How do I type a Chinese plate prefix if I cannot type characters?

Type the pinyin instead. The box accepts “yue B” as readily as 粤B, and tone marks are optional.

What does the letter mean?

It is the office that issued the plate, not a district of the city. A goes to the seat of the provincial government in nearly every case.

Does the colour change what the prefix means?

No. The characters say where the vehicle was registered and the colour says what kind of vehicle it is; the two are independent.

沪DECODER

Chinese plate decoder: what the prefix on that plate means

476 prefixes across 33 provinces and municipalities. Type what you can see — the characters, or the pinyin if your keyboard has no Chinese — and read back the place, the issuing city and the colour rules.

Plate prefix

The first one or two characters of the plate. A lone province character lists every letter it issues.

The decoder box needs JavaScript. Every prefix is in the table below.

The colours

What each plate colour licenses.
Colour	Vehicles	In use since	Note
Blue (white characters)	Ordinary small vehicles: cars under 6 m long carrying nine people or fewer, light goods vehicles under 4.5 t, and mopeds (light motorcycles).	1992	The default plate and the one most people picture. Introduced with the 1992 series, trialled in Ürümqi and Daqing and rolled out nationwide from July 1994. Since 1 November 2007 blue plates are also issued to foreign-owned cars, which previously took black ones. The hex value is an approximation for screen use. GA 36-2018 defines plate colours by chromaticity coordinates and luminance factor, not by an RGB value, and printed and reflective plates vary.
Yellow (black characters)	Large vehicles: cars over 6 m long or carrying more than nine people, goods vehicles over 4.5 t, trailers, ordinary motorcycles above 50 cc, driving-school and test vehicles, low-speed and farm vehicles.	1992	Size, not fuel, decides the colour: a stretched limousine over 6 m wears a yellow plate and needs an A1 licence to drive. Learner cars add 学, test vehicles 试 and trailers 挂 as the final character. Large vehicles also carry an enlarged repeat of the number painted on the rear. The hex value is an approximation for screen use. GA 36-2018 defines plate colours by chromaticity coordinates and luminance factor, not by an RGB value, and printed and reflective plates vary.
Gradient green (black characters)	Small new-energy vehicles — battery-electric, plug-in hybrid and fuel-cell cars within the small-vehicle size limits.	1 December 2016	Piloted from 1 December 2016 in Shanghai, Nanjing, Wuxi, Jinan and Shenzhen; extended to twelve more cities including Baoding, Changchun, Fuzhou, Qingdao, Zhengzhou, Zhongshan, Liuzhou, Chongqing, Chengdu and Kunming from 20 November 2017; 107 cities across all 31 provincial-level divisions by the end of December 2017; nationwide in the first half of 2018. The design shades from near-white at the top to leaf green at the bottom and carries a green roundel with a plug and a stylised E. The first issued plates were 苏A·D09999 (Nanjing), 苏B·D00100 (Wuxi), 沪A·D00806 (Shanghai), 粤B·F03030 (Shenzhen) and 鲁A·D11111 (Jinan). The hex value is an approximation for screen use. GA 36-2018 defines plate colours by chromaticity coordinates and luminance factor, not by an RGB value, and printed and reflective plates vary.
Yellow-and-green split (black characters)	Large new-energy vehicles — electric and other new-energy buses, coaches and heavy goods vehicles.	1 December 2016	Two blocks of colour, not a gradient: the province character and issuing letter sit on yellow, the six-character number on green. It marks a vehicle that is both large and new-energy, so it reads as the yellow plate and the green plate at once. The hex value is an approximation for screen use. GA 36-2018 defines plate colours by chromaticity coordinates and luminance factor, not by an RGB value, and printed and reflective plates vary.
Black (white characters)	Historically foreign-owned cars and vehicles of joint ventures and foreign-invested firms; today embassy (使) and consular (领) plates, and Hong Kong and Macau cross-border plates (粤Z … 港 / 澳).	not published	Black plates stopped being issued to foreigners and foreign-invested companies on 1 November 2007 — the scheme was judged discriminatory and those cars now take ordinary blue plates, though some provinces still issue them a distinct number block. Existing black plates were not recalled. Diplomatic and cross-border plates were not affected and are still black. The hex value is an approximation for screen use. GA 36-2018 defines plate colours by chromaticity coordinates and luminance factor, not by an RGB value, and printed and reflective plates vary.
White (black characters, red device)	People's Police vehicles (red 警), People's Armed Police (red WJ), People's Liberation Army vehicles (red unit letter), and the national fire and rescue service (red 应急 on the front plate).	not published	White is the state-service ground. Police plates carry a red 警 as the last character; armed-police plates open with a red WJ; military plates carry a red prefix letter. Fire and rescue plates, in use since December 2018, adopted the new-energy plate's 480 × 140 mm size and typeface with 应急 ('emergency') at the end. The hex value is an approximation for screen use. GA 36-2018 defines plate colours by chromaticity coordinates and luminance factor, not by an RGB value, and printed and reflective plates vary.
Green, solid (white characters)	Tractors and farm machinery, and vehicles that work inside a fixed site — factories, scenic areas, ports and airports.	not published	A separate solid green, not the new-energy gradient, and easy to confuse with it in photographs. Airport ground vehicles carry 民航 ('civil aviation') where the province character would be; port vehicles carry the port's name. These plates do not license a vehicle for ordinary public roads. The hex value is an approximation for screen use. GA 36-2018 defines plate colours by chromaticity coordinates and luminance factor, not by an RGB value, and printed and reflective plates vary.

