Vehicle registration plates of Brazil

Brazil vehicle license plates
Brazilian vehicle license plate (2018-)
Brazilian vehicle license plate for a private-use vehicle registered in Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Mercosur-style plates were introduced in September 2018.
Colour schemes denoting functions used in Brazilian license plates, current style
Colour schemes denoting functions used in Brazilian license plates in the style that lasted from 1990 to 2018

Brazilian vehicle registration plates are issued by the states. Each state has a Departamento de Trânsito (DETRAN) that is in charge of vehicle registration and car tax collection, but plates are standardized across the country and form a national vehicle registration database.

Description

The current system, being phased out in favor of Mercosul standard plates, was created in 1990 and was named Registro Nacional de Veículos Automotores (RENAVAM). It uses the form "LLL·NNNN", where LLL is a three-letter combination followed by a four-digit number with a dot between the letters and numbers. A combination given to one vehicle stays with it "for life" - it cannot be changed or transferred to another vehicle. Vanity plates are allowed as long as they abide by the same standard as non-vanity plates.

Above the combination is a metallic band with the standardized state abbreviation and the name of the municipality in which the vehicle is currently registered. This band has to be changed when a vehicle needs to be registered in a different municipality. Rear number plates are bound to the vehicle by a plastic seal. Broken seals invalidate the number plate, which has to be re-sealed by the authorities. Seals need to be broken in order to change State/Municipality tags.

The size of the Brazilian license plates has been standardized to 400 × 130 mm (15" × 5" approx.) in 2008. That standardization also requires a unique typeface known as "Mandatory", which is similar to the typeface used on British plates introduced there in 2001. Plates in North American standard or European standard size can no longer be used as of 1 January 2008.

Colors

Mercosur license plates (2018-)

  • Black on white: privately owned vehicles;
  • Red on white: any kind of paid transportation (buses, taxis, trucks, etc.) and driving schools (autoescola in Portuguese);
  • Blue on white: official use (government-owned cars: police departments, fire departments, federal, state or city public services);
  • Grey on white: collector's items (vehicles older than 30 years in excellent state of conservation and in original state - with more than 80% of its original components), unrestricted circulation inside and outside Brazil;
  • White on black: same as above, but without Mercosur's logo and with circulation restricted inside Brazil;
  • Green on white: manufacturer plates for vehicles under testing, dealer-testing, or in some cases test-drive (in most cases test-drive cars are registered to the dealership and thus use regular black on white plates; privately owned cars being tested after repairs usually carry dealer-fitted green plates over their black on white plates);
  • Gold on white: diplomatic use.

Old system (1990-2018)

  • Black on grey: privately owned vehicles;
  • White on red: any kind of paid transportation (buses, taxis etc.);
  • Red on white: driving school (autoescola in Portuguese);
  • Black on white: official use (government-owned cars: police departments, fire departments, federal, state or city public services);
  • Gray on black: collector's items (vehicles older than 30 years in excellent state of conservation and in original state - with more than 80% of its original components);
  • White on green: manufacturer plates for vehicles under testing, dealer-testing, or in some cases test-drive (in most cases test-drive cars are registered to the dealership and thus use black on grey plates; privately owned cars being tested after repairs usually carry dealer-fitted green plates over their black on grey plates);
  • White on blue: diplomatic use (in this case in the format CD 1234 or CC 1234) or newer licenses like EMB 1234).
The first Brazilian license plate was issued in 1901. The early model of the plates was used until 1913
Brazilian license plate used between 1915 and 1941, always beginning with the letter P (private) or A (cabs, trucks and buses)
License plate model used in Brazil between 1941 and 1970. The "Distrito Federal" tag was used in Rio de Janeiro city until 1960, when Brasília became the country's capital and federal district
Cab - truck - bus license plate used in Brazil between 1941 and 1970. The name "Guanabara" began to be used in Rio de Janeiro city in 1960, referring to the city-state where it belonged until 1975, when it was merged with state of Rio de Janeiro and became its capital
Private license plate model used in Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil, between 1941 and 1970. The name "Guanabara" began to be used in Rio de Janeiro city in 1960
Brazilian yellow alphanumeric plate used in private cars between 1971 and 1990
Brazilian license plate used from 1990 until the exchange for Mercosur plates

Letters

Rear plate from Pernambuco
Front license plate of a truck from Pernambuco

The letters on the license plate can describe the state where a vehicle was originally registered. Vehicles relocated from one state to another will show the new state/municipality on the replaceable tag, but it is always possible to determine the place of original registration for a used vehicle by observing the license plate range for each Brazilian State:

