Vehicle registration plates are the alphanumeric plates used to display the registration mark of a vehicle, and have existed in the Principality of Liechtenstein since 1906. Vehicle registration plates of the Principality of Liechtenstein are rectangular or square in shape, with the exact permitted dimensions of the plate and its lettering set down in law. The registration marks are composed of the letters FL, standing for Fürstentum Liechtenstein, followed by the small version of the coat of arms of Liechtenstein and up to five digits. Due to the small size of the country (160 km², 42,000 inhabitants), no further distinguishing marks are necessary. Standard license plates are labeled with white characters on a black base. This system, which has followed the same pattern for over 100 years, is the oldest still in use in Europe.
The white-on-black color combination was introduced in 1915 and the current serial format was launched in 1924. The current design of the registration plates has been used since 1972. The numbering process and the color system essentially correspond to that of Swiss vehicle registration plates. The numbers are assigned consecutively in ascending order to the vehicle owners, not to the vehicles. It is possible to use two vehicles under one license plate. However, only one vehicle may be in operation at any given time. Rear license plates can be requested either in a long rectangular format of 500 × 110 mm or in a square format of 300 × 160 mm. The dimensions of the plates, as well as the typeface of the characters are similar to those of Swiss registration plates. License plates of both countries are produced by the same manufacturer.
Since 2001, Liechtenstein has been the only sovereign European state to issue black vehicle registration plates for all motor vehicles. In other European countries, black license plates are only issued for specific vehicle groups, e. g. historical or military vehicles or as an option alongside yellow or white license plates, as is the case, for example, on the Bailiwick of Guernsey.
As of June 30, 2025, a total of 47,204 vehicles were registered for road use in Liechtenstein, including 31,683 passenger cars, 5,044 motorcycles, 4,163 trailers and caravans, 3,275 vans, 291 trucks, 211 semi-trailer trucks, 985 agricultural vehicles, 879 utility vehicles, 551 motorhomes, 58 city buses and 31 coaches.
History Due to its geographical location and the origins of the Princely House, Liechtenstein maintained strong political and economic ties with the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy for many years. The customs and tax treaty of 1852 created a customs union between the two states, which continued throughout the development of motorized road transport until August 2, 1919.
1905 - On September 27, 1905, Austria introduced mandatory registration of motor vehicles, which was adopted identically by the government of Liechtenstein. The corresponding regulation came into effect on July 1, 1906. For the time being, a separate regulation was refrained from being implemented, which was understandable given the small number of domestic cars on the roads. The Austrian identification markings, which from now on had to be affixed to motor vehicles in Liechtenstein, were issued by the district commission in Feldkirch and had black letters on a white background. The license plates were labeled with the letter W, the assigned letter for the Austrian federal state of Vorarlberg, Liechtenstein's immediate neighbor, and an evidence number of up to three digits, e. g. W 123.
1915 - On August 12, 1915, the government of Liechtenstein issued a decree mandating the introduction of independent license plates. The license plates were inscribed with white characters on a black background and the registration mark consisted of the letter L for Liechtenstein and an individual number. The existing Austrian vehicle registration plates remained valid until 1922. The very first vehicle registration plate of Liechtenstein, L 1, was issued to the owner of a motorcycle in February 1919. Later, the registration marks L 2 through L 17 followed.
1924 - On May 1, 1924, Liechtenstein acceded to the International Convention with respect to the Circulation of Motor Vehicles, signed at Paris, October 11, 1909. With this accession, the Principality of Liechtenstein had to choose a country code. Since the letter "L" was already assigned to Luxembourg, the code "FL" was chosen. On December 4, 1924, the government of Liechtenstein issued an implementing regulation which stipulated that every motor vehicle must display two license plates bearing the letters FL and a registration number. Motorcycles needed one license plate (labeled on both sides) on the front wheel. 1925 - On January 1, 1925, the new regulation came into effect. Newly designed license plates were issued, which now also included a coat of arms. The coat of arms featured the Liechtenstein national colors of blue and red. These registration plates established the basic design that is still used today, making them one of the oldest continuous license plate systems. The blue and red coat of arms remained on the plates until 1961, when the government and state parliament dealt with the new coat of arms law of 1957.
1957 - In 1957, during the revision of the Coat of Arms Act, the state parliament decided that, in addition to the "large coat of arms", the "small coat of arms" could also be used for official state symbols. According to the Coat of Arms Act, the small coat of arms is the "gold and red divided escutcheon," which rendered the previously used "coat of arms in blue and red" illegal and required it to be replaced by the gold and red coat of arms.
1961 - On June 23, 1961, the state parliament approved a loan of 20,000 Swiss francs for the purpose of producing new license plates or exchanging the old ones. Newly designed license plates were introduced, distinguished by the use of the escutcheon of the princely coat of arms as a sticker, instead of the painted national coat of arms.