Every prefix

Province character and issuing letter, with the city behind it.
Prefix	Said as	City	Province or municipality	Note
京A	Jīng A	Beijing — city districts	Beijing	The oldest series: ordinary city registrations, central-government and foreign-institution cars, city buses, and small new-energy cars. The 京A·A block was reopened to ordinary vehicles in January 2018. 京A is also the motorcycle series allowed inside the 4th Ring Road; no new 京A motorcycle plates are issued, though existing ones may be transferred.
京B	Jīng B	Beijing — taxis	Beijing	Taxi series for cars. 京B is also the suburban motorcycle series, which may not enter the 4th Ring Road; 京B three-wheelers are additionally barred from inside the 6th Ring Road.
京C	Jīng C	Beijing — city districts	Beijing	Ordinary city registrations. 京C is also the series for the electric cargo tricycles used by postal, parks and sanitation services, allowed on city roads under a rule in force from 1 November 2023.
京D	Jīng D	Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau	Beijing	Police series (civilian-numbered).
京E	Jīng E	Beijing — city districts	Beijing
京F	Jīng F	Beijing — city districts	Beijing
京G	Jīng G	Beijing — outer suburbs	Beijing	Outer-suburban series; no longer issued. New registrations in those districts use ordinary city series instead.
京H	Jīng H	Beijing — city districts	Beijing
京J	Jīng J	Beijing — city districts	Beijing
京K	Jīng K	Beijing — city districts	Beijing
京L	Jīng L	Beijing — city districts	Beijing	京L·B and 京L·C blocks are used for foreign-owned and foreign-company vehicles.
京M	Jīng M	Beijing — city districts	Beijing
京N	Jīng N	Beijing — city districts	Beijing
京P	Jīng P	Beijing — city districts	Beijing	First issued in 2008 to vehicles working on the Beijing Olympic Games, later opened to ordinary registrations.
京Q	Jīng Q	Beijing — city districts	Beijing
京R	Jīng R	Beijing — temporary plates	Beijing
京S	Jīng S	Beijing — temporary plates	Beijing
京T	Jīng T	Beijing — temporary plates	Beijing
京U	Jīng U	Beijing — temporary plates	Beijing
京V	Jīng V	Central Guard Bureau and units directly under the central military authorities	Beijing
京W	Jīng W	Beijing — temporary plates	Beijing
京X	Jīng X	Beijing — temporary plates	Beijing
京Y	Jīng Y	Beijing — outer suburbs	Beijing	Outer-suburban series; no longer issued.
京Z	Jīng Z	Beijing — temporary plates	Beijing
京O	Jīng O	Beijing Municipal Public Security Bureau (historic)	Beijing	京O was the capital's public-security block and the most recognised of all the O series; it is no longer issued for ordinary police use, and Beijing police registrations now run on 京D and on the white 警 plate. unconfirmed: the exact date 京O closed to new issues.
津A	Jīn A	Tianjin — buses, police and new-energy cars	Tianjin	The 津A block covers city buses, police vehicles and small new-energy cars; within it 津AE is used for battery-electric taxis and 津AFT for other new-energy taxis.
津B	Jīn B	Tianjin	Tianjin
津C	Jīn C	Tianjin	Tianjin
津D	Jīn D	Tianjin	Tianjin
津E	Jīn E	Tianjin — taxis	Tianjin
津F	Jīn F	Tianjin	Tianjin
津G	Jīn G	Tianjin	Tianjin
津H	Jīn H	Tianjin	Tianjin
津J	Jīn J	Tianjin	Tianjin
津K	Jīn K	Tianjin	Tianjin
津L	Jīn L	Tianjin	Tianjin
津M	Jīn M	Tianjin	Tianjin
津N	Jīn N	Tianjin	Tianjin
津Q	Jīn Q	Tianjin	Tianjin
津R	Jīn R	Tianjin	Tianjin
津O	Jīn O	Tianjin — public-security series	Tianjin	unconfirmed: English Wikipedia lists 津O as a Ministry of Public Security series; the Chinese article's Tianjin table does not list it. Treat as historic until a public-security notice confirms it.
津P	Jīn P	Tianjin	Tianjin	unconfirmed: English Wikipedia includes 津P among the general Tianjin series; the Chinese article does not list it.
冀A	Jì A	Shijiazhuang	Hebei	冀AZ is the taxi block.
冀B	Jì B	Tangshan	Hebei	冀BT is the taxi block.
冀C	Jì C	Qinhuangdao	Hebei
冀D	Jì D	Handan	Hebei
冀E	Jì E	Xingtai	Hebei
冀F	Jì F	Baoding	Hebei
冀G	Jì G	Zhangjiakou	Hebei
冀H	Jì H	Chengde	Hebei
冀J	Jì J	Cangzhou	Hebei
冀K	Jì K	Handan Prefecture	Hebei	Allocated but never actually issued: the prefecture was merged into Handan city in 1993, before the 1992-series changeover reached it.
冀L	Jì L	Xingtai Prefecture	Hebei	Allocated but never actually issued; merged into Xingtai city in 1993.
冀M	Jì M	Shijiazhuang Prefecture	Hebei	Allocated but never actually issued; merged into Shijiazhuang city in 1993.
冀N	Jì N	Baoding Prefecture	Hebei	Issued only briefly in 1994; the prefecture merged into Baoding city in December of that year and the series lapsed.
冀O	Jì O	Hebei provincial agencies and foreign-invested vehicles	Hebei	Retired. Provinces once ran an O series as a special civilian-numbered block for public-security and government vehicles; the privileges attached to it drew steady public criticism and most provinces withdrew it between 2003 and 2019.
冀P	Jì P	Zhangjiakou Prefecture	Hebei	Allocated but never actually issued; merged into Zhangjiakou city in 1993.
冀Q	Jì Q	Chengde Prefecture	Hebei	Allocated but never actually issued; merged into Chengde city in 1993.
冀R	Jì R	Langfang	Hebei
冀S	Jì S	Cangzhou Prefecture	Hebei	Allocated but never actually issued; merged into Cangzhou city in 1993.
冀T	Jì T	Hengshui	Hebei
冀X	Jì X	Xiong'an New Area	Hebei	The newest provincial series, launched in 2023 for the new area south of Beijing. 冀X·DZ0000–DZ9999 are battery-electric taxis and FZ0000–FZ9999 other new-energy taxis.
晋A	Jìn A	Taiyuan	Shanxi
晋B	Jìn B	Datong	Shanxi
晋C	Jìn C	Yangquan	Shanxi
晋D	Jìn D	Changzhi	Shanxi	晋DT is the taxi block.
晋E	Jìn E	Jincheng	Shanxi
晋F	Jìn F	Shuozhou	Shanxi
晋G	Jìn G	Yanbei Prefecture	Shanxi	Allocated but never actually issued; the prefecture was split between Datong and Shuozhou in 1993, before the changeover reached it.
晋H	Jìn H	Xinzhou	Shanxi
晋J	Jìn J	Lüliang	Shanxi
晋K	Jìn K	Jinzhong	Shanxi
晋L	Jìn L	Linfen	Shanxi
