Hong Kong car numbers

Introduction

Hong Kong car numbers are known as vehicle registration marks. The car number plates are not provided by the government, but are made by garages to the order of the car owner.

The number plates

Each vehicle must display 2 number plates, one in the front and one at the rear of the vehicle. The front plate has black characters on a white background, and the rear plate has black characters on a yellow background. The height of the letters and numerals are not less than 8 cm and not more than 11 cm. The plates should comply with British Standrad B.S. 145a and have permanently marked on the plate the specification number "B.S. AU 145a".

Numbering System

Usual numbers

Most car numbers consist of a 2-letter prefix followed by a number between 1 and 9999 without leading zeroes. Some car numbers do not have a letter prefix. The letters "I", "O" and "Q" are not used to avoid ambiguity. Examples are 9999, CP1, FP507, and LW2468.

The very first numbers ever allocated have no prefixes. "HK" and "XX" are the first 2 prefixes allocated. Then the sqeuence go like this "AA", "AB", "AC", ... "AZ", "BB", "BC"... "BZ", "CA", "CB", "CC", .... . It worth note that there was no "BA" prefix allocated at that time because the government thought that it would mix up with "AB" and so did not allocate the "BA" prefix. But they changed their minds to allocate "CA" prefix after "BZ", and currently "BA" prefix is available for auction. Some prefixes are reserved and have special meanings. "AM" (for administration) is reserved for government vehicles, "LC" is reserved for Legislative Council vehicles, and "ZG" is for the People's Liberation Army in Hong Kong.

As at April 2005, the current allocating prefix is "LX".

Unusual numbers

1-letter prefixes

• "A" prefix for ambulances of the Fire Services Department of the government
• "F" prefix for fire engines and other vehicles of the Fire Services Department of the government
• "T" prefix for motor trade to use, especially when the vehicle is still new. The T-prefix number is usually display in plastic holder attached temporarily to the vehicle and not on a proper number plate.

Letter Suffix

• "T" suffix for container trailers and have a prefix up to 5 digits.

Letters-only

These are spceific car numbers with no numbers, simply letters only

• "CJ" for the Chief Justice of the Court of Final Appeal
• "CS" for the Chief Secretary for Adminstration
• "FS" for the Financial Secretary
• "SJ" for the Secretary for Justice

Neither letter nor number

• Vehicles of the Chief Executive of Hong Kong do not have number plates. Instead, they have emblem of Hong Kong in front and at the rear.

Invalid carriages

• "VV", "VW" for small non-petrol vehicles on paths where usual vehicles are prohibited
• "DBR" for golf carts in Discovery Bay resort

