Vehicle registration plates of Colombia

Colombia requires its residents to register their motor vehicles and display vehicle registration plates. The current plate design was introduced in the 1990s, but some of the previous 1972 through 1990 design remain in use. The current regular system uses black on yellow plates.

All vehicles are required to display plates, one on the front and one on the back. Peculiarly, in Colombia, commercial vehicles are also required to display plates on the sides. Those plates have a white background. This is usually done not with actual metal plates, but by a large decal of the license plate. This practice can also be found on taxis in neighboring Panama and Peru, but in Colombia all commercial vehicles and public transport vehicles must display them.

Plates use ABC-123 format, with the issuing city or department beneath.The initial prefix indicates the original region of registration.

Current plate types CategoryImageTypeColorsSerial formatLegendsEnglishSpanishPassengerPrivateParticularblack on yellow ABC·123The municipality of issuance is embossed at the bottom of the plate.

Plates issued in Bogotá until 1991 read "BOGOTA D.E." for Distrito Especial (Special District). In 1991 the city's name was changed to Santa Fé de Bogotá and plates began to read "STFE DE BOGOTA." In 2000 the city's name was changed yet again Bogotá, D.C. and those issued since read "BOGOTA D.C.". As of 2017 plates that say "BOGOTA D.E." are becoming quite rare and somewhat of a collector's item. Santa Fe plates are still somewhat common but are beginning to go the same way. CommercialComercialblack on whiteNon-passengerOfficialOficialwhite on greenOAB·123Antique carAuto antiguoblack on white with vertical blue stripes at left and right and blue graphic of an antique car at centerABC·123"ANTIGUO" is screened at the top of the plate and the municipality of issuance is embossed at the bottom of the plate.MotorcycleMotocicletablack on yellowABC·12F (current);ABC·12 without letter and A to E (previous, still in use)."COLOMBIA" is embossed at the bottom of the plate.Auto rickshaw privateMototaxi privadoblack on yellow123·ABCAuto rickshaw commercialMototaxi commercialblack on white123·ABCTrailerRemolquewhite on greenR·12345Tank truckCarrotanquewhite on redT·1234DiplomaticConsular corpsCuerpo consularwhite on blueCC·1234Diplomatic corpsCuerpo diplomáticoA-Z country initials ·123 FE-SchriftInternational organizationOrganización internacionalOI·1234Non-diplomatic staffServicio Administrativo y TécnicoAT·1234Armed ForcesColombian Air ForceFuerza Aérea Colombianayellow on blackFAC123456National PolicePolicía Nacionalgreen on white12-3456"COLOMBIA" is screened at the top of the plate and "POLICIA NACIONAL" is screened at the bottom of the plate.

Previous plate types CategoryImageTypeYearsColorsSerial formatLegendsEnglishSpanishPassengerPrivateParticular1972-1990white on black 1234"COLOMBIA" is embossed at the bottom of the plateCommercialComercialwhite on purpleNon-passengerOfficialOficialyellow on black 1234

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