Vehicle registration plates of Namibia are yellow fluorescent metal plates with imprints in black. The standard version is uniform throughout the country, and carries one of the following forms:

 N 1 A   N 1 AB   N 12 A   N 12 AB   N 123 A   N 123 AB   N 1234 A   N 1234 AB   N 12345 A   N 12345 AB   N 123-456 A   N 123-456 AB 

The first letter is always "N" for Namibia. The last one or two letters indicate the town or region the car originates from. In between, numbers are issued sequentially within each region, starting with single-digit numbers, and increasing in length as required. The vast majority of vehicles are registered in the capital, Windhoek, and require six digits; most other regions currently use three or four digits.

Since 2007, personalised number plates are available at an extra fee. Such plates may carry up to seven alphanumerical characters, followed by the Namibian Flag and the letters NA. They also differ in color and material, the personalised plates are made from acrylic white plastic and have light blue characters.

Government vehicles use dark green number plates with white imprints. As with ordinary number plates, numbers are issued sequentially within each region, starting with single-digit numbers, and increasing in length as required. The Government vehicle plates are prefixed with the following letters: NAM1 - Sam Nujoma vehicles NAM2 - Hifikepunye Pohamba vehicles NAM3 - Hage Geingob vehicles Presidential Seal - The President of Namibia vehicle GRN - Government vehicles JUD -Judiciary of Namibia NDF - Namibia Defence Force POL - Police NCS - Namibian Correctional Service LNA - Legislature National Assembly (since 2024) LNC - Legislature National Council (since 2024)

Town codes

The following list may be incomplete.

A - Arandis (since 2019)

AR – Aranos B – Bethanien BK - Bukalo DV - Divundu (since 2019) EN – Eenhana G – Grootfontein GO – Gobabis HB - Henties Bay (since 2019) HN - Helao Nafidi (since 2022) K – Keetmanshoop KA – Karasburg KH – Khorixas KM – Katima Mulilo KR – Karibib KO - Okongo (since 2019) L – Lüderitz M – Mariental MA – Maltahöhe MT – Omuthiya (since 2019) ND – Ondangwa NK - Nkurenkuru OA - Okahao (since 2022) OH – Okahandja OJ – Outjo OK – Okakarara OM – Omaruru ON – Otjinene OP – Opuwo OR – Oranjemund OT – Otjiwarongo OV – Otavi R – Rehoboth RC – Ruacana RU – Rundu S – Swakopmund SH – Oshakati T – Tsumeb TK- Tsumkwe U – Usakos UP – Outapi W – Windhoek Capital of Namibia. WB – Walvis Bay

South West Africa

From 1968 to 1990, South West Africa used a system similar to that in use in South Africa, using the prefix S:Holcroft’s South African Calendar 1975, published by Vergne, Pretoria

SA – Karasburg Now KA. SB – Bethanie Now B. SBA – Ovamboland SC – Oranjemund Now OR. SCA – Okavango SDA – Kaokoveld SE – Otavi Now OV. SEA – Otjinene Now ON. SEB – Okakarara Now OK. SF – Grootfontein Now G. SFA – Damaraland SH – Okahandja Now OH. SJ – Outjo Now OJ. SK – Keetmanshoop Now K. SL – Lüderitz now L. SM – Maltahöhe now MA. SN – Mariental now M. SO – Otjiwarongo now OT. SP – Karibib now KR. SR – Rehoboth Now R. SS – Swakopmund now S. ST – Tsumeb now T. SU – Usakos now U. SV – Walvis Bay now WB. SW – Windhoek now W. SX – Gobabis now GO. SY – Omaruru now OM. ECZ– Caprivi Strip. The Zambezi Region now uses the code KM (Katima Mulilo).

Walvis Bay, although legally part of the Cape Province, was long administered as part of South West Africa. During the 1980s it was returned to the Cape Province and used the code CWB. It then became part of Namibia. Until 1968 South West Africa used a system of one- and two-letter codes without prefixes. W stood for Windhoek, L for Lüderitz, R for Rehoboth, Sd for Swakopmund, T for Tsumeb and Wb for Walvis Bay. The South African Defence Force also operated in South West Africa and used the same codes (U until 1961, and then R) as in South Africa. South Africa's Bantu Trust also operated in South West Africa, its vehicles using the code BT, as in South Africa.

References

External links