Vehicle registration plates of Cambodia explained

Kingdom of Cambodia
Countrycode:KH[1]
Colour Front:Blue on white
Colour Rear:Blue on white
Serial Format:Not standard

Cambodian vehicle license plates are the license plates attached to most motorized road vehicles in Cambodia, which are required by law. Cambodian license plates display the name of the province where the vehicle was registered. The owner must register the car in the province they live; this can be a different province from where the owner has his official residence (as shown in the housing register). If the title to the car is transferred to someone else, and the new owner lives in a different province, the number usually changes. Since 2009, Cambodia's official UN road code is KH (previously KMH and K).

Types

Common types

The current Cambodian vehicle license plate format, used since April 1, 2004, has one class number, one or two letters of Latin alphabet, four numbers (from 0001 to 9999) and the name of the province in Khmer in which the car was registered at the top and at the bottom in English. (Ex. Central Khmer: [[Ratanakiri Province|<span style="color:black;">រតនគិរី</span>]] 2D-0008 RATANAKIRI; Central Khmer: [[Sihanoukville Province|<span style="color:black;">ព្រះសីហនុ</span>]] 2D-0088 PREAH SIHANOUK; Central Khmer: [[Phnom Penh|<span style="color:black;">ភ្នំពេញ</span>]] 2D-0888 PHNOM PENH; Central Khmer: [[Banteay Meanchey Province| <span style="color:black;">ប.មានជ័យ</span>]] 2D-8888 BANTEAY MEANCHEY).

ClassPlate colorText colorFirst number
MotorcyclesWhiteBlack1
1–7 seats private automobile*WhiteBlack2
Private automobile with more than 7 seats**BlackWhite3
Agricultural vehicleGreenYellow4
Engineering vehicleOrangeBlack5
Truck trailerWhiteBlack7
Special vehicleWhiteBlack9

* Most 4-door pickups are included in this type.
** Usually a van or a lorry with more than seven seats.

There are plans to add another letter after the license plate numbers of Phnom Penh are full. For example, it starts from "1 AA 0001" to "1 AA 9999", then starts at "1 AB 0001", and continues again. In Phnom Penh, the motorcycle plate already started in 2012.

Personalised number plates

In June 2019, a sub-decree was announced allowing car owners to transfer registration plates to new vehicles, and purchase customised number plates for a premium fee.[2]

Personalised plates are obtained via an online portal where vehicle owners search for existing plates for sale, or create a plate. Prices for customised plates can reach up to 1,000,000,000KHR (approximately USD250,000).

Custom plates feature the word កម្ពុជា "Kampuchea" and can contain up to 9 alpha-numeric characters.

The program has become a highly lucrative source of revenue for the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, raising more than US$70M net through sales of personalised number plates from 2019 to February 2022[3]

International Organisations & Non Government Organisations

NGOs and international organisations can be issued plates signifying their organisational status. Plates are light blue with white text, with the designation ONG or OI in capital letters, representing the French spelling, Organisation Non Gouvernementale and Organisation Internationale.

Police

Cars owned by the police get the red plate with "Central Khmer: នគរបាល" as the province of registration.

Embassy and consulate

Embassy and consulate vehicles have their own license plates with a yellow background and blue text.

Royal vehicles

The royal family's license plate has two yellow letters in Khmer script (Central Khmer: រន) and three yellow numbers on a blue plate.

Temporary plates

Until 1993, new cars not yet getting the real plate get the five-digit number plate.

When people use registered cars temporarily outside Cambodia, they may have English temporary plates. The English plates are the same number as the real plates and used for that car only. The plate has the province name in English at the bottom, instead of in Khmer. Today this is used for every car.

State Plates

Government vehicles use state plates which include the word State,(Central Khmer: រដ្ឋ) and numerical designation for the administrative body responsible.

