  -  1934 -->
AND    Andorra  -  1957 -->
AUS    Australia  -  1949 -->
-----  Cocos (Keeling) Islands
-----  Norfolk Is.
-----  Papua & New Guinea - 1961-81

ARM    Armenia - 1993-->
AZ       Azerbaijan   -  1993 -->
B         Belgium  -  1909 -->
BA          Burma  -  1937-66
BD       Bangladesh  -  1978 -->
BDS     Barbados  -  1955 -->
BF       Burkina Faso  -  1984-->
BG       Bulgaria  -  1910 -->
BH       British Honduras (now Belize) still official  -  1937 -90s
BI           British India  1912-49
BIH     Bosnia-Herzegovina  -  1993 -->
BL          Basutoland  -  1935-67
BOL     Bolivia  -  1967 -->
BP          Bechuanaland  (now Botswana) -  1935-67
BR       Brazil  -  1926 -->
BRG       British Guiana  -  1954-72
BRN     Bahrain  -  1954 -->
BRU     Brunei  -  1954 -->
BS           British Somalialand  -  1935-66
BS        Bahamas  -  1940 -->
BU     Burundi - 1985-->
BUR     Burma / Myanmar  -  1956 -->
BVI    British Virgin Islands
BY       Belarus  (unofficial)-  1992 -->
BZ        Belize  (unofficial) -  1980s -->
C         Cuba  -  1926 -->
CA          Canada  -  1955-58
CAM    Cameroon  -  1960-72, 1984-->
CB          Belgian Congo  -  1930-60
CC     Consular Corps (unofficial, in addition to country oval)
CD     Dipolomatic Corps (unofficial, in addition to country oval)
CDN     Canada (Canadian Dominion) -  1955 -->
CFS         French Somalialand  - <--1977
CH       Switzerland (Confoederatio Helvetica) -  1910 -->
CI         Ivory Coast  -  1961 -->
CL        Sri Lanka  (Ceylon)  -  1932 -->
CNB        Colony of North Borneo  -  1953-63
CO     Colombia  -  1926-->
CR       Costa Rica  -  1955 -->
CRO       Croatia  -  1990s
CS          Czechoslovakia  -  1921-93
CU         Curacao  -  1936-57
CV    Cape Verde
CY      Cyprus  -  1931 -->
CZ      Czech Republic  -  1993 -->
D        Germany (Deutschland)   -  1909 -->
-----  Luxembourg  -   1914-18, 1940-45
DA        Danzig  -  1921-39
DDR      East Germany -  1973-90
DK      Denmark  -  1913 -->
DOM    Dominican Republic  -  1950 -->
DY      Benin (Dahomey) -  1961-70's
DZ      Algeria  (El Djezair)-  1963 -->
E        Spain  (Espana) -  1909 -->
-----  Spanish Sahara  -  1958-68
-----  Spanish Guinea  -  1958-75
EA         British East Africa  -  1931-38
EAK    Kenya  -  1938 -->
EAN       East Africa Nyasaland  -  1938-64
EAT     Tanzania (Tanganyika)  -  1938 -->
EAZ     Tanzania (Zanzibar)  -  1938 -->
EAU     Uganda  -  1938 -->
EC       Ecuador  -  1962 -->
ECA       Central African Empire (unofficial) -  1976-79
EIR        Irish Republic  (Eire) -  1938-62
EQ          Ecuador  -  1926-62
ER     Eritrea  -  1994 -->
ES      El Salvador  -  1978 -->
EST     Estonia  -  1994 -->
ET       Egypt  -  1926 -->
ETH    Ethiopia  -  1964 -->
EW        Estonia  -  1930-40, 1992-93
F        France  & French colonies -  1909 -->
-----  Algeria  - 1911-62
-----  French Equatorial Africa  -  pre-1960
-----  French Guiana - 1930-->
-----  French North Africa  -  1930-50
-----  French Polynesia (Tahiti) -  1930-->
-----  French West Africa  -  pre-1960
-----  Guadeloupe  - 1930 -->
-----  Martinique   - 1930 -->
-----  Mayotte   - 1930 -->
-----  Reunion   - 1930 -->
-----  St. Pierre & Miquelon   - 1930 -->
-----  Tunisia  -  1912-57
-----  Wallis & Fortuna Is.   - 1930 -->
FIF       French India  -  1925-30
FIN    Finland  -  1993 -->
-----  Aland
FJI     Fiji  -  1971 -->
FL      Liechtenstein  -  1924-->
FM        Federated Malay States / Malaya  (Pahang, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Selangor) -  1931-48
FM        Federation of Malaysia  -  1948-58
FO      Faeroe Is.  - 1996-->
FR       Faeroe Is.  -  1976-96
FSM     Federal States of Micronesia  -  1985 -->
G          Guatemala  -  1952-56
G       Gabon  -  1974 -->
GB     United Kingdom  -  1909-->
-----  Great Britain  -  1909 -->
-----  Ireland  -  1909-22
-----  Northern Ireland
GBA    Alderney   -  1924 -->
GBG    Guernsey   -  1914 -->
GBJ     Jersey   -  1914 -->
GBM    Isle of Man   -  1932 -->
GBY       Malta  -  1924-66
GBZ     Gibraltar  -  1924 -->
GCA     Guatemala  -  1956 -->
GE       Georgia  -  1993 -->
GEO       Georgia  -  1993
GH      Ghana  -  1959 -->
GR      Greece  -  1909 -->