晋M	Jìn M	Yuncheng	Shanxi
晋N	Jìn N	Foreign-invested vehicles	Shanxi	Retired.
晋O	Jìn O	Shanxi provincial public security	Shanxi	Police series.
蒙A	Měng A	Hohhot	Inner Mongolia	蒙A·Y0000–Y9999 is the taxi block and DY0000–DY9999 the new-energy taxi block.
蒙B	Měng B	Baotou	Inner Mongolia
蒙C	Měng C	Wuhai	Inner Mongolia
蒙D	Měng D	Chifeng	Inner Mongolia	蒙D·Y0000–Y9999 is the taxi block.
蒙E	Měng E	Hulunbuir	Inner Mongolia	Several blocks carry a Y for taxis.
蒙F	Měng F	Hinggan League	Inner Mongolia
蒙G	Měng G	Tongliao	Inner Mongolia
蒙H	Měng H	Xilingol League	Inner Mongolia
蒙J	Měng J	Ulanqab	Inner Mongolia
蒙K	Měng K	Ordos	Inner Mongolia
蒙L	Měng L	Bayannur	Inner Mongolia
蒙M	Měng M	Alxa League	Inner Mongolia
蒙O	Měng O	Inner Mongolia public security	Inner Mongolia	Police series; abolished in several cities and leagues from 2009 onwards.
辽A	Liáo A	Shenyang	Liaoning	Taxi blocks run EA000–EZ999, GA000–GZ999 and MA000–MZ999.
辽B	Liáo B	Dalian	Liaoning	辽BT is the taxi block.
辽C	Liáo C	Anshan	Liaoning
辽D	Liáo D	Fushun	Liaoning
辽E	Liáo E	Benxi	Liaoning
辽F	Liáo F	Dandong	Liaoning
辽G	Liáo G	Jinzhou	Liaoning
辽H	Liáo H	Yingkou	Liaoning
辽J	Liáo J	Fuxin	Liaoning
辽K	Liáo K	Liaoyang	Liaoning
辽L	Liáo L	Panjin	Liaoning
辽M	Liáo M	Tieling	Liaoning
辽N	Liáo N	Chaoyang	Liaoning
辽O	Liáo O	Liaoning public security and foreign-invested vehicles	Liaoning	Retired; English Wikipedia dates the phase-out to 2014.
辽P	Liáo P	Huludao	Liaoning
辽V	Liáo V	Liaoning provincial-government system	Liaoning
吉A	Jí A	Changchun	Jilin	吉AY and 吉AZ are the taxi blocks. On older plates the first digit after 吉A marked a county: 5 Yushu, 6 Nong'an, 7 Dehui, 8 Jiutai, 9 Shuangyang; new issues no longer keep that split.
吉B	Jí B	Jilin City	Jilin	吉B·T0000–T9999 and TA000–TZ999 are taxi blocks; DT0000–DT9999 are new-energy taxis.
吉C	Jí C	Siping	Jilin
吉D	Jí D	Liaoyuan	Jilin
吉E	Jí E	Tonghua	Jilin
吉F	Jí F	Baishan	Jilin
吉G	Jí G	Baicheng	Jilin
吉H	Jí H	Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture	Jilin
吉J	Jí J	Songyuan	Jilin
吉K	Jí K	Changbai Mountain Protection and Development Zone	Jilin
吉O	Jí O	Jilin public security and foreign-invested vehicles	Jilin	Retired.
黑A	Hēi A	Harbin	Heilongjiang	Several blocks are reserved for taxis, including 50000–59999, 90000–99999, C0000–C9999 and TA000–TZ999; DT0000–DT9999 are new-energy taxis.
黑B	Hēi B	Qiqihar	Heilongjiang
黑C	Hēi C	Mudanjiang	Heilongjiang
黑D	Hēi D	Jiamusi	Heilongjiang
黑E	Hēi E	Daqing	Heilongjiang
黑F	Hēi F	Yichun	Heilongjiang
黑G	Hēi G	Jixi	Heilongjiang
黑H	Hēi H	Hegang	Heilongjiang
黑J	Hēi J	Shuangyashan	Heilongjiang
黑K	Hēi K	Qitaihe	Heilongjiang
黑L	Hēi L	Harbin	Heilongjiang	Second Harbin series; it began as the plate of the former Songhuajiang Prefecture, which merged into Harbin in 1996.
黑M	Hēi M	Suihua	Heilongjiang
黑N	Hēi N	Heihe	Heilongjiang
黑O	Hēi O	Heilongjiang public security and foreign-invested vehicles	Heilongjiang	Heilongjiang was the first province to abolish its O series, in 2003.
黑P	Hēi P	Daxing'anling Prefecture	Heilongjiang
黑R	Hēi R	Beidahuang state-farm system	Heilongjiang	Issued to the reclamation-farm (农垦) system rather than to a city.
沪A	Hù A	Shanghai — city and suburbs	Shanghai	Across the Shanghai series the third character of the number marks the use: M, N, U, V, W and X are taxis (X for owner-drivers), Y marks cars owned by rental companies, and before the green plates arrived in December 2016 a Z marked a new-energy car. 沪A and 沪B are also the city motorcycle series; Shanghai stopped registering new motorcycles on 1 January 2008, though existing plates may be transferred.
沪B	Hù B	Shanghai — city and suburbs	Shanghai	沪BH is the block for small goods vehicles in commercial use.
沪C	Hù C	Shanghai — outer suburbs only	Shanghai	沪C is issued without going through the plate auction, but only to applicants who can show an address outside the Outer Ring Road, and 沪C cars (taxis excepted) may not drive inside a defined inner-city cordon that includes the Outer Ring Expressway, the Outer Ring Tunnel, the Huaxia and Resort elevated roads and part of the Middle Ring. It is also one of the suburban motorcycle series.
沪D	Hù D	Shanghai — city and suburbs	Shanghai	Also a suburban motorcycle series (沪D, with 沪DR for the Chongming islands).
沪E	Hù E	Shanghai — city and suburbs	Shanghai	Also a suburban motorcycle series (沪E, with 沪ER for the Chongming islands).
沪F	Hù F	Shanghai — city and suburbs	Shanghai
沪G	Hù G	Shanghai — city and suburbs	Shanghai
沪H	Hù H	Shanghai — city and suburbs	Shanghai
沪J	Hù J	Shanghai — city and suburbs	Shanghai
沪K	Hù K	Shanghai — city and suburbs	Shanghai
沪L	Hù L	Shanghai — city and suburbs	Shanghai
沪M	Hù M	Shanghai — city and suburbs	Shanghai
沪N	Hù N	Shanghai — city and suburbs	Shanghai
沪R	Hù R	Chongming, Changxing and Hengsha islands	Shanghai	unconfirmed: English Wikipedia records 沪R as an island series barred from leaving the islands; the Chinese article instead records island registrations as the motorcycle blocks 沪CR, 沪DR and 沪ER and lists no 沪R car series.
苏A	Sū A	Nanjing	Jiangsu
苏B	Sū B	Wuxi	Jiangsu
苏C	Sū C	Xuzhou	Jiangsu
苏D	Sū D	Changzhou	Jiangsu
苏E	Sū E	Suzhou	Jiangsu
苏F	Sū F	Nantong	Jiangsu
苏G	Sū G	Lianyungang	Jiangsu
苏H	Sū H	Huai'an	Jiangsu
苏J	Sū J	Yancheng	Jiangsu
苏K	Sū K	Yangzhou	Jiangsu
苏L	Sū L	Zhenjiang	Jiangsu
苏M	Sū M	Taizhou	Jiangsu
苏N	Sū N	Suqian	Jiangsu
苏O	Sū O	Jiangsu provincial agencies and foreign-invested vehicles	Jiangsu	Retired. Provinces once ran an O series as a special civilian-numbered block for public-security and government vehicles; the privileges attached to it drew steady public criticism and most provinces withdrew it between 2003 and 2019.
苏U	Sū U	Suzhou	Jiangsu	Supplementary series for Suzhou, opened 5 January 2019: the same city runs two letters because one letter's combinations ran short. Suzhou was the first city in Jiangsu to run two letters.