Plate numberState body (Khmer)State body
រដ្ឋ-01ព្រឹទ្ធសភាSenate
រដ្ឋ-02រដ្ឋសភាState Assembly
រដ្ឋ-03រាជរដ្ឋាភិបាលRoyal Government
រដ្ឋ-04ក្រុមប្រឹក្សាធម្មនុញ្ញConstitutional Council
រដ្ឋ-05ទីស្តីការគណរដ្ឋមន្រ្តីOffice of the Council of Ministers
រដ្ឋ-06ក្រសួងការពារជាតិMinistry of National Defense
រដ្ឋ-07ក្រសួងមហាផ្ទៃMinistry of Interior
រដ្ឋ-08ក្រសួងទំនាក់ទំនងរដ្ឋសភា-ព្រឹទ្ធសភា និងអធិការកិច្ចMinistry of National Assembly-Senate Relations and Inspection
រដ្ឋ-09ក្រសួងការបរទេស និងសហប្រតិបត្តិការMinistry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation
រដ្ឋ-10ក្រសួងសេដ្ឋកិច្ច និងហិរញ្ញវត្ថុMinistry of Economy and Finance
រដ្ឋ-11ក្រសួងពត៌មានMinistry of Information
រដ្ឋ-12ក្រសួងសុខាភិបាលMinistry of Health
រដ្ឋ-13ក្រសួងរ៉ែ និងថាមពលMinistry of Mines and Energy
រដ្ឋ-14ក្រសួងផែនការMinistry of Planning
រដ្ឋ-15ក្រសួងពាណិជ្ជកម្មMinistry of Commerce
រដ្ឋ-16ក្រសួងអប់រំ យុវជន និងកីឡាMinistry of Education, Youth and Sports
រដ្ឋ-17ក្រសួងកសិកម្ម រុក្ខាប្រមាញ់ និងនេសាទMinistry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
រដ្ឋ-18ក្រសួងវប្បធម៌ និងវិចិត្រសិល្បៈMinistry of Culture and Fine Arts
រដ្ឋ-19ក្រសួងបរិស្ថានMinistry of Environment
រដ្ឋ-20ក្រសួងអភិវឌ្ឍន៍ជនបទMinistry of Rural Development
រដ្ឋ-21ក្រសួងសង្គមកិច្ច អតីតយុទ្ធជន និងយុវនីតិសម្បទាMinistry of Social Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation
រដ្ឋ-22ក្រសួងប្រៃសណីយ៍ និងទូរគមនាគមន៍Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications
រដ្ឋ-23ក្រសួងធម្មការ និងសាសនាMinistry of Culture and Fine Arts
រដ្ឋ-24ក្រសួងកិច្ចការនារីMinistry of Women's Affairs
រដ្ឋ-25ក្រសួងសាធារណការ និងដឹកជញ្ជូនMinistry of Public Works and Transport
រដ្ឋ-26ក្រសួងយុត្តិធម៌Ministry of Justice
រដ្ឋ-27ក្រសួងទេសចរណ៍Ministry of Tourism
រដ្ឋ-28ក្រសួងរៀបចំដែនដី នគរូបនីយកម្ម និងសំណង់Ministry of Land Management, Urban Planning and Construction
រដ្ឋ-29ក្រសួងធនធានទឹក និងឧត្តុនិយមMinistry of Water Resources and Meteorology
រដ្ឋ-30ក្រសួងព្រះបរមរាជវាំងMinistry of Royal Palace
រដ្ឋ-31ក្រសួងមុខងារសាធារណៈMinistry of Civil Service
រដ្ឋ-32រដ្ឋលេធិការដ្ឋានអាការចរស៊ីវិលState Secretariat of Civil Aviation
រដ្ឋ-33ឧត្តមក្រុមប្រឹក្សាចៅក្រមSupreme Council of Judges
រដ្ឋ-34អគ្គលេខាដ្ឋានរដ្ឋសភា-ព្រឹទ្ធសភាGeneral Secretariat of the National Assembly-Senate
រដ្ឋ-35ធនាគារជាតិនៃកម្ពុជាNational Bank of Cambodia
រដ្ឋ-36អង្គការជាតិNational Organization
រដ្ឋ-37រាជធានីភ្នំពេញPhnom Penh Capital
រដ្ឋ-38ខេត្តកណ្តាលKandal Province
រដ្ឋ-39ខេត្តកំពង់ធំKampong Thom Province
រដ្ឋ-40ខេត្តកំពង់ឆ្នាំងKampong Chhnang Province
រដ្ឋ-41ខេត្តកំពង់ស្ពឺKampong Speu Province
រដ្ឋ-42ខេត្តកំពង់ចាមKampong Cham Province
រដ្ឋ-43ខេត្តកំពតKampot Province
រដ្ឋ-44ខេត្តកោះកុងKoh Kong Province
រដ្ឋ-45ខេត្តកែបKep Province
រដ្ឋ-46ខេត្តក្រចេះKratie Province
រដ្ឋ-47ខេត្តតាកែវTakeo Province
រដ្ឋ-48ខេត្តបន្ទាយមានជ័យBanteay Meanchey Province
រដ្ឋ-49ខេត្តបាត់ដំបងBattambang Province
រដ្ឋ-50ខេត្តប៉ៃលិនPailin Province
រដ្ឋ-51ខេត្តពោធិ៍សាត់Pursat Province
រដ្ឋ-52ខេត្តព្រះសីហនុPreah Sihanouk Province
រដ្ឋ-53ខេត្តព្រះវិហារPreah Vihear Province
រដ្ឋ-54ខេត្តព្រៃវែងPrey Veng Province
រដ្ឋ-55ខេត្តមណ្ឌលគិរីMondulkiri Province
រដ្ឋ-56ខេត្តរតនគិរីRattanakiri Province
រដ្ឋ-57ខេត្តសៀមរាបSiem Reap Province
រដ្ឋ-58ខេត្តស្វាយរៀងSvay Rieng Province
រដ្ឋ-59ខេត្តស្ទឹងត្រែងSteung Treng Province
រដ្ឋ-60ខេត្តឧត្តរមានជ័យOddar Meanchey Province
រដ្ឋ-61ក្រសួងការងារ និងបណ្តុះបណ្តាលវិជ្ជាជីវៈMinistry of Labor and Vocational Training

