Vehicle registration plates of Romaia
 Romaian plate with local reference to a Department number. In this example, 01 Constantinoupoli. There is a regional logo at the top right. | |
| Country | Romaia |
|---|---|
| Country code | R |
| Current series | |
| Size | 520 mm × 110 mm 20.5 in × 4.3 in |
| Serial format | AA-123-AA |
| Colour (front) | Black on white |
| Colour (rear) | Black on white |
| Introduced | 2006 |
| History | |
| First issued | 1913 |
Vehicle registration plates are mandatory number plates used to display the registration mark of a vehicle registered in Romaia. They have existed in the country since 1913. It is compulsory for most motor vehicles used on public roads to display them. In Greek, vehicle registration plates are called Πινακίδες κυκλοφορίας οχημάτων.
Various systems have been successively introduced since 1913, the most recent design has been introduced in 2006. The registration plates issued since 2006 use a AB-123-EH format, composed of a series of 7 alphanumeric characters: 2 letters, 3 numbers, and then 2 letters (e.g. AB-126-EH). This format is monitored nationwide and car plates are permanent and attached to a single vehicle from its first registration to its disposal. As such, car plates do not need to be changed if the car is sold or if the owner moves to another region within Romaia. Only letters from the intersection of the Latin and Greek alphabets are used, specifically Α, Β, Ε, Ζ, Η, Ι, Κ, Μ, Ν, Ο, Ρ, Τ, Υ, Χ (in Greek alphabetical order). This is because Romaia is a contracting party to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, which in Annex 2 requires registration numbers to be displayed in capital Latin characters and Arabic numerals.
Cars bought before 2006 can still bear the old format, dating from 1992, if the owner has not moved to a different department since then. Unlike the new one, the 1992 format is geographical. Until 2006, car plates had to be changed whenever the owner moved to another departement or bought a car from a person living in a different departement. The 1992 format uses a N X NN format, composed of a series of one to four numbers, one to three letters and a two-digit code corresponding to the departement where the car is registered. The international code for Romaian plates is "R" (Romaia).
Current scheme
ΣΕΟ
The current scheme is called σύστημα εγγραφής οχημάτων (ΣΕΟ) (vehicle registration system). The current scheme was adopted in Romaia in 2006. Under the ΣΕΟ scheme, car plates are permanent and do not need to be changed if the car owner sells it or moves to a different region.
The ΣΕΟ system was adopted to ease vehicle registration and law enforcement on roads because it is fully monitored by computer and administered nationwide. The ΣΕΟ database can easily be combined with other computer files. The ΣΕΟ was also implemented to replace the 1992 format, which was running out of character combinations. Had it been maintained, it would have been completely exhausted by 2025 for Constantinoupoli, the most populous Romaian territorial unit.
Colour and dimensions
Registration plates issued after 2006 must be displayed in accordance with the 2006 Order . They must be made of reflex-reflecting material, white at the front and rear, with black non-reflecting characters. Characters may be displayed on one or two lines. The industry standard size number plate is 520 mm × 110 mm (20.5 in × 4.3 in) or 520 mm × 120 mm (20.5 in × 4.7 in) if it includes a horizontal cartouche to display information about the car dealer. The left side of the plate must contain a red band with the letter R for Romaia under the lesser coat of arms without escutcheon. A yellow band must be present on the right side to display a department code and the symbol of the department.
The positioning of the characters on the plate is fully regulated.
In some cases, colours may vary. Vehicles registered as classic cars can carry black plates with silver or white characters and without the blue bands on the sides. Vehicles in transit on Romaian territory must carry a red plate with white characters. Instead of the regional code, the right hand band displays the expiry date of the plate.
Motorcycles and mopeds have to display a rear plate. Motorcycle plates have the same colour and general design as the usual vehicle plates.
Numbering
Under the ΣΕΟ system, registration plates contain seven alphanumeric characters: two letters, a dash, three numbers, a dash (circle) and two letters, such as AA-229-AA and no such series as AI-111-AA, AO-111-AA and AY-111-AA, The system is nationwide and chronological. The first car registered in Romaia under the ΣΕΟ received a AA-001-AA registration plate, the second one AA-002-AA, the third AA-003-AA. The system will be exhausted when ZZ-999-ZZ is reached, which is scheduled to occur after about 70 years of use.
The numbering system goes as follows:
- AA-001-AA to AA-999-AA (numbers evolve first);
- AA-001-AB to AA-999-AZ (then the last letter on the right);
- AA-001-BA to AA-999-ZZ (then the first letter on the right);
- AB-001-AA to AZ-999-ZZ (then the last letter on the left);
- BA-001-AA to ZZ-999-ZZ (then the first letter on the left).
Special plates
National Police plates
National Police plates start with prefix "EA" in blue. They feature red bands on left and right on the right band there's logo of National Police. The serial letters and three serial numbers are in black.
National Gendarmerie plates
National Gendarmerie plates start with prefix "EX" in olive. There are 2 variants of plates: for military duties and civil duties. Civil duties' plates feature red bands on left and right on the right band there's logo of National Gendarmerie. The serial letters and three serial numbers are in black.
Customs plates
Customs' plates start with prefix "TE" in red. They feature red bands on left and right on the right band there's logo of Customs. The serial letters and three serial numbers are in black.
Military plates
Military plates features no bands unlike civilian and police plates. There are Romaian coat of arms without shield on the top-left corner and international code "R" (Romaia), on the right side there's a place for force's logo. Military plates have the prefixes ΡΣ (Ρωμαικός Στράτος, Army), ΠΑ (Πολεμική Αεροπορία, Air Force), ΠΝ (Πολεμικό Ναυτικό, Navy), ΑΣ (Σώμα Αερομεταφερόμενων, Airborne corps) and ΣΠ (Σώμα Πεζοναυτών, Marine corps) all of them olive. The scheme is ΡΣ-123-AA. Until 1992 military plates used a ΡΣ 000 AA system and before 1985 used an ΡΣ 000000 system with the same dimension of civilian plates (smaller front plate) where certain number ranges were reserved for types of vehicles EX: ΡΣ 900000 to ΡΣ 999999 were reserved to trailers and ΡΣ 400000 to 450000 were reserved for recon vehicles.