State 1st sequence 2nd sequence 3rd sequence 4th sequence 5th sequence 6th sequence 7th sequence 8th sequence 9th sequence 10th sequence 11th sequence 12th sequence 13th sequence
 Paraná (PR) AAA to BEZ RHA to RHZ SDP to SFO
 São Paulo (SP) BFA to GKI QSN to QSZ
 Minas Gerais (MG) GKJ to HOK NXX to NYG OLO to OMH OOV to ORC OWH to OXK PUA to PZZ QMQ to QQZ QUA to QUZ QWR to QXZ RFA to RGD RMD to RNZ RTA to RVZ SHB to SIZ
 Maranhão (MA) HOL to HQE NHA to NHT NMP to NNI NWS to NXQ OIR to OJQ OXQ to OXZ PSA to PTZ ROA to ROZ
 Mato Grosso do Sul (MS) HQF to HTW NRF to NSD OOG to OOU QAA to QAZ REW to REZ
 Ceará (CE) HTX to HZA NQL to NRE NUM to NVF OCB to OCU OHX to OIQ ORN to OSV OZA PMA to POZ RIA to RIN SAN to SBV
 Sergipe (SE) HZB to IAP NVG to NVN OEJ to OES OZB QKN to QKZ QMA to QMP RQW to RRH
 Rio Grande do Sul (RS) IAQ to JDO
 Distrito Federal (DF) JDP to JKR OVM to OVV OZW to PBZ REC to REV SGN to SGZ
 Bahia (BA) JKS to JSZ NTD to NTW NYH to NZZ OKI to OLG OUF to OVD OZC to OZV PJA to PLZ QTU to QTZ RCO to RDR RPA to RQL
 Pará (PA) JTA to JWE NSE to NTC OBT to OCA OFI to OFW OSW to OTZ QDA to QEZ QVA to QVZ RWK to RXD
 Amazonas (AM) JWF to JXY NOI to NPB OAA to OAO OXM PHA to PHZ QZA to QZZ
 Mato Grosso (MT) JXZ to KAU NIY to NJW NPC to NPQ NTX to NUG OAP to OBS QBA to QCZ RAK to RAZ RRI to RRZ
 Goiás (GO) KAV to KFC NFC to NGZ NJX to NLU NVO to NWR OGH to OHA OMI to OOF PQA to PRZ QTN to QTS RBK to RCN SBW to SDO
 Pernambuco (PE) KFD to KME NXU to NXW OYL to OYZ PCA to PGZ QYA to QYZ RZE to RZZ
 Rio de Janeiro (RJ) KMF to LVE RIO to RKV
 Piauí (PI) LVF to LWQ NHU to NIX ODU to OEI OUA to OUE OVW to OVY PIA to PIZ QRN to QRZ RSG to RST
 Santa Catarina (SC) LWR to MMM OKD to OKH QHA to QJZ QTK to QTM RAA to RAJ RDS to REB RKW to RLP RXK to RYZ
 Paraíba (PB) MMN to MOW NPR to NQK OET to OFH OFX to OGG OXO QFA to QFZ QSA to QSM RLQ to RMC
 Espírito Santo (ES) MOX to MTZ OCV to ODT OVE to OVF OVH to OVL OYD to OYK PPA to PPZ QRB to QRM RBA to RBJ RQM to RQV SFP to SGM
 Alagoas (AL) MUA to MVK NLV to NMO OHB to OHK ORD to ORM OXN QLA to QLM QTT QWG to QWL RGO to RGU SAA to SAJ
 Tocantins (TO) MVL to MXG OLH to OLN OYA to OYC QKA to QKM QWA to QWF RSA to RSF
 Rio Grande do Norte (RN) MXH to MZM NNJ to NOH OJR to OKC OVZ to OWG QGA to QGZ RGE to RGN
 Acre (AC) MZM to NAG NXR to NXT OVG OXP QLU to QLZ QWM to QWQ SHA
 Roraima (RR) NAH to NBA NUH to NUL RZA to RZD
 Rondônia (RO) NBB to NEH OHL to OHW OXL QRA QTA to QTJ RSU to RSZ
 Amapá (AP) NEI to NFB QLN to QLT SAK to SAM

Below is an alphabetically organized list of Letter Sequences and corresponding States. This list is up to date as of September 2022.