GUY    Guyana  -  1972 -->
H           Austro-Hungarian Empire (Hungary)  -  1909-18
H        Hungary  1918 -->
HK      Hong Kong  -  1931 -->
HKJ    (Hashemite Kingdom of) Jordan  -  1966 -->
HR      Croatia  -  1992 -->
HV        Upper Volta  -  1964-70s
I         Italy  -  1909 -->
IAR       International Administration Rhineland  -  1950s
IL       Israel  -  1949 -->
IN         Netherlands Indies  -  1915-49
IN         Indonesia  -  1949-56
IND    India  -  1949 -->
IR       Iran  -  1936 -->
IRL     Ireland   -  1962 -->
IRQ     Iraq  -  1926-->
IS       Iceland  -  1936 -->
J        Japan  -  1964 -->
JA      Jamaica  -  1931 -->
JO        Johore  -  1931-48
JOR     Jordan  -  1956-68
K       Cambodia  -  1956 -->
KAT     Katanga  -  1960-63
KD       Kedah  -  1931-48
KL        Kelantan  -  1931-48
KS     Kyrgyzstan -  1994-->
KT        Kuwait   -  1950s - 75
KWT   Kuwait  -  1954 -->
KZ      Kazakhstan -  1994-->
L        Luxembourg   -  1911 -->
LAO    Laos  -  1959 -->
LAR     Libya  -  1972 -->
LB       Liberia  -  1967 -->
LR         Latvia  -  1926-41, 1991-92
LS       Lesotho  -  1967 -->
LSA       Lebanon, Syria, & Alaouites  -  1926-31
LT         Libya  -  1967-72
LT      Lithuania  -  1925-40, 1991-->
LV      Latvia  -  1992 -->
M         Palestine Mandate  -  1929-49
M       Malta  -  1966 -->
MA       French Morocco  -  1924-30
MA     Morocco  -  1956-->
MAL    Malaysia  -  1967 -->
MC      Monaco  -  1909 -->
MD      Moldova  -  1993 -->
MDV     Moldova - 1992
ME        Spanish Morocco  -  1935-56
MEX    Mexico  -  1926 -->
MGL    Mongolia - 1997 -->
MK      Macedonia  -  1993 -->
MN        Montenegro  -  1909-20
MOC    Mozambique  -  1932-56, 1975 -->
MS      Mauritius  -  1938-->
MT        Tangier  -  1933-56
MW     Malawi  -  1965 -->
N        Norway  -  1922 -->
-----  Svalbard
NA      Netherlands Antilles  -  1957 -->
NAM    Namibia  -  1993 -->
NAU    Nauru  -  1968 -->
NDH      Croatia  (Nesavisna Drzava Hrvatska)-  1941-45
NEP     Nepal  -  1970 -->
NF         Newfoundland  -  1938-49
NGN     Netherlands New Guinea  -  1955-63
NGR    Nigeria (unofficial) -  1992 -->
NIC     Nicaragua  -  1950 -->
NIG       Niger  -  1961-75
NL      Netherlands  -  1909 -->
NP        Nyasaland Protectorate  -  1938-60
NR        Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia)  -  1938-60
NZ     New Zealand  -  1950 -->
-----  Cook Islands
-----  Niue
P       Portugal   -  1909 -->
-----  Angola  -  1956-75
-----  Mozambique  -  1956-75
-----  Portugese Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau)  -  1956-74
-----  Portugese India  -  1956-61
-----  Portugese Timor - 1956-61
P  Palestinan Authority - 1990's
PA      Panama  -  1926 -->
PAK     Pakistan  -  1947-90s
PAN     Angola  -  1932-56
PE      Peru  -  1937 -->
PI         Philippines  -  1949-75
PK     Pakistan  -  1986 -->
PL      Poland  -  1921-39, 1945 -->
PN       Palestine
PNG   Papua New Guinea  -  1981 -->
PR        Persia  -  1926-36
PS        Perlis  -  1931-48
PS        the Palestinian autonomy - 1990's-->
PTM     Malaya / Malaysia   -  1958-72
PY     Paraguay  -  1926 -->
Q      Qatar  -  1972  -->
R         Russia  -  1909-26
R         Romania  -  1926-80
RA     Argentina  -  1927 -->
RB     Botswana  -  1967 -->
RB        Bolivia  -  1961-67
RC      Republic of China  -  1926 - 49
RC      Taiwan, Republic of China  -  1949 -->
RCA    Central African Republic  -  1962 -->
RCB    Congo (Brazzaville)  -  1962 -->
RCH    Chile  -  1926 -->
RCL       Congo  (Leopoldville) -  1961-70s
RFC       Cameroon (pre-84)
RG      Guinea  -  1964, 73 -->
RH      Haiti  -  1926 -->
RHV      Burkina Faso (Upper Volta)  -  1970s-84
RI       Indonesia  -  1956 -->
RIM    Mauritania  -  1964 -->
RL      Lebanon  -  1949 -->
RM        Romania  -  1909-26
RM     Madagascar  -  1962 -->
RMM   Mali  -  1962 -->
RN      Niger  -  75 -->
RNR     Northern Rhodesia (now Zambia)  -  1960-64
RNR    Zambia (still official) - 1964-->
RNY     Nyasaland  -  1960-65
RO      Romania  -  1980/81 -->
ROK    Republic of Korea (South)  -  1971 -->
ROU    Uruguay (Republica Oriental de Uru.) -   81 -->
RP      Philippines  -  1973 -->
RPB      Benin  -  1984-?