浙A	Zhè A	Hangzhou	Zhejiang	Since 1 March 2021 Hangzhou splits 浙A into a full city plate and a 'district' plate (浙A区域号牌) with different peak-hour restrictions; the district numbers put letters in fixed positions.
浙B	Zhè B	Ningbo	Zhejiang
浙C	Zhè C	Wenzhou	Zhejiang
浙D	Zhè D	Shaoxing	Zhejiang
浙E	Zhè E	Huzhou	Zhejiang
浙F	Zhè F	Jiaxing	Zhejiang
浙G	Zhè G	Jinhua	Zhejiang
浙H	Zhè H	Quzhou	Zhejiang
浙J	Zhè J	Taizhou	Zhejiang
浙K	Zhè K	Lishui	Zhejiang
浙L	Zhè L	Zhoushan	Zhejiang
浙M	Zhè M	Hangzhou	Zhejiang	Supplementary series for Hangzhou, opened 29 October 2024: the same city runs two letters because one letter's combinations ran short. It was first restricted to non-new-energy small cars and opened to small new-energy cars in January 2026.
浙O	Zhè O	Zhejiang provincial agencies and foreign-invested vehicles	Zhejiang	Retired. Provinces once ran an O series as a special civilian-numbered block for public-security and government vehicles; the privileges attached to it drew steady public criticism and most provinces withdrew it between 2003 and 2019. English Wikipedia records 浙O as the black-plate series for cars registered to foreign enterprises.
皖A	Wǎn A	Hefei	Anhui
皖B	Wǎn B	Wuhu	Anhui
皖C	Wǎn C	Bengbu	Anhui
皖D	Wǎn D	Huainan	Anhui
皖E	Wǎn E	Ma'anshan	Anhui
皖F	Wǎn F	Huaibei	Anhui
皖G	Wǎn G	Tongling	Anhui
皖H	Wǎn H	Anqing	Anhui
皖J	Wǎn J	Huangshan	Anhui
皖K	Wǎn K	Fuyang	Anhui
皖L	Wǎn L	Suzhou (Anhui)	Anhui	Not to be confused with Suzhou in Jiangsu (苏E/苏U); the two cities are written with different characters — 宿州 here, 苏州 there.
皖M	Wǎn M	Chuzhou	Anhui
皖N	Wǎn N	Lu'an	Anhui
皖O	Wǎn O	Anhui provincial agencies and foreign-invested vehicles	Anhui	Retired. Provinces once ran an O series as a special civilian-numbered block for public-security and government vehicles; the privileges attached to it drew steady public criticism and most provinces withdrew it between 2003 and 2019.
皖P	Wǎn P	Xuancheng	Anhui
皖Q	Wǎn Q	Chaohu	Anhui	Discontinued in 2011, when the prefecture-level city of Chaohu was broken up between Hefei, Wuhu and Ma'anshan.
皖R	Wǎn R	Chizhou	Anhui
皖S	Wǎn S	Bozhou	Anhui
闽A	Mǐn A	Fuzhou	Fujian	Fujian's letters were assigned clockwise around the map from Fuzhou: A Fuzhou, then B Putian round to J Ningde.
闽B	Mǐn B	Putian	Fujian
闽C	Mǐn C	Quanzhou	Fujian
闽D	Mǐn D	Xiamen	Fujian
闽E	Mǐn E	Zhangzhou	Fujian
闽F	Mǐn F	Longyan	Fujian
闽G	Mǐn G	Sanming	Fujian
闽H	Mǐn H	Nanping	Fujian
闽J	Mǐn J	Ningde	Fujian
闽K	Mǐn K	Pingtan Comprehensive Experimental Zone and provincial agencies	Fujian	Shared letter: Pingtan draws defined blocks inside 闽K (small and large cars 50001–89999, taxis KT0001–KT9999, coaches KY0001–KY9999) and the rest of the series serves provincial-level bodies.
闽O	Mǐn O	Fujian provincial public security	Fujian	Police series.
赣A	Gàn A	Nanchang	Jiangxi
赣B	Gàn B	Ganzhou	Jiangxi
赣C	Gàn C	Yichun	Jiangxi
赣D	Gàn D	Ji'an	Jiangxi
赣E	Gàn E	Shangrao	Jiangxi
赣F	Gàn F	Fuzhou (Jiangxi)	Jiangxi	抚州 Fǔzhōu, not to be confused with 福州 Fúzhōu, the capital of Fujian (闽A).
赣G	Gàn G	Jiujiang	Jiangxi
赣H	Gàn H	Jingdezhen	Jiangxi
赣J	Gàn J	Pingxiang	Jiangxi
赣K	Gàn K	Xinyu	Jiangxi
赣L	Gàn L	Yingtan	Jiangxi
赣M	Gàn M	Nanchang	Jiangxi	Supplementary series for Nanchang, opened January 2010: the same city runs two letters because one letter's combinations ran short. It had previously been the provincial-agency series.
赣O	Gàn O	Jiangxi expressway traffic police	Jiangxi	Formerly also used by procuratorates, municipal public-security bureaus and some state-owned bodies.
鲁A	Lǔ A	Jinan	Shandong
鲁B	Lǔ B	Qingdao	Shandong
鲁C	Lǔ C	Zibo	Shandong
鲁D	Lǔ D	Zaozhuang	Shandong
鲁E	Lǔ E	Dongying	Shandong	鲁ET is the taxi block.
鲁F	Lǔ F	Yantai	Shandong
鲁G	Lǔ G	Weifang	Shandong
鲁H	Lǔ H	Jining	Shandong	鲁HT is the taxi block.
鲁J	Lǔ J	Tai'an	Shandong
鲁K	Lǔ K	Weihai	Shandong
鲁L	Lǔ L	Rizhao	Shandong
鲁M	Lǔ M	Binzhou	Shandong
鲁N	Lǔ N	Dezhou	Shandong
鲁O	Lǔ O	Shandong public security	Shandong	Withdrawn: phased out from the second half of 2012 and no longer valid from 2019.
鲁P	Lǔ P	Liaocheng	Shandong
鲁Q	Lǔ Q	Linyi	Shandong
鲁R	Lǔ R	Heze	Shandong
鲁S	Lǔ S	Jinan	Shandong	Reissued letter: 鲁S was Laiwu's plate until Laiwu was absorbed into Jinan in January 2019; issuing stopped that October and resumed on 22 March 2023 as Jinan's supplementary series.
鲁U	Lǔ U	Qingdao	Shandong	Supplementary series for Qingdao, opened 2000: the same city runs two letters because one letter's combinations ran short. 鲁U·T0000–T9999 is the taxi block.
鲁V	Lǔ V	Weifang	Shandong	Supplementary series for Weifang: the same city runs two letters because one letter's combinations ran short.
鲁W	Lǔ W	Linyi	Shandong	Reissued letter: 鲁W was the series for provincial-agency staff cars until it stopped in late 2016 and lapsed in 2019; it was brought back in February 2024 as Linyi's supplementary series. English Wikipedia still shows it under the old provincial use.
鲁Y	Lǔ Y	Yantai	Shandong	Supplementary series for Yantai: the same city runs two letters because one letter's combinations ran short.
豫A	Yù A	Zhengzhou	Henan
豫B	Yù B	Kaifeng	Henan
豫C	Yù C	Luoyang	Henan
豫D	Yù D	Pingdingshan	Henan	豫D·D30000–D39999 and DT0000–DT9999 are taxi blocks.
豫E	Yù E	Anyang	Henan
豫F	Yù F	Hebi	Henan
豫G	Yù G	Xinxiang	Henan
豫H	Yù H	Jiaozuo	Henan
豫J	Yù J	Puyang	Henan
豫K	Yù K	Xuchang	Henan
豫L	Yù L	Luohe	Henan
豫M	Yù M	Sanmenxia	Henan
豫N	Yù N	Shangqiu	Henan
豫O	Yù O	Henan provincial agencies and foreign-invested vehicles	Henan	Retired. Provinces once ran an O series as a special civilian-numbered block for public-security and government vehicles; the privileges attached to it drew steady public criticism and most provinces withdrew it between 2003 and 2019.
豫P	Yù P	Zhoukou	Henan
豫Q	Yù Q	Zhumadian	Henan
豫R	Yù R	Nanyang	Henan
豫S	Yù S	Xinyang	Henan