Alphabetically organized list of Letter Sequences and corresponding States
Letter Sequence State
AAA to BEZ  Paraná (PR)
BFA to GKI  São Paulo (SP)
GKJ to HOK  Minas Gerais (MG)
HOL to HQE  Maranhão (MA)
HQF to HTW  Mato Grosso do Sul (MS)
HTX to HZA  Ceará (CE)
HZB to IAP  Sergipe (SE)
IAQ to JDO  Rio Grande do Sul (RS)
JDP to JKR  Distrito Federal (DF)
JKS to JSZ  Bahia (BA)
JTA to JWE  Pará (PA)
JWF to JXY  Amazonas (AM)
JXZ to KAU  Mato Grosso (MT)
KAV to KFC  Goiás (GO)
KFD to KME  Pernambuco (PE)
KMF to LVE  Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
LVF to LWQ  Piauí (PI)
LWR to MMM  Santa Catarina (SC)
MMN to MOW  Paraíba (PB)
MOX to MTZ  Espírito Santo (ES)
MUA to MVK  Alagoas (AL)
MVL to MXG  Tocantins (TO)
MXH to MZM  Rio Grande do Norte (RN)
MZM to NAG  Acre (AC)
NAH to NBA  Roraima (RR)
NBB to NEH  Rondônia (RO)
NEI to NFB  Amapá (AP)
NFC to NGZ  Goiás (GO)
NHA to NHT  Maranhão (MA)
NHU to NIX  Piauí (PI)
NIY to NJW  Mato Grosso (MT)
NJX to NLU  Goiás (GO)
NLV to NMO  Alagoas (AL)
NMP to NNI  Maranhão (MA)
NNJ to NOH  Rio Grande do Norte (RN)
NOI to NPB  Amazonas (AM)
NPC to NPQ  Mato Grosso (MT)
NPR to NQK  Paraíba (PB)
NQL to NRE  Ceará (CE)
NRF to NSD  Mato Grosso do Sul (MS)
NSE to NTC  Pará (PA)
NTD to NTW  Bahia (BA)
NTX to NUG  Mato Grosso (MT)
NUH to NUL  Roraima (RR)
NUM to NVF  Ceará (CE)
NVG to NVN  Sergipe (SE)
NVO to NWR  Goiás (GO)
NWS to NXQ  Maranhão (MA)
NXR to NXT  Acre (AC)
NXU to NXW  Pernambuco (PE)
NXX to NYG  Minas Gerais (MG)
NYH to NZZ  Bahia (BA)
OAA to OAO  Amazonas (AM)
OAP to OBS  Mato Grosso (MT)
OBT to OCA  Pará (PA)
OCB to OCU  Ceará (CE)
OCV to ODT  Espírito Santo (ES)
ODU to OEI  Piauí (PI)
OEJ to OES  Sergipe (SE)
OET to OFH  Paraíba (PB)
OFI to OFW  Pará (PA)
OFX to OGG  Paraíba (PB)
OGH to OHA  Goiás (GO)
OHB to OHK  Alagoas (AL)
OHL to OHW  Rondônia (RO)
OHX to OIQ  Ceará (CE)
OIR to OJQ  Maranhão (MA)
OJR to OKC  Rio Grande do Norte (RN)
OKD to OKH  Santa Catarina (SC)
OKI to OLG  Bahia (BA)
OLH to OLN  Tocantins (TO)
OLO to OMH  Minas Gerais (MG)
OMI to OOF  Goiás (GO)
OOG to OOU  Mato Grosso do Sul (MS)
OOV to ORC  Minas Gerais (MG)
ORD to ORM  Alagoas (AL)
ORN to OSV  Ceará (CE)
OSW to OTZ  Pará (PA)
OUA to OUE  Piauí (PI)
OUF to OVD  Bahia (BA)
OVE to OVF  Espírito Santo (ES)
OVG  Acre (AC)
OVH to OVL  Espírito Santo (ES)
OVM to OVV  Distrito Federal (DF)
OVW to OVY  Piauí (PI)
OVZ to OWG  Rio Grande do Norte (RN)
OWH to OXK  Minas Gerais (MG)
OXL  Rondônia (RO)
OXM  Amazonas (AM)
OXN  Alagoas (AL)
OXO  Paraíba (PB)
OXP  Acre (AC)
OXQ to OXZ  Maranhão (MA)
OYA to OYC  Tocantins (TO)
OYD to OYK  Espírito Santo (ES)
OYL to OYZ  Pernambuco (PE)
OZA  Ceará (CE)
OZB  Sergipe (SE)
OZC to OZV  Bahia (BA)
OZW to PBZ  Distrito Federal (DF)
PCA to PGZ  Pernambuco (PE)
PHA to PHZ  Amazonas (AM)
PIA to PIZ  Piauí (PI)
PJA to PLZ  Bahia (BA)
PMA to POZ  Ceará (CE)
PPA to PPZ  Espírito Santo (ES)
PQA to PRZ  Goiás (GO)
PSA to PTZ  Maranhão (MA)
PUA to PZZ  Minas Gerais (MG)
QAA to QAZ  Mato Grosso do Sul (MS)
QBA to QCZ  Mato Grosso (MT)
QDA to QEZ  Pará (PA)
QFA to QFZ  Paraíba (PB)
QGA to QGZ  Rio Grande do Norte (RN)
QHA to QJZ  Santa Catarina (SC)
QKA to QKM  Tocantins (TO)
QKN to QKZ  Sergipe (SE)
QLA to QLM  Alagoas (AL)
QLN to QLT  Amapá (AP)
QLU to QLZ  Acre (AC)
QMA to QMP  Sergipe (SE)
QMQ to QQZ  Minas Gerais (MG)
QRA  Rondônia (RO)
QRB to QRM  Espírito Santo (ES)
QRN to QRZ  Piauí (PI)
QSA to QSM  Paraíba (PB)
QSN to QSZ  São Paulo (SP)
QTA to QTJ  Rondônia (RO)
QTK to QTM  Santa Catarina (SC)
QTN to QTS  Goiás (GO)
QTT  Alagoas (AL)
QTU to QTZ  Bahia (BA)
QUA to QUZ  Minas Gerais (MG)
QVA to QVZ  Pará (PA)
QWA to QWF  Tocantins (TO)
QWG to QWL  Alagoas (AL)
QWM to QWQ  Acre (AC)
QWR to QXZ  Minas Gerais (MG)
QYA to QYZ  Pernambuco (PE)
QZA to QZZ  Amazonas (AM)
RAA to RAJ  Santa Catarina (SC)
RAK to RAZ  Mato Grosso (MT)
RBA to RBJ  Espírito Santo (ES)
RBK to RCN  Goiás (GO)
RCO to RDR  Bahia (BA)
RDS to REB  Santa Catarina (SC)
REC to REV  Distrito Federal (DF)
REW to REZ  Mato Grosso do Sul (MS)
RFA to RGD  Minas Gerais (MG)
RGE to RGN  Rio Grande do Norte (RN)
RGO to RGU  Alagoas (AL)
RGV to RGZ Letter Sequence not allocated yet
RHA to RHZ  Paraná (PR)
RIA to RIN  Ceará (CE)
RIO to RKV  Rio de Janeiro (RJ)
RKW to RLP  Santa Catarina (SC)
RLQ to RMC  Paraíba (PB)
RMD to RNZ  Minas Gerais (MG)
ROA to ROZ  Maranhão (MA)
RPA to RQL  Bahia (BA)
RQM to RQV  Espírito Santo (ES)
RQW to RRH  Sergipe (SE)
RRI to RRZ  Mato Grosso (MT)
RSA to RSF  Tocantins (TO)
RSG to RST  Piauí (PI)
RSU to RSZ  Rondônia (RO)
RTA to RVZ  Minas Gerais (MG)
RWA to RWJ  Mato Grosso do Sul (MS)
RWK to RXD  Pará (PA)
RXE to RXJ Letter Sequence not allocated yet
RXK to RYZ  Santa Catarina (SC)
RZA to RZD  Roraima (RR)
RZE to RZZ  Pernambuco (PE)
SAA to SAJ  Alagoas (AL)
SAK to SAM  Amapá (AP)
SAN to SBV  Ceará (CE)
SBW to SDO  Goiás (GO)
SDP to SFO  Paraná (PR)
SFP to SGM  Espírito Santo (ES)
SGN to SGZ  Distrito Federal (DF)
SHA  Acre (AC)
SHB to SIZ  Minas Gerais (MG)
SJA to ZZZ Letter Sequence not allocated yet

