How to distinguish between the letter l and the number 1 on a license plate?
2 Answers
There is no need to distinguish between the letter l and the number 1 on a license plate, because the letter l is not allowed when applying for a license plate in China. The license plate numbers you see only contain the number 1. According to relevant regulations, easily confused letters such as l and o are not used in license plates, which means there will be no license plates with the letters l or o in the middle across the country. A license plate refers to the vehicle plate, which is a panel hung on the front and rear of the vehicle, usually made of aluminum, plastic, or stickers. The plate displays the vehicle's registration number, registration area, or other basic information. The license plate serves as a unique identifier for each vehicle, and its main purpose is to identify the province, city, or county to which the vehicle belongs. The vehicle management office can trace the owner of the vehicle through the license plate.
I've been driving for over a decade and often notice blurry license plates when parking roadside, especially the lowercase 'l' and the number '1'. At first, I was quite confused too, but later I realized the viewing angle is crucial. In good lighting, the lowercase 'l' has a small hook at the bottom, like a tail curling slightly, whereas the number '1' has a straight, solid base, standing firmly like a pillar. License plate characters are actually grouped—most countries arrange letters first followed by numbers, so 'l' usually appears in the letter section and '1' in the number section. Context helps you make an educated guess. Misreading them could cause trouble for the police or cameras, like issuing a ticket to the wrong person. I always remind myself to take my time distinguishing them—no rush. It's best to stop and use a phone to zoom in for confirmation. Safety comes first, so a small mistake doesn’t lead to big problems.
