In Taiwan, all motor vehicles are required to register and display vehicle registration plates issued and managed by the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MoTC). The plates feature combinations of Latin alphabet (A to Z), Arabic numerals (0 to 9) and dashes (–). Certain special types also incorporate Chinese characters. Unique license plates are issued for imported cars.
Types of number plates Taiwan's current number plate system utilizes Latin letters and Arabic numerals. The various types of number plates include: Ordinary vehicles Temporary or testing Special usageNo.NameChineseNo.NameChineseNo.NameChinese1Plate of heavy vehicles6Temporary plate of vehicles11Plate of embassies2Plate of light vehicles7Temporary plate of motorcycles12Plate of consulates3Plate of heavy-duty motorcycles8Temporary plate of trailers13Plate of foreign affairs4Plate of light-duty motorcycles9Testing plate of vehicles14Plate of power machines5Plate of trailers10Testing plate of motorcycles Note: The plates for military vehicles and agricultural machines are not managed by the MoTC. Until 1 January 2007, plates were identified as having been issued under the jurisdiction of either Taiwan Province, Taipei City, Kaohsiung City, Kinmen County or Lienchiang County. Since that time, the legends identifying the place of issuance have been removed— plates display only registration numbers— but the plates are still issued separately by each jurisdiction. 1992-Series License Plate is similar to North American plates: The size () and the format. However it used "Mexico Mode" rather than "US Mode": There is one national numbering system, such that serials are not duplicated in multiple jurisdictions. In Taipei City "AD-3608" is issued but, the other four jurisdiction would not issue the "AD-3608" style anymore. This prevents the problem that two or more jurisdictions would have "AD-3608". License Plate Scanning and Identifying Systems in Taiwan also ignore it. There is a rule for numbering of different jurisdictions, such as "XY-****" can only be issued by Kaohsiung City, "WZ-****" can only be issued by Lienchiang County.
On 17 December 2012, the Taiwanese government started issuing new registration plates. The main changes included adding an additional digit and enhancing the security features of the plate. Additionally, the numeral 4 is no longer used, as it is considered unlucky.
Light vehicles A light vehicle in Taiwan is defined as a motor vehicle with a permissible maximum weight not exceeding , and no more than nine seats, including the driver's seat. The plate patterns and their corresponding classes are as follows: Pattern 1Pattern 2ClassNotesABC-5678AB-0001 0001-ABOrdinary light vehiclesPrivate cars or light trucks not used for commercial usesEBC-5678Ordinary light electrical vehiclesPrivate electric cars or light trucks not for commercial uses. These plates have green ridges on the top and bottom sides, with white text "" on the top side.RAA-5678AA-6688 8866-AARental light vehiclesCars or light trucks intended for rental use.REA-5678Rental light electrical vehiclesElectric cars or light trucks for rental use featuring green ridges on the top and bottom sides, with white words "" on the top side.WAB-5678Ordinary light vehicles for disabled peoplePrivate cars for disabled peopleWEA-5678Ordinary lightelectrical vehicles for disabled peoplePrivate electrical cars for disabled people. This kind of plate has green ridges on the top and bottom sides, with white words "" on the top side.TBC-567 TDA-5678YA-001 001-YABusiness light passenger vehiclesTaxisETC-567 EAM-5678Electrical business light passenger vehiclesElectrical taxis. This kind of plate has green ridges on the top and bottom sides, with white words "" on the top side.QAB-123 KPA-5678HA-001 001-HABusiness light trucksSmall trucks and cargo vehicles for commercial uses. The same pattern is also applied to heavy trucks.
Heavy vehicles The definition of a heavy vehicle in Taiwan is a motor vehicle having a permissible maximum weight exceeding and/or more than nine seats, including the driver's seat. Pattern 1Pattern 2ClassNotesPAA-567 KJA-5678TA-001 001-SAOrdinary heavy passenger vehiclesPrivate buses not for commercial usesAAA-123 KEA-5678Ordinary heavy trucksPrivate heavy trucks not for commercial usesCA-123 HAA-5678SA-01 01-SAOrdinary trailersCoupling with a truck.KAA-123 KAA-5678 JYA-567 PSA-5678AA-001 001-AA DD-001 001-PPBusiness heavy passenger vehiclesTour busesFAB-123 KKA-5678AB-001 001-ABBusiness heavy passenger vehiclesHighway buses and city busesLAA-123 KLA-5678 HAA-567HA-001 001-HABusiness heavy trucksLarge trucks, cargo vehicles for commercial uses. The same pattern is also applied to light trucks.XA-123 HBA-5678XA-01 01-XABusiness trailersCoupling with a truck.EAA-123 EAL-5678168-FNElectrical heavy passenger vehiclesElectrical buses for commercial or private uses. This kind of plate has green ridges on the top and bottom sides, with white words "" on the top side.