豫U	Yù U	Jiyuan	Henan
豫V	Yù V	Zhengzhou	Henan	Supplementary series for Zhengzhou, opened 16 September 2020: the same city runs two letters because one letter's combinations ran short.
鄂A	È A	Wuhan	Hubei	Hubei's letters follow the order in which each city last came under direct provincial administration. 鄂AX and 鄂AY are taxi blocks; 鄂AW and the ****W block serve provincial agencies.
鄂B	È B	Huangshi	Hubei
鄂C	È C	Shiyan	Hubei	鄂CT is the taxi block.
鄂D	È D	Jingzhou	Hubei	Formerly the plate of Shashi city. 鄂D·DT0000–DT9999 are battery-electric taxis.
鄂E	È E	Yichang	Hubei
鄂F	È F	Xiangyang	Hubei
鄂G	È G	Ezhou	Hubei
鄂H	È H	Jingmen	Hubei
鄂J	È J	Huanggang	Hubei
鄂K	È K	Xiaogan	Hubei
鄂L	È L	Xianning	Hubei
鄂M	È M	Xiantao	Hubei	Formerly the plate of Jingzhou Prefecture.
鄂N	È N	Qianjiang	Hubei	Before 1994 the plate of Yunyang Prefecture, which merged into Shiyan that year.
鄂O	È O	Hubei public security	Hubei	Nominally abolished in February 2014, but part of the 鄂O range is reported still in police use.
鄂P	È P	Shennongjia Forestry District	Hubei
鄂Q	È Q	Enshi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture	Hubei
鄂R	È R	Tianmen	Hubei
鄂S	È S	Suizhou	Hubei
鄂W	È W	Wuhan	Hubei	Supplementary series for Wuhan, opened 26 April 2022: the same city runs two letters because one letter's combinations ran short.
湘A	Xiāng A	Changsha	Hunan	On older Changsha plates the first digit marked a county — 6 Changsha County, 7 Wangcheng, 8 Liuyang, 9 Ningxiang. 湘A followed by T (blue plate) or DX (green plate) marks a taxi.
湘B	Xiāng B	Zhuzhou	Hunan	Older first digits: 5 Zhuzhou County, 6 Liling, 7 You County, 8 Chaling, 9 Yanling.
湘C	Xiāng C	Xiangtan	Hunan
湘D	Xiāng D	Hengyang	Hunan	Older first digits: 2 Hengnan, 3 Hengdong, 4 Hengshan, 5 Hengyang County, 6 Qidong, 7 Changning, 8 Leiyang.
湘E	Xiāng E	Shaoyang	Hunan
湘F	Xiāng F	Yueyang	Hunan	Older first digits: 4 Yueyang County, 5 Pingjiang, 6 Huarong, 7 Xiangyin, 8 Miluo, 9 Linxiang.
湘G	Xiāng G	Zhangjiajie	Hunan
湘H	Xiāng H	Yiyang	Hunan	Older first digits: 5 Taojiang, 6 Anhua, 7 Yuanjiang, 8 Nan County.
湘J	Xiāng J	Changde	Hunan	Older first digits: 3 Hanshou, 4 Taoyuan, 5 Linli, 6 Shimen, 7 Li County, 8 Jinshi, 9 Anxiang.
湘K	Xiāng K	Loudi	Hunan	Older first digits: 3 Lianyuan, 4 Shuangfeng, 5 Lengshuijiang, 6 Xinhua.
湘L	Xiāng L	Chenzhou	Hunan
湘M	Xiāng M	Yongzhou	Hunan	Older first digits ran 2 Qiyang through 9 Dong'an.
湘N	Xiāng N	Huaihua	Hunan
湘O	Xiāng O	Hunan official and police vehicles	Hunan	Abolished: the provincial public security department withdrew both the 湘O police block and the 湘OR provincial-agency block.
湘S	Xiāng S	Hunan provincial agencies	Hunan	unconfirmed status: the Chinese article still lists 湘S as the provincial-agency series, while English Wikipedia records it as phased out in 2014.
湘U	Xiāng U	Xiangxi Tujia and Miao Autonomous Prefecture	Hunan
粤A	Yuè A	Guangzhou	Guangdong	Guangzhou's blocks are split by district: broadly, T–V and U–V blocks for Huadu, W–X for Zengcheng, Y–Z for Conghua, Q–S and B–D for Panyu, with the rest of the range for the central districts. Some blocks are sold by public auction.
粤B	Yuè B	Shenzhen	Guangdong	Shenzhen took an early letter because it was one of the original special economic zones; the 1992 scheme put the SEZs at the front of the alphabet after the provincial capital.
粤C	Yuè C	Zhuhai	Guangdong	Also a special economic zone, hence the early letter.
粤D	Yuè D	Shantou	Guangdong	Also a special economic zone.
粤E	Yuè E	Foshan	Guangdong	Foshan issued 粤E city-wide, then split off 粤X for Shunde and 粤Y for Nanhai; since 1 February 2018 the whole city is back on 粤E.
粤F	Yuè F	Shaoguan	Guangdong
粤G	Yuè G	Zhanjiang	Guangdong
粤H	Yuè H	Zhaoqing	Guangdong	粤HL is the Sihui block.
粤J	Yuè J	Jiangmen	Guangdong
粤K	Yuè K	Maoming	Guangdong
粤L	Yuè L	Huizhou	Guangdong
粤M	Yuè M	Meizhou	Guangdong
粤N	Yuè N	Shanwei	Guangdong
粤O	Yuè O	Guangdong provincial agencies	Guangdong	Kept in use where most provinces dropped theirs. 粤O is administered under the police-plate rules — 粤OA0001, for instance, is the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau chief's car — and it is the reason O appears at all in a system that otherwise avoids the letter.
粤P	Yuè P	Heyuan	Guangdong
粤Q	Yuè Q	Yangjiang	Guangdong
粤R	Yuè R	Qingyuan	Guangdong
粤S	Yuè S	Dongguan	Guangdong	Dongguan takes a letter of its own despite being one of the province's later prefecture-level cities; it is the second-highest-volume series in Guangdong after Guangzhou and Shenzhen.
粤T	Yuè T	Zhongshan	Guangdong
粤U	Yuè U	Chaozhou	Guangdong
粤V	Yuè V	Jieyang	Guangdong
粤W	Yuè W	Yunfu	Guangdong
粤X	Yuè X	Shunde District, Foshan	Guangdong	Issued from 23 October 2000, when Shunde's vehicle office was upgraded; discontinued on 1 February 2018 when Foshan returned to a single 粤E series.
粤Y	Yuè Y	Nanhai District, Foshan	Guangdong	Issued from 28 December 1998; discontinued on 1 February 2018.
粤Z	Yuè Z	Hong Kong and Macau cross-border vehicles	Guangdong	Not a city. 粤Z is the mainland registration carried by Hong Kong- and Macau-registered vehicles permitted to drive into the mainland: a black plate with white characters, four alphanumerics, and 港 or 澳 as the final character. It is issued by the Guangdong provincial public security department, and the vehicle may normally travel only within Guangdong. Cars taking part in the Northbound Travel schemes for Hong Kong and Macau vehicles do not need a 粤Z plate.
桂A	Guì A	Nanning	Guangxi
桂B	Guì B	Liuzhou	Guangxi
桂C	Guì C	Guilin	Guangxi
桂D	Guì D	Wuzhou	Guangxi
桂E	Guì E	Beihai	Guangxi
桂F	Guì F	Chongzuo	Guangxi	Formerly the plate of Nanning Prefecture.
桂G	Guì G	Laibin	Guangxi	Formerly the plate of Liuzhou Prefecture.
桂H	Guì H	Guilin Prefecture	Guangxi	Discontinued: the prefecture merged into Guilin city on 27 August 1998. English Wikipedia lists 桂H alongside 桂C for Guilin, reflecting the merger.
