Nearly 7 million German vehicles carry reactivated 'homeland' license plates, study finds
A Heilbronn University study finds nearly 7 million vehicles registered with 336 reactivated regional license plates since 2012, as the Bundesrat pushes to expand the scheme to more municipalities.
Nationwide adoption
Since 2012, German districts and independent cities have been permitted to allow additional letter combinations as location codes on vehicle license plates. A count recently presented by Heilbronn University, drawing on data from the Federal Motor Transport Authority (Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt), shows that nearly 7 million cars, motorcycles and trailers nationwide have since been registered with 336 reactivated "Heimatkennzeichen" (homeland plates). Germany has approximately 59 million registered vehicles in total, carrying around 800 different location codes.
The most frequently issued reactivated plate nationwide is MO for Moers, with roughly 128,000 registrations. MY for Mayen, in Rhineland-Palatinate, ranks third nationally with 96,217 registrations.
- MO (Moers)
- 128000 registrations
- MY (Mayen)
- 96217 registrations
- GN (Gelnhausen)
- 78226 registrations
- DI (Dieburg)
- 73200 registrations
- HU (Hanau)
- 57299 registrations
- BIN (Bingen)
- 34733 registrations
- BKD (Bernkastel-Kues)
- 28795 registrations
Regional breakdowns
In Hesse, about 587,400 vehicles have been registered with reactivated homeland plates since 2012. The leader is GN for Gelnhausen with 78,226 registrations, followed by DI for Dieburg (73,200) and HU for Hanau (57,299). Thousands of plates were also issued for WZ (Wetzlar), SWA (Bad Schwalbach) and WA (Waldeck). Other reactivated Hessian codes include BÜD for Büdingen, SLÜ for Schlüchtern and ZIG for Ziegenhain.
In Rhineland-Palatinate, around 266,400 vehicles carry homeland plates. MY for Mayen leads with 96,217 registrations, followed by BIN for Bingen am Rhein (34,733) and BKD for Bernkastel-Kues (28,795). PRÜ for Prüm, DIZ for Diez and ROK for Rockenhausen were also issued in the thousands. Additional codes in the state include SAB for Saarburg, GOA for Sankt Goar and ZW for Zweibrücken.
In Lower Saxony, the most sought-after codes include OHA for Osterode am Harz, NOR for Norden and BRV for Bremervörde. Other reactivated plates in the state include RI for Rinteln in the district of Schaumburg, SY for Syke in the district of Diepholz, and EIN for Einbeck in the district of Northeim.
Identity on a plate
Study author Ralf Bochert of Heilbronn University says the reactivated plates resonate with citizens on a personal level. The reintroduced codes are typically old designations abolished during territorial reforms. Beyond the states already mentioned, reactivated codes also include TP for Templin in Brandenburg and SLG for Saulgau in Baden-Württemberg.
Precisely through the license plate and the individuality associated with it, there is an identity reference that is important to many people.
Reform push by the Bundesrat
The Bundesrat has called for an expansion of the system. On the initiative of Hesse and Lower Saxony, the Länderkammer decided that municipalities with at least 20,000 inhabitants should be allowed to issue their own license plates. The proposal has been forwarded to the federal government for implementation. Whether and when the government will adopt it remains unknown.
Under current rules, reintroducing an old code required establishing a new independent vehicle registration district. The Bundesrat's proposal would remove that requirement, making it easier for smaller municipalities to reclaim their historical plates.
The study by Heilbronn University draws on data from the Kraftfahrt-Bundesamt and documents sustained interest in the reintroduction of former location codes across many regions since 2012.