1972 - In 1972, the dimensions of the plates were adapted to the Swiss license plates and the coat of arms was reduced to its current size. Existing license plates remained valid if they were still in good condition. Vehicles with well-preserved license plates of the period from 1961 to 1972 can still be seen on the road in Liechtenstein today.
Current System Motor vehicles in Liechtenstein must be equipped with front and rear license plates made of corrosion-resistant metal. Current license plates are made of aluminium and may have a reflective or photoluminescent coating. License plates are generally issued based on availability. Returned license plates are put back into circulation after a reasonable period, but no sooner than one year. If no such plates are available, new license plates with consecutive numbers are produced. Unlike in most other European countries, Liechtenstein license plates are not assigned to a specific vehicle, but to its registered owner. If the owner changes vehicles, the license plates can be mounted on the new vehicle after registration. If the owner does not register a new vehicle, the license plates must be returned to the issuing authority, the National Road Office in Vaduz. Colors The background color of license plates depends on their intended use and the vehicle type. The plates are numbered independently, so it's possible for several vehicles to have the same license plate number. The color system is essentially the same as that of Swiss license plates. The following color combinations exist:
License plates with a black background and white lettering are issued for passenger cars, trucks, buses, commercial tractors, trailers, motorcycles, scooters, motorized tricycles, quads, light electric vehicles, two-wheel tractors and motorcycle trailers. License plates with a black background and yellow lettering are short-term license plates for motor vehicles and trailers, valid for up to 4 days. License plates with a light green background and black lettering are issued to agricultural and forestry vehicles and trailers. License plates with a light blue background and black lettering are issued to utility vehicles, industrial vehicles as well as their trailers. License plates with a light brown background and black lettering are used for exceptional vehicles and trailers (e.g. for heavy transport). License plates with a red background and white lettering are repeater license plates that can be mounted as a "third license plate" on the rear load carrier. License plates with a yellow or dark yellow background and black lettering are issued to light vehicles, light motorcycles, small motorcycles, electric vehicles or mopeds and e-bikes.
Number system
Numbers are assigned separately for motor vehicles and trailers on the one hand and motorcycles on the other, and for each type of license plate separately according to base color and special markings, and in ascending order. The number allocation extends to FL 99999 and is currently about 50 percent exhausted. Since the system has existed since 1924, it could suffice for many more decades, even though the number of vehicle registrations has increased significantly in the last hundred years. The numbers are divided into the following number ranges, which have been reserved for certain vehicle groups or purposes: FL 1 to 20 FL 1 , FL 2 , FL 3 , FL 4 , FL 6 , FL 8 , and FL 10 were assigned to the Princely Family of Liechtenstein. These plates are only used during official occasions. FL 5 was assigned to the Liechtenstein government and the head of government. FL 7 , FL 9 and from FL 11 to FL 20 were assigned to the Liechtenstein Police. Numbers 1 through 20 are exclusively assigned to these official vehicles. For all other types of license plates, the numbering starts at 21.
FL 21 to 2000 FL 21 to FL 2000 are available for agricultural and forestry vehicles and trailers. FL 21 to FL 2000 are available for utility and industrial vehicles and trailers. FL 21 to FL 2000 are available for exceptional vehicles (FL 5××× for trailers). FL 21 to FL 6700 is the current number range for motorcycle license plates.
FL 101 to 50000 FL 21 to FL 100 are not available for regular cars or trailers. FL 101 to FL 300 are reserved numbers for dealer license plates. FL 301 to FL 1999 were used for the first series of trailer license plates. FL 2000 to FL 50000 are issued consecutively in ascending order for motor vehicles. In December 2025, the highest numbers were in the FL 42800 range. As of June 30, 2025, a total of 31,683 passenger cars, 3,275 vans, 291 trucks, 211 semi-trailer trucks, 551 motorhomes, 58 city buses, and 31 coaches were registered in Liechtenstein. FL 50000 to 99999 FL 50001 to FL 50299 are the reserved numbers for short-term license plates. FL 50300 to FL 65099 A purpose has not yet been defined. FL 65100 to FL 70000 are assigned consecutively in ascending order for trailers. In December 2025, the highest numbers were in the FL 68200 range. As of June 30, 2025, a total of 4,163 trailers, semi-trailers, and caravans were registered in Liechtenstein. FL 70001 to FL 89999 A purpose has not yet been defined. FL 90000 to FL 92999 are numbers for temporary vehicle registration plates. FL 93000 to FL 94999 A purpose has not yet been defined. FL 95000 to FL 95099 are numbers for temporary trailer registration plates. FL 95100 to FL 99999 A purpose has not yet been defined.
Dimensions
The license plates have the following formats, with the corners rounded with a radius of 1 cm: 500 × 110 mm are the dimensions of rectangular (long) rear license plates since 1987. 300 × 160 mm are the dimensions of square (high) rear license plates since 1972.