桂J	Guì J	Hezhou	Guangxi	Formerly the plate of Wuzhou Prefecture.
桂K	Guì K	Yulin (Guangxi)	Guangxi	玉林 Yùlín, not to be confused with 榆林 Yúlín in Shaanxi (陕K).
桂L	Guì L	Baise	Guangxi	On older Baise plates the first character marked a county: 1 Tianyang, 2 Tiandong, 3 Pingguo, 4 Debao, 5 Jingxi, 6 Tianlin, 7 Longlin, 8 Napo, 9 Lingyun, A Xilin, B Leye.
桂M	Guì M	Hechi	Guangxi
桂N	Guì N	Qinzhou	Guangxi
桂O	Guì O	Guangxi public security	Guangxi	Police series.
桂P	Guì P	Fangchenggang	Guangxi
桂R	Guì R	Guigang	Guangxi
琼A	Qióng A	Haikou	Hainan
琼B	Qióng B	Sanya	Hainan
琼C	Qióng C	Qionghai, Wenchang, Wanning, Ding'an, Tunchang, Chengmai and Lingao	Hainan	A shared northern-Hainan series rather than a single city; 琼CXS is the block for Sansha. Until 1 December 2018 it was administered by a single northern vehicle office; since then each county and city runs its own.
琼D	Qióng D	Wuzhishan, Dongfang, Lingshui, Baoting, Qiongzhong, Baisha, Changjiang and Ledong	Hainan	The southern counterpart to 琼C, covering the districts of the former Hainan Li and Miao Autonomous Prefecture.
琼E	Qióng E	Yangpu Economic Development Zone	Hainan	Discontinued.
琼F	Qióng F	Danzhou	Hainan
琼O	Qióng O	Hainan public security	Hainan	Police series.
渝A	Yú A	Chongqing	Chongqing	Before 18 May 2017 渝A covered Yuzhong, Jiulongpo, Shapingba, Dadukou and Jiangbei districts, and taxis carried a T after the letter (渝AT1234). Since that date buyers anywhere in the municipality may pick any letter from A to H online.
渝B	Yú B	Chongqing	Chongqing	Formerly Nan'an, Beibei, Yubei, Banan, Changshou and Qijiang. Taxis carried a T after the letter.
渝C	Yú C	Chongqing	Chongqing	Formerly Yongchuan, Hechuan and the county-level divisions of the old Yongchuan Prefecture.
渝D	Yú D	Chongqing	Chongqing	Opened on 27 November 2015 as a supplementary series for the central districts covered by A, B and C.
渝F	Yú F	Chongqing	Chongqing	Formerly Wanzhou and the divisions of the old prefecture-level Wanxian city.
渝G	Yú G	Chongqing	Chongqing	Formerly Fuling and the divisions of the old prefecture-level Fuling city.
渝H	Yú H	Chongqing	Chongqing	Formerly Qianjiang and the divisions of the old Qianjiang Prefecture.
渝N	Yú N	Chongqing — government and state-enterprise vehicles	Chongqing
渝O	Yú O	Chongqing public security	Chongqing	Retired police series.
川A	Chuān A	Chengdu	Sichuan
川B	Chuān B	Mianyang	Sichuan	Before 1997 川B was Chongqing's plate; it moved to Mianyang when Chongqing was separated from Sichuan as a municipality.
川C	Chuān C	Zigong	Sichuan
川D	Chuān D	Panzhihua	Sichuan
川E	Chuān E	Luzhou	Sichuan
川F	Chuān F	Deyang	Sichuan
川G	Chuān G	Chengdu	Sichuan	Reissued letter: 川G was Mianyang's plate before 1997 and came back on 7 April 2022 as Chengdu's supplementary series.
川H	Chuān H	Guangyuan	Sichuan
川J	Chuān J	Suining	Sichuan
川K	Chuān K	Neijiang	Sichuan
川L	Chuān L	Leshan	Sichuan
川M	Chuān M	Ziyang	Sichuan	Before 1997 the plate of Wanxian city, which went to Chongqing.
川N	Chuān N	Fuling	Sichuan	Discontinued in 1997 when Fuling was transferred to Chongqing.
川O	Chuān O	Sichuan Provincial Public Security Department vehicle administration	Sichuan	Retired. In police use, 川O followed by a district letter marked a police car, and 川O·9xxxx marked state-security vehicles.
川P	Chuān P	Qianjiang Prefecture	Sichuan	Discontinued in 1997 when the prefecture was transferred to Chongqing.
川Q	Chuān Q	Yibin	Sichuan
川R	Chuān R	Nanchong	Sichuan
川S	Chuān S	Dazhou	Sichuan
川T	Chuān T	Ya'an	Sichuan
川U	Chuān U	Ngawa (Aba) Tibetan and Qiang Autonomous Prefecture	Sichuan
川V	Chuān V	Garzê Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture	Sichuan
川W	Chuān W	Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture	Sichuan
川X	Chuān X	Guang'an	Sichuan
川Y	Chuān Y	Bazhong	Sichuan
川Z	Chuān Z	Meishan	Sichuan
贵A	Guì A	Guiyang	Guizhou	贵AU is the block for city buses and taxis.
贵B	Guì B	Liupanshui	Guizhou
贵C	Guì C	Zunyi	Guizhou
贵D	Guì D	Tongren	Guizhou
贵E	Guì E	Qianxinan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture	Guizhou
贵F	Guì F	Bijie	Guizhou
贵G	Guì G	Anshun	Guizhou
贵H	Guì H	Qiandongnan Miao and Dong Autonomous Prefecture	Guizhou
贵J	Guì J	Qiannan Buyei and Miao Autonomous Prefecture	Guizhou
贵O	Guì O	Guizhou provincial agencies and foreign-invested vehicles	Guizhou	Retired. Provinces once ran an O series as a special civilian-numbered block for public-security and government vehicles; the privileges attached to it drew steady public criticism and most provinces withdrew it between 2003 and 2019.
云A	Yún A	Kunming	Yunnan	The 云A·V block serves Dongchuan District, which had its own letter until 1998.
云B	Yún B	Dongchuan	Yunnan	Discontinued: the prefecture-level city of Dongchuan was absorbed into Kunming on 6 December 1998.
云C	Yún C	Zhaotong	Yunnan
云D	Yún D	Qujing	Yunnan
云E	Yún E	Chuxiong Yi Autonomous Prefecture	Yunnan
云F	Yún F	Yuxi	Yunnan	云FT is the taxi block.
云G	Yún G	Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture	Yunnan
云H	Yún H	Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture	Yunnan
云J	Yún J	Pu'er	Yunnan
云K	Yún K	Xishuangbanna Dai Autonomous Prefecture	Yunnan
云L	Yún L	Dali Bai Autonomous Prefecture	Yunnan
云M	Yún M	Baoshan	Yunnan
云N	Yún N	Dehong Dai and Jingpo Autonomous Prefecture	Yunnan
云O	Yún O	Yunnan public security	Yunnan	Police series; the 云O·V block belongs to the provincial traffic management bureau.
云P	Yún P	Lijiang	Yunnan
云Q	Yún Q	Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture	Yunnan
云R	Yún R	Dêqên (Diqing) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture	Yunnan
云S	Yún S	Lincang	Yunnan
藏A	Zàng A	Lhasa	Tibet (Xizang)
藏B	Zàng B	Qamdo (Chamdo)	Tibet (Xizang)
藏C	Zàng C	Shannan (Lhoka)	Tibet (Xizang)
藏D	Zàng D	Xigazê (Shigatse)	Tibet (Xizang)
