World Number Plates

Number Plates of Argentina

Continent: South America

Capital: Buenos Aires

Population: 39.5 million

Country ISO code: AR

Country OVAL code: RA
(Republic of Argentina)

Driving Side: Right

First license issued in 1904

Number of vehicles:
cars 4,088,000 (1989), trucks and buses 1,512,000 (1989)

Road information:
total: 215,471 km; paved: 63,348 km (including 734 km of expressways); unpaved: 152,123 km (1999)

The standard for private vehicle plates in Argentina is three letters followed by three numbers. The plate also shows the country's emblem and name. Non-private vehicles display different number plates - usually an 'A' followed by three digits. The number plates are also coloured differently.

The current Argentine number plates system consists of three letters followed by three digits. The registrations are issued consecutively, but the system has undergone some big changes throughout the history of Argentina.

Centralisation took place in 1972, when number plates were standardised by the Argentine government. The new format was one letter followed by six digits, printed in white text on a black background. The first letter of the registration denoted the issuing province or city. Two districts, however, surpassed one million registrations (Buenos Aires and Buenos Aires City). This problem was fixed by moving the letter upwards slightly, and adding a number below it.

The current system was introduced in 1993, and gives no reference to the issuing province or city. The materials used on Argentine number plates are reflective and improve visibility on the roads. If the number plate is a duplicate or triplicate, it may feature a small 'D' or 'T' between the letters and numbers.