Location names

Cambodian license plates use the Khmer name of the province where its owner (a person or company) is located or registered.

ProvinceName on plate
KhmerEnglish
Banteay MeancheyCentral Khmer: ប.មានជ័យBANTEAY MEANCHEY
BattambangCentral Khmer: បាត់ដំបងBATTAMBANG
Kampong ChamCentral Khmer: កំពង់ចាមKAMPONG CHAM
Kampong ChhnangCentral Khmer: កំពង់ឆ្នាំងKAMPONG CHHNANG
Kampong SpeuCentral Khmer: កំពង់ស្ពឺKAMPONG SPEU
Kampong ThomCentral Khmer: កំពង់ធំKAMPONG THOM
KampotCentral Khmer: កំពតKAMPOT
KandalCentral Khmer: កណ្ដាលKANDAL
KepCentral Khmer: កែបKEP
Koh KongCentral Khmer: កោះកុងKOH KONG
KratiéCentral Khmer: ក្រចេះKRATIE
MondulkiriCentral Khmer: មណ្ឌលគិរីMONDULKIRI
Oddar MeancheyCentral Khmer: ឧ.មានជ័យODDAR MEANCHEY
PailinCentral Khmer: ប៉ែលិនPAILIN
Phnom PenhCentral Khmer: ភ្នំពេញPHNOM PENH
Preah VihearCentral Khmer: ព្រះវិហារPREAH VIHEAR
Preah SihanoukCentral Khmer: ព្រះសីហនុPREAH SIHANOUK
Prey VengCentral Khmer: ព្រៃវែងPREY VENG
PursatCentral Khmer: ពោធិ៍សាត់PURSAT
RatanakiriCentral Khmer: រតនគិរីRATANAKIRI
Siem ReapCentral Khmer: សៀមរាបSIEM REAP
Stung TrengCentral Khmer: ស្ទឹងត្រែងSTUNG TRENG
Svay RiengCentral Khmer: ស្វាយរៀងSVAY RIENG
TakéoCentral Khmer: តាកែវTAKEO
Tboung KhmumCentral Khmer: ត្បូងឃ្មុំTBOUNG KHMUM

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: United Nations Treaty Collection .
  2. Koemsoeun, S. (2019, June). Vehicle registration laws issued. Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved July 11, 2022, from https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/vehicle-registration-laws-issued
  3. Staff, P. (2022, April 25). Personalised plates net more than $70 million. Phnom Penh Post. Retrieved July 11, 2022, from https://www.phnompenhpost.com/national/personalised-plates-net-more-70-million