藏E	Zàng E	Nagqu	Tibet (Xizang)
藏F	Zàng F	Ngari Prefecture	Tibet (Xizang)
藏G	Zàng G	Nyingchi	Tibet (Xizang)
藏H	Zàng H	Vehicle administration office at Tianquan County, Sichuan	Tibet (Xizang)	Retired. 藏H was limited to vehicles of Tibet-government bodies based inside Sichuan.
藏J	Zàng J	Vehicle administration office at Golmud, Qinghai	Tibet (Xizang)	Retired. 藏J was limited to vehicles of Tibet-government bodies based inside Qinghai.
藏O	Zàng O	Xizang public security	Tibet (Xizang)	Retired police series.
陕A	Shǎn A	Xi'an	Shaanxi	陕AT and 陕AU are taxi blocks, 陕AY is for tourist coaches, and English Wikipedia records 陕AV for provincial-level agencies.
陕B	Shǎn B	Tongchuan	Shaanxi
陕C	Shǎn C	Baoji	Shaanxi
陕D	Shǎn D	Xianyang	Shaanxi
陕E	Shǎn E	Weinan	Shaanxi
陕F	Shǎn F	Hanzhong	Shaanxi
陕G	Shǎn G	Ankang	Shaanxi
陕H	Shǎn H	Shangluo	Shaanxi
陕J	Shǎn J	Yan'an	Shaanxi
陕K	Shǎn K	Yulin (Shaanxi)	Shaanxi	榆林 Yúlín, not to be confused with 玉林 Yùlín in Guangxi (桂K).
陕O	Shǎn O	Shaanxi provincial agencies and foreign-invested vehicles	Shaanxi	Retired. Provinces once ran an O series as a special civilian-numbered block for public-security and government vehicles; the privileges attached to it drew steady public criticism and most provinces withdrew it between 2003 and 2019.
陕U	Shǎn U	Xi'an	Shaanxi	Supplementary series for Xi'an, opened April 2020: the same city runs two letters because one letter's combinations ran short.
陕V	Shǎn V	Yangling Agricultural High-tech Industries Demonstration Zone	Shaanxi
甘A	Gān A	Lanzhou	Gansu	甘A·8A000–8B999 are taxis, 8C000–8D999 are shared between taxis and ride-hailing cars, 8F000–8H999 are ride-hailing only, and 8X000–8Y999 are Lanzhou New Area taxis.
甘B	Gān B	Jiayuguan	Gansu
甘C	Gān C	Jinchang	Gansu
甘D	Gān D	Baiyin	Gansu
甘E	Gān E	Tianshui	Gansu
甘F	Gān F	Jiuquan	Gansu
甘G	Gān G	Zhangye	Gansu
甘H	Gān H	Wuwei	Gansu
甘J	Gān J	Dingxi	Gansu
甘K	Gān K	Longnan	Gansu
甘L	Gān L	Pingliang	Gansu
甘M	Gān M	Qingyang	Gansu
甘N	Gān N	Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture	Gansu
甘O	Gān O	Gansu public security	Gansu	Withdrawn on 27 September 2013: from 1 October that year the roughly 6,400 甘O plates were converted to ordinary civilian plates on a voluntary, no-new-issues basis, and police cars that qualified were repainted and given proper 警 plates.
甘P	Gān P	Gannan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture	Gansu
青A	Qīng A	Xining	Qinghai	青AT is the taxi block.
青B	Qīng B	Haidong	Qinghai
青C	Qīng C	Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture	Qinghai
青D	Qīng D	Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture	Qinghai
青E	Qīng E	Hainan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture	Qinghai	The prefecture 海南 inside Qinghai, not Hainan province (琼).
青F	Qīng F	Golog Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture	Qinghai
青G	Qīng G	Yushu (Gyêgu) Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture	Qinghai
青H	Qīng H	Haixi Mongol and Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture	Qinghai
青O	Qīng O	Xining	Qinghai	Unusual case: 青O began as the police block and has been released for civilian registration in Xining, with Haidong planned to follow. Qinghai is the one province where an O series is being handed to ordinary drivers rather than abolished.
宁A	Níng A	Yinchuan	Ningxia
宁B	Níng B	Shizuishan	Ningxia
宁C	Níng C	Wuzhong	Ningxia
宁D	Níng D	Guyuan	Ningxia
宁E	Níng E	Zhongwei	Ningxia
宁O	Níng O	Ningxia public security	Ningxia	Retired police series.
新A	Xīn A	Ürümqi	Xinjiang
新B	Xīn B	Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture and Wujiaqu	Xinjiang
新C	Xīn C	Shihezi	Xinjiang
新D	Xīn D	Kuytun and Huyanghe	Xinjiang
新E	Xīn E	Bortala Mongol Autonomous Prefecture and Shuanghe	Xinjiang
新F	Xīn F	Ili Kazakh Autonomous Prefecture (excluding Tacheng and Altay prefectures and Kuytun) and Kokdala	Xinjiang	Formerly the plate of Ili Prefecture.
新G	Xīn G	Tacheng Prefecture and Baiyang	Xinjiang
新H	Xīn H	Altay Prefecture and Beitun	Xinjiang
新J	Xīn J	Karamay	Xinjiang
新K	Xīn K	Turpan	Xinjiang
新L	Xīn L	Hami and Xinxing	Xinjiang
新M	Xīn M	Bayingolin Mongol Autonomous Prefecture and Tiemenguan	Xinjiang
新N	Xīn N	Aksu Prefecture and Aral	Xinjiang
新O	Xīn O	Xinjiang public security	Xinjiang	Police series.
新P	Xīn P	Kizilsu Kirghiz Autonomous Prefecture	Xinjiang
新Q	Xīn Q	Kashgar Prefecture (excluding Kargilik/Yecheng County), Tumxuk and Caohu	Xinjiang
新R	Xīn R	Hotan Prefecture and Kargilik (Yecheng) County	Xinjiang
新S	Xīn S	Kunyu	Xinjiang
港Z	Gǎng Z	Hong Kong cross-border vehicles (issued as 粤Z ···· 港)	Hong Kong	Hong Kong runs its own registration system and its own plates; 港 never leads a mainland plate. A Hong Kong vehicle allowed to drive into the mainland carries an additional Guangdong registration in the form 粤Z, four alphanumerics and the character 港 — a black plate with white characters, issued by the Guangdong provincial public security department and normally valid only inside Guangdong. Non-operating vehicles take the patterns 粤Z 1111港, 粤Z A111港, 粤Z 11A1港 and 粤Z 111A港; operating vehicles take 粤Z 1A11港 and 粤Z AA11港. Cars in the Northbound Travel for Hong Kong Vehicles scheme do not need one. Such a car is often seen wearing both plates at once.
澳Z	Ào Z	Macau cross-border vehicles (issued as 粤Z ···· 澳)	Macau	Macau runs its own registration system and its own plates; 澳 never leads a mainland plate. A Macau vehicle allowed to drive into the mainland carries an additional Guangdong registration in the form 粤Z, four alphanumerics and the character 澳 — a black plate with white characters, issued by the Guangdong provincial public security department and normally valid only inside Guangdong. Cars in the Northbound Travel for Macau Vehicles scheme, and single-plate cars under the Hengqin arrangement, do not need one.