Special Registration Mark

A car number is a special registration mark if it

• has no prefix; or
• its numeral(s) is any one below:
  • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9
  • 11, 22, 33, 44, 55, 66, 77, 88, 99
  • 111, 222, 333, 444, 555, 666, 777, 888, 999
  • 1111, 2222, 3333, 4444, 5555, 6666, 7777, 8888, 9999
  • 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90
  • 100, 200, 300, 400, 500, 600, 700, 800, 900
  • 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, 5000, 6000, 7000, 8000, 9000
  • 123, 234, 345, 456, 567, 678, 789
  • 1234, 2345, 3456, 4567, 5678, 6789
  • 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 31, 32, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 51, 52, 53, 54, 56, 57, 58, 59, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 67, 68, 69, 71, 72, 73, 74, 75, 76,78, 79, 81, 82, 83, 84, 85, 86, 87, 89, 91, 92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98
  • 1100, 1122, 1133, 1144, 1155, 1166, 1177, 1188, 1199, 2200, 2211, 2233, 2244, 2255, 2266, 2277, 2288, 2299, 3300, 3311, 3322, 3344, 3355, 3366, 3377, 3388, 3399, 4400, 4411, 4422, 4433, 4455, 4466, 4477, 4488, 4499, 5500, 5511, 5522, 5533, 5544, 5566, 5577, 5588, 5599, 6600, 6611, 6622, 6633, 6644, 6655, 6677, 6688, 6699, 7700, 7711, 7722, 7733, 7744, 7755, 7766, 7788, 7799, 8800, 8811, 8822, 8833, 8844, 8855, 8866, 8877, 8899, 9900, 9911, 9922, 9933, 9944, 9955, 9966, 9977, 9988
  • 1001, 1221, 1331, 1441, 1551, 1661, 1771, 1881, 1991, 2002, 2112, 2332, 2442, 2552, 2662, 2772, 2882, 2992, 3003, 3113, 3223, 3443, 3553, 3663, 3773, 3883, 3993, 4004, 4114, 4224, 4334, 4554, 4664, 4774, 4884, 4994, 5005, 5115, 5225, 5335, 5445, 5665, 5775, 5885, 5995, 6006, 6116, 6226, 6336, 6446, 6556, 6776, 6886, 6996, 7007, 7117, 7227, 7337, 7447, 7557, 7667, 7887, 7997, 8008, 8118, 8228, 8338, 8448, 8558, 8668, 8778, 8998, 9009, 9119, 9229, 9339, 9449, 9559, 9669, 9779, 9889
  • 101, 121, 131, 141, 151, 161, 171, 181, 191, 202, 212, 232, 242, 252, 262, 272, 282, 292, 303, 313, 323, 343, 353, 363, 373, 383, 393, 404, 414, 424, 434, 454, 464, 474, 484, 494, 505, 515, 525, 535, 545, 565, 575, 585, 595, 606, 616, 626, 636, 646, 656, 676, 686, 696, 707, 717, 727, 737, 747, 757, 767, 787, 797, 808, 818, 828, 838, 848, 858, 868, 878, 998, 909, 919, 929, 939, 949, 959, 969, 979, 989
  • 1010, 1212, 1313, 1414, 1515, 1616, 1717, 1818, 1919, 2020, 2121, 2323, 2424, 2525, 2626, 2727, 2828, 2929, 3030, 3131, 3232, 3434, 3535, 3636, 3737, 3838, 3939, 4040, 4141, 4242, 4343, 4545, 4646, 4747, 4848, 4949, 5050, 5151, 5252, 5353, 5454, 5656, 5757, 5858, 5959, 6060, 6161, 6262, 6363, 6464, 6565, 6767, 6868, 6969, 7070, 7171, 7272, 7373, 7474, 7575, 7676, 7878, 7979, 8080, 8181, 8282, 8383, 8484, 8585, 8686, 8787, 8989, 9090, 9191, 9292, 9393, 9494, 9595, 9696, 9797, 9898

Special registration marks will not be allocated to a vehicle in routine.

Auction of numbers

From 1973, the Transport Department of the Hong Kong government conducts auctions to sell numbers. Currently, auctions are usually on Saturdays and sometimes on Sundays, and there are about 2 auctions per month. Numbers sold must be assigned to a car registered in the name of the buyer of the number within 12 months from the date of auction. The car can be an existing car of the buyer, or a car purchased from someone else after the auction, or a brand new car to be purchased after the auction. You may check with the Transport Department whether a number is allocated or not.

Auction of special registration marks

A special registration mark obtained in an auction is not transferable to anybody, that is to say, the number can be used only on vehicles registered under the name of the buyer. Transferring a special registration mark from one vehicle to another is permitted provided that their owners are the same person. Sale or transfer of vehicles bearing a special registration mark to someone else would lose that special registration mark. If the buyer assigned the special registration mark to a vehicle, and died later, the special registration mark cannot be transferred together with the vehicle to its successors. Therefore, it is very important to consider in whose name one should buy a special registration mark in an auction. The use of a limited liability company as the buyer would be a get around of the non-transferrable restriction because of its perpectual succession and the ability to transfer the company shares.

Reserving numbers for auction

Except with "AM" or "LC" prefixes, any unallocated usual number may be reserved for auction, provided it has an eariler prefix in the sequence, or the current prefix, or the next immediate prefix. For example, if the current prefix is "LX", then a number with a prefix "AA", "AB", ..."AZ", "BA", ... "LX", or "LY" may be reserved for auction. Numbers having no prefix or a "XX" prefix may also be may be reserved for auction. It is doubtful whether numbers with the "ZG" prefix may be reserved for auction after the prefix runs to "ZF". To reserve a non-special registration mark for auction, one need to pay a deposit of HK$1000. The minimum price for the number will also be HK$1000. If the number is successfully bidded by a person other than the person who reserved the number, the HK$1000 deposit will be refund to that person. If there is no one bidding at the auction, the number will be sold to the person who reserved the number at HK$1000. If it is a special registration mark, there is no deposit to pay, and the minimum price will be set by the Transport Department but will be higher than HK$1000.

Future Development

A Personalised Vehicle Registration Marks Scheme was proposed to allow creation of numbers with up to 8 characters (including letters and/or numbers). It is believed that the letters "I", "O" and "Q" will still be banned from use in the new scheme. The numbers under this scheme will have a minimum price of HK$5000. The current numbering system would not be affected.

External links

Transport Department Auction of numbers