Vehicle registration plates of Botswana for normal motor vehicles begin with the letter B, followed by three digits, followed by three letters. The digits and letters are assigned by a registrar. The three letters will never include the letter Q so as to avoid confusion with the letter O. The front number plates have black lettering on a white reflective background. The rear number plates have black lettering on a yellow reflective background. Public passenger number plates have white lettering on blue background at both the front and rear.
Government vehicles all have the prefix BX, except defence force vehicles which have the prefix BDF. The front BX number plates have red lettering on a white reflective background. The rear BX number plates have white lettering on a red reflective background. The BDF number plates have white letters on a green non-reflective background for the front plate and black letters on a green non-reflective background for the rear plate.
Diplomatic vehicles’ number plates starts with two digits, two letters (CD, CC or CT) and a further three digits. These digits are allocated by the Minister of Foreign Affairs.[1]
| Image | First issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Black on White | A123BCD | Passenger car front plate | ||||
| Black on Yellow | A123BCD | Passenger car rear plate | ||||
| White on Blue | A123BCD | Public service vehicle rear plate | ||||
| White on Red | AB123456 | Government vehicle rear plate | ||||
These codes dating back to the Protectorate continued in use after independence:
Government:
2. Holcroft’s South African Calendar 1975, published by Vergne, Pretoria (for earlier codes).