Motorcycles Pattern 1Pattern 2ClassNotesAB-123 LGA-1001AA-01Large heavy-duty motorcycleMotorcycles with a cubic capacity exceeding , or electric motorcycles with power more than .LAB-5678001-AAALarge heavy-duty motorcycleMotorcycles with a cubic capacity between , or electric motorcycles with power between .MAB-5678AAA-001 001-HAAOrdinary heavy-duty motorcycleMotorcycles with a cubic capacity between , or electric motorcycles with power between .QAA-5678TAA-001 001-TAAOrdinary light-duty motorcycleMotorcycles with a cubic capacity not exceeding , or electric motorcycles with power between , or electric motorcycles with power not exceeding and top speed more than .SAA-5678AAA-001 001-AAASmall light-duty motorcycleElectric motorcycles with power not exceeding and the fastest speed not exceeding .
Special use plates
PatternClassNotes使 001 外 0001 外 0151Diplomatic vehicleFor vehicles belonging to the foreign diplomatic missions in Taiwan.軍A-00001Military vehicleFor military uses.臨A00001 機臨10001Temporary platePrinted on paper, for a vehicles before registration, or vehicles transiting the territory of Taiwan.試0001 試A0001 試S0001TestingFor testing recently manufactured or imported vehicles.機械ZA-01Large heavy power machinesFor power machines weighing more than 75 tons.機械MA-01Heavy power machinesFor power machines weighing between 42 and 75 tons.機械AA-01Ordinary power machinesFor power machines weighing less than 42 tons.A1-0001Agricultural machinesMachines for agricultural uses.
Banned combinations of characters on registration plates The following table shows the status of the ban on certain combinations of letters and numbers on vehicle registration plates currently in circulation (bold text indicates that the combination has been banned).
Type1992 [Out of I/O with number (example：I2-0001)]2012/2014 [Out for I/O/4]PossibleProfanity*-G8 (生殖器) 註：G8-*未禁用, FOP (愚蠢), FUC, FUG, FUK, FUQ, FUT (Fuck), BC (白痴), FK (Fuck)AGG, AGY (生殖器), ASS (屁股)TMD (他媽的), WTF (What the fuck)SexBJ (口交), BT (變態)SEX (性)AV (成人影片), GM (肛門), GT (龜頭), HC (花痴), LP (生殖器), MC (月經), ML (做愛), SJ (射精), SL (色狼), SM (虐戀), TT (保險套), YD (陰道), YJ (陰莖)Gender, occupation and disability discriminationIQO (同IQ0，沒智商), SEX (性), TIT (乳房)GAY (同志), ASD (自閉症)BRA (女性內衣), NUN (修女, 比丘尼), SJB (神經病)Country or political party abbreviationKMT-* (國民黨) 註：*-KMT未禁用, PRC (中華人民共和國) 註：*-PRC未禁用, ROK (大韓民國) NP (新黨)KMT (國民黨), DPP (民進黨), FTP (自由台灣黨) MKT (民國黨), CPA (國會政黨聯盟), YSP (青年陽光黨), PDF (人民民主黨), TSP (台灣基進黨), SDP (社會民主黨), FHL (信心希望聯盟)CCP (中國共產黨), GPT (綠黨), NPP (時代力量), PFP (親民黨), TSU (台灣團結聯盟), PKK (庫德工人黨)Intelligence agencyFBI (美國聯邦調查局), GPU (俄羅斯聯邦國家政治保衛局)(無)KGB (俄羅斯聯邦國家安全委員會)RacismFOE (敵人), GOD (神)KKK (3K黨)HEZ (真主黨), NAZ (納粹)AnimalFOX (狐狸), HOG, PIG(豬), PUG (哈巴狗), PUP (小動物)ANT (螞蟻), APE (猿)BUG (蟲子), CAT (貓), DOG (狗)OtherIO, OI (Similar to the all-numeric format of the fifth generation.), AC (閩南語：會死),
LIE (騙子), SLY (奸詐), SON (兒子), SOS (求救訊號), 原因不明：POW (Prisoner of war), SDXASS (屁股), BAD (糟糕), MAD (瘋子), SAD (傷心), FAT (肥胖)BUM (無賴), CKK (死翹翹), LKK (老扣扣), RIP (息止安所), BC (白痴), CD (閩南語：死豬), FK (接近髒話fuck), JC, JS (閩南語：擠死), KC, KS (閩南語：氣死), MP (沒品), WC (廁所), ZT (豬頭), DIE-911 (影射911事件)
References
External links
License plate rules of the issuing office in Taipei City