2018 Mercosur standard

Pre-production sample of Brazil's Mercosur license plate. Note that the actual implemented alphanumeric format is different from the one shown above: it is LLLNLNN and not LNLNLLN, as seen here)

In October 2014 the design of the new license plate to be used by all Mercosul countries was officially presented. This consists of a plate of 15.75 in × 5.12 in (400.05 mm × 130.05 mm), with a white background, the characters and frame in black and a blue band at the top that shows the name of the country, its flag and the Mercosul logo. The typeface used is FE-Schrift.

In September, 2018, Mercosul standard license plates started to be adopted in Rio de Janeiro. As of January 2020, all states have started issuing the new plates. By the end of 2023, all vehicles are expected to be carrying these new plates.[1]

The Mercosul license plates have a new alphanumeric format that will allow for more available combinations. While the previous system used a LLL-#### format, the new format is LLL#L##. Vehicles who are to switch their old license plates for the new one will retain their previous license plate number, with the exception of the 2nd digit (5th character). The number in that position of the alphanumberic format is being replaced by a letter, in accordance with the below table.

Corresponding 5th Characters in the previous and current Brazilian Plates
2nd Digit in the previous plate Design
(ABC·1234 Format)
4th Letter in the Mercosul Format
(ABC1D23 Format)
0 A
1 B
2 C
3 D
4 E
5 F
6 G
7 H
8 I
9 J

References

  1. ^ "Placas do Mercosul começam a valer em 1º de setembro no Brasil". G1 (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2021-02-15.
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