What does a Hong Kong license plate start with?
3 Answers
Hong Kong license plates are white in the front and yellow at the back. Here are the similarities between Hong Kong license plates and mainland license plates: 1. Certain numbers or English letters cannot appear on the license plate. 2. Hong Kong plates are more complex; they cannot start with '0' because some plates do not have English letters, while others do not have numbers. 3. To avoid confusion with the numbers '1' and '0', the letters 'I', 'O', and 'Q' are not used. Below is an introduction to how different letters on Hong Kong license plates distinguish vehicle attributes: 1. General civilian vehicles: The registration number usually consists of two English letters followed by a set of 1 to 4 digits (1-9999), such as HK-9999. 2. Government/special vehicles: Hong Kong government vehicles do not have letters or numbers on their license plates, nor any registration number; instead, they display the emblem of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.
I've been driving for decades. Hong Kong license plates usually start with one or two letters. For example, private cars often begin with the 'AB' series, while government vehicles start with 'AM', standing for 'Administration Motor', indicating they belong to government departments. Vehicles from mainland China begin with 'FV', meaning 'Frontier Vehicle'. This initial system helps you quickly identify vehicle types, such as police cars or ambulances, which also fall under the 'AM' category – when you see them on the road, remember to give way. The starting letters aren't fixed; as registration numbers increase, the series changes, progressing from 'A' to 'Z' and then combining with numbers. Additionally, personalized plates allow you to choose your own starting letters, like 'VIP' or 'LOVE', but they must be obtained through auctions and can be quite expensive. Understanding these initial letters is crucial for safe driving, such as avoiding government vehicle zones on highways and preventing violations. Hong Kong's license plate system is well-designed to help regulate traffic flow, and I often advise newcomers to pay attention to this detail.
As a young car owner, when I first bought my car last year, the license plate started with 'AC' randomly assigned, without any special meaning—it was just issued in registration order. The Hong Kong license plate system uses English letters at the beginning, with ordinary cars starting with 'AB,' 'AD,' etc., while mainland vehicles are fixed with 'FV' at the start, indicating they come from the mainland. If you want a personalized plate, you can spend a significant amount at the Transport Department auction to choose the starting letters, such as 'GOLD' to represent wealth. The starting letters can also reflect vehicle attributes, such as electric vehicles following the same rules. On the road, I often notice cars with different starting letters—'AM' indicates government vehicles, reminding me not to follow too closely. Understanding these can help with daily driving, such as entering the starting characters on the official website when checking license plate information to quickly learn about the vehicle's condition. Overall, Hong Kong license plate beginnings are simple and practical, with a transparent allocation method that even beginners can easily grasp.