RSM    San Marino   -  1931 -->
RSR     Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) -  1960-81
RU        Rwanda-Urundi  -  1954-64
RU      Burundi  -  1962-->
RUC      Cameroon  -  1972-84
RUS    Russian Fed.  -  1993 -->
RWA    Rwanda  -  1964 -->
S         Sweden   -  1910 -->
SA        Saarland  -  1925-35, 1945-56
SA      Saudi Arabia  -  70s -->
SAU     South Africa (S. Af. Union) -  1933-36
SB        Serbia  -  1909-26
SD      Swaziland  -  1935 -->
SE         Irish Free State  (Saorstat Eireann) -  1924-38
SF         Finland   -  1920-92
SGP    Singapore  -  1952 -->
SHS      Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats, & Slovenes (now Yugoslavia) -  1926-36
SK        Sarawak  -  1955-63
SK      Slovakia  -  1993 -->
SL         Syria & Lebabon  -  1931-52
SLO    Slovenia  -  1992 -->
SM        Siam (now Thailand)  -  1926-57
SME    Suriname  -  1936 -->
SMOM Soverign Military Order of Malta
SN      Senegal  -  1962 -->
SNB      State of North Borneo  -  1937-55
SO         Slovakia  -  1939-45, 1993
SO      Somalia  -  70s
SP         Somalia  Protectorate -  1937-60
SQ         Slovakia  -  1993
SR         Southern Rhodesia ( now Zimbabwe)  -  1931-60
SS          Straits Settlements (Labuan, Melaka, Pinang, Singapore)  -  1931-52
SU         U.S.S.R.  -  1926-92
SU         Russia - 1992-93
-----  Belarus (still official) - 1974-->
-----  Ukraine 1974-94
SUD    Sudan  -  1963 -->
SWA      Southwest Africa  -  1935-66
SY       Seychelles  -  1937 -->
SYR     Syria  -  1951 -->
T         Thailand  -  1957 -->
TC          French Trusteeship of Cameroon  -  1930-75
TCH    Chad  -  1964 -->
TD         Trinidad & Tobago  -  1937-65
TG      Togo  - 1962 -->
TJ       Tajikistan - 1994-->
TM      Turkmenistan  -  1994 -->
TMN   Turkmenistan - 1993-94
TN      Tunisia  -  1957-->
TO         Trucial Oman  -  60s
TR      Turkey  -  1926 -->
TS         Trieste  -  1947-53
TT         French Togoland  -  1932-52
TT      Trinidad & Tobago  -  1964 -->
TU        Terengganu  -  1934-48
U           Uruguay   -  1926-81
UA      Ukraine  -  1994 -->
UAE    United Arab Emirates
UR        Ukraine  -  1991 - 93
US        United States - 1909-49
USA    United States of America  -  1949 -->
-----  American Samoa
-----  Guam
-----  Panama Canal Zone  - pre-1979
-----  Puerto Rico
-----  Virgin Islands
-----  Wake Island
UZ      Uzbekistan -  1995-->
V         Vatican City  -  1930 -->
VN      Vietnam (South) -  1954-->
WAC      Gold Coast  (now Ghana) -  1931-59
WAG    Gambia  -  1931 -->
WAL    Sierra Leone  -  1937 -->
WAN      Nigeria &Southern Cameroon -  1937-92
WAN    Nigeria  -  1992-->
WD      Dominica (Windward Islands)  -  1954 -->
WG      Grenada  (Windward Is.) -  1931 -->
WL      Santa Lucia (Windward Islands)  -  1931 -->
WS      Western Samoa  -  1961 -->
WV      St. Vincent (Windward Islands)  -  1931 -->
Y            Yugoslavia  -  1936-41, 49
YAR    Yemen (unofficial)  -  70s-90
YMN     North Yemen - 1968-?
YU      Yugoslavia  -  1953 -->
YV      Venezuela  -  1949 -->
Z         Zambia  (unofficial)-  1966 -->
ZA      South Africa  -  1936 -->
ZM        Zimbabwe  -  70s
ZR         Zaire  -  1973-80
ZRE    Zaire  -  1981 -->
ZW     Zimbabwe  -  1981 -->
 

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