How many characters to expect

Plate formats.
Format	Pattern	Example
Standard civilian plate (7 characters)	[province character] + [issuing-office letter] + [5 digits or letters]	`京A·12345 · 苏E·1P234 · 浙B·AB987`
Small new-energy plate (8 characters)	[province character] + [issuing-office letter] + [energy letter] + [5 digits] — or + [energy letter] + [1 letter] + [4 digits]	`沪A·D00806 (battery-electric) · 粤B·F03030 (plug-in hybrid)`
Large new-energy plate (8 characters)	[province character] + [issuing-office letter] + [5 digits] + [energy letter]	`京A·12345D (battery-electric) · 京A·12345F (other new energy)`
Motorcycle plate	[province character] + [issuing-office letter] on the upper line, [5 digits or letters] on the lower line	`沪C over 54321`
Trailer plate	[province character] + [issuing-office letter] + [4 digits or letters] + 挂	`京A·1234挂`
Driving-school (learner) plate	[province character] + [issuing-office letter] + [4 digits or letters] + 学	`京A·1234学`
Test plate	[province character] + [issuing-office letter] + [4 digits or letters] + 试	`京A·0001试`
Temporary plate	[province character] + [issuing-office letter] + [digits], on paper	`京A·12345 on a printed card`
Temporary-entry plate for foreign-registered vehicles	paper plate marked 临时入境 with the permitted route printed below	`临时入境 plate issued for a cross-border coach or self-drive tour`
Embassy plate (使)	[3-digit mission code] + [3 sequential digits] + 使	`224·001使 — the United States ambassador's car (224 is the code for the United States)`
Consular plate (领)	[province character] + [3-digit mission code] + [2 digits] + 领	`闽204·01领 — pattern illustration for a Singapore consular car in Fujian, not a real registration`
People's Police plate (警)	[province character] + [issuing-office letter] + [4 digits or letters] + 警	`京A·0001警 · 川A·A001警 (a court vehicle)`
People's Armed Police plate (WJ)	WJ + [province character] + [4 digits] + [branch letter]	`WJ沪·1234X — a firefighting vehicle in Shanghai`
People's Liberation Army plate	[red prefix letter] + [letter] + [5 digits] (4 digits on motorcycles)	`VA·12345`
Hong Kong and Macau cross-border plate (粤Z)	粤Z + [4 digits or letters] + 港 or 澳	`粤Z·7C59港`
Emergency-rescue plate (应急)	[province character] + [service letter] + [4 digits] + 应急	`鄂X5132应急 · 鄂S2256应急`
Tractor, in-plant, airport and port plate	[province name or site name] + [letter or digits] + [5 digits]	`北京A-00001 (tractor) · 民航A·A0125 (airport) · 连港·A0018 (port)`

The plate decoder: questions people ask

How do I type a Chinese plate prefix if I cannot type characters?: Type the pinyin instead. The box accepts “yue B” as readily as 粤B, and tone marks are optional.
What does the letter mean?: It is the office that issued the plate, not a district of the city. A goes to the seat of the provincial government in nearly every case.
Does the colour change what the prefix means?: No. The characters say where the vehicle was registered and the colour says what kind of vehicle it is; the two are independent.