Ireland license plates
Format, region codes and a plate generator for Ireland.
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Custom text: real plates never carry this combination.
This image is not a license plate: it must not be fitted to a vehicle and does not mean the combination is available.
How to read the plate
An Irish plate reads like 201-D-9024: the registration year, then a one- or two-letter county code and a sequence number of up to six digits. Since 2013 the year has three digits, the third marking the half-year (1 for January–June, 2 for July–December). The county name in Irish must appear above the number, e.g. BAILE ÁTHA CLIATH for Dublin. The code reflects the place of first registration in Ireland and does not change when the owner moves. On the left is the blue EU band with IRL.
Region map
Click a region to see its codes.
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Region codes
26 regions| Region | Code |
|---|---|
| County Cork | |
| County Clare | |
| County Cavan | |
| County Carlow | |
| County Dublin | |
| County Donegal | |
| County Galway | |
| County Kildare | |
| County Kilkenny | |
| County Kerry | |
| County Limerick The council was abolished in a 2014 merger; the code is no longer issued and the county's common code is used instead. | |
| County Longford | |
| County Louth | |
| County Leitrim | |
| County Laois | |
| County Meath | |
| County Monaghan | |
| County Mayo | |
| County Offaly | |
| County Roscommon | |
| County Sligo | |
| County Tipperary The council was abolished in a 2014 merger; the code is no longer issued and the county's common code is used instead. | |
| County Waterford The council was abolished in a 2014 merger; the code is no longer issued and the county's common code is used instead. | |
| County Westmeath | |
| County Wicklow | |
| County Wexford |
History
The current format dates from 1987; until 2013 the year had two digits. Before 1987 two- and three-letter codes containing I or Z were used (ZI, ZV, IK for Dublin), shared with Northern Ireland until 1922. In 2014, after council mergers, the codes LK, TN, TS and WD gave way to the common L (Limerick), T (Tipperary) and W (Waterford); previously L and W had meant the cities only.