Answers to questions about identification plates

What is a license plate? Answers to questions about license plates. Please refer to the article below.

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1. What is a license plate number?

According to Clause 3, Article 3 of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA, vehicle license plates are issued and managed according to the vehicle owner's identification code (hereinafter referred to as identification license plates).

Identification license plate is a license plate with symbols, license plate series, size of letters and numbers, and license plate color according to regulations in Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA.

In addition, Clause 4 and Clause 5, Article 3 of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA stipulates the issuance and management of license plates according to the vehicle owner's identification code as follows:

- For vehicle owners who are Vietnamese citizens, the license plate is managed according to the personal identification number.

- For foreign vehicle owners, the license plate is managed according to the foreigner's identification number established by the electronic identification and authentication system or the permanent residence card number, temporary residence card number or other identity card number issued by a competent authority.

2. Is the license plate number the same as the personal identification number?

* According to Clause 3, Article 3 of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA, an identification license plate is a license plate with symbols, license plate series, size of letters and numbers, and license plate color according to the provisions of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA.

For example, according to Clause 4, Article 37 of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA, motorcycles are granted license plates attached to the rear of the vehicle, with dimensions: Height 140 mm, length 190 mm, specifically as follows:

- Arrangement of letters and numbers on motorcycle license plates of domestic agencies, organizations and individuals:

+ The first group of numbers is the vehicle registration locality code and registration series.

+ The second group of numbers is the vehicle registration order consisting of 05 natural numbers, from 000.01 to 999.99;

- Arrangement of letters and numbers on license plates of foreign organizations and individuals: The first group is the symbol of the locality where the vehicle is registered, the second group is the symbol of the name of the country, territory, or international organization of the vehicle owner, the third group is the registration series, and the fourth group is the vehicle registration order consisting of 3 natural numbers from 001 to 999.

* According to Article 13 of Decree 137/2015/ND-CP, the personal identification number is a natural number sequence of 12 digits, structured with 6 digits: the century code, gender code, year of birth code of the citizen, code of the province, centrally-run city or country code where the citizen registered for birth and 6 digits is a random number range.

Thus, the identification number plate is not a plate with a series of numbers like the vehicle owner's personal identification number, but is only issued and managed according to the vehicle owner's identification code.

3. Duration of retaining the identification plate when transferring vehicle ownership

According to Clause 7, Article 3 of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA, in case the vehicle expires, is damaged or ownership is transferred, the vehicle owner's identification plate will be revoked by the vehicle registration authority and reissued when the vehicle owner registers another vehicle under his/her ownership.

The identification number is retained for the vehicle owner for a period of 05 years from the date of revocation; after the above period, if the vehicle owner has not registered, the identification number will be transferred to the license plate warehouse for registration and issuance to organizations and individuals according to regulations.

4. If I move to another province, do I need to change my license plate number?

In case the vehicle owner changes his/her headquarters or residence from one province or centrally-run city to another, he/she can keep the identification number plate (no need to change the vehicle number plate).

Thus, according to the above regulations, when changing residence from one province or centrally run city to another, the identification number plate can be retained.

(According to Clause 8, Article 3, Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA)

5. Time limit for issuance and re-issuance of identification plates

According to Clause 3 and Clause 4, Article 7 of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA, the time limit for granting and re-granting identification plates is as follows:

- First time license plate issuance: Issued immediately after receiving valid vehicle registration application.

- Issuing and changing license plates, reissuing license plates, issuing license plates for auctioned vehicles, reissuing identification license plates: No more than 07 working days from the date of receiving complete and valid documents.

6. Does the current 5-digit license plate need to be changed to an identification plate?

According to Clause 1 and Clause 2, Article 39 of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA, the regulations for 05-digit license plates are as follows:

- For vehicles registered with 5-digit license plates before August 15, 2023 but have not completed the revocation procedure, that license plate number will be determined as the vehicle owner's identification license plate number.

- For vehicles registered with 5-digit license plates, if the vehicle owner has completed the revocation procedure before August 15, 2023, the license plate number will be transferred to the license plate warehouse to issue a new license plate according to regulations.

Cases requiring revocation of vehicle registration certificates and license plates before August 15, 2023 according to Article 15 of Circular 58/2020/TT-BCA are as follows:

- The vehicle is broken and unusable or the vehicle is destroyed due to objective reasons.

- Vehicle engine and frame removed to replace with another vehicle.

- Temporarily imported vehicles of foreign agencies, organizations and individuals for re-export or transfer in Vietnam.

- The car is exempt from import tax, now transferred to another purpose.

- Vehicles registered in special economic -commercial zones or international border economic zones according to Government regulations when re-exported or transferred into Vietnam.

- The vehicle was stolen or misappropriated and cannot be found. The vehicle owner requests to revoke the vehicle registration certificate.

- Vehicles that have expired; vehicles that are not allowed to be circulated according to the provisions of law; vehicles with conclusions from competent authorities that have had their engine number, chassis number, or engine number or chassis number cut, welded, or re-punched.

- The vehicle has been registered but does not have the correct license plate system as prescribed in Circular 58/2020/TT-BCA.

- Vehicle is subject to transfer of ownership.

- Military vehicles no longer need civilian license plates.

- The vehicle has been registered but the vehicle documents are found to be fake or the license plate is issued incorrectly.

Thus, for vehicles registered with 5-digit license plates before August 15, 2023 but have not completed the revocation procedure, that license plate number will be determined as the vehicle owner's identification license plate number.

7. Do 3 and 4-digit license plates need to be changed to identification plates?

According to Clause 4, Article 39 of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA, vehicles that have registered with 3 or 4-digit license plates are allowed to continue to participate in traffic, except in cases where the vehicle owner needs to change to an identification license plate or when the vehicle owner carries out procedures to issue a new vehicle registration certificate, change the license plate, reissue the vehicle registration certificate, reissue the license plate or register a name change or move the vehicle according to the provisions of Circular 24/2023/TT-BCA, then the 3 or 4-digit license plate will be revoked and changed to an identification license plate according to the regulations.

Thus, vehicles registered with 3 or 4-digit license plates are allowed to continue participating in traffic and only change to identification plates if they fall into one of the following cases:

- Vehicle owners need to transfer identification number plates;

- When the vehicle owner carries out procedures to issue or change the vehicle registration certificate, issue or change the license plate, reissue the vehicle registration certificate, reissue the license plate or register to transfer the ownership or move the vehicle.