World Number Plates

Number Plates of Belgium

Continent: Europe

Capital: Brussels

Population: 10.3 million

Country ISO code: BEL

Country OVAL code: B

Driving Side: Right

First license issued in 1899

Number of vehicles:
cars 3,864,159 (1990), trucks and buses 358,885 (1990)

Road information:
total: 149,028 km; paved: 116,540 km (including 1,729 km of expressways); unpaved: 32,488 km (2002)

By 1926, the demand had risen so much that another digit was added, and the six digit number plates were issued up until 1953. The 1953-1962 series of number plates were made up of four digits followed by a single letter. This series ran concurrently with the 1951-1962 series of played, made up of three letters followed by two digits. The 1973-1998 series of number plates consisted of three letters followed by three digits. The current series of number plates, first issued in 1999, are made up in the same way.

In Belgium, a driver will keep his set of number plates and use them on successive vehicles. When a Belgian driver buys a new car, he must keep his old set of number plates and assign them to his next vehicle. The state supplies the rear number plate, but the owner must supply the front plate.

Belgian number plates consist of a white background with red numbers and letters, and usually carry a three-letter combination followed by a three-number combination. Motorcycles with a capacity of more than 50cc have a yellow background with black letters and begin with the letter 'M'.

Dealers are given number plates with white backgrounds and green letters and numbers. The European flag is on the left-hand-side of dealer plates, whereas it is placed on the right-hand-side of other number plates.