Vehicle registration plates in Singapore are administered by the Land Transport Authority.[1] All vehicles in Singapore are required to display front and back plates bearing its registration number. Purchasers of vehicles have the option to bid for a vehicle registration number or get a vehicle registration number automatically assigned.[1] Vehicle registration numbers can be retained on new or old vehicles owned by the same person, with a validity of 1 year or with extensions of 6 months thereafter. Vehicle owners are also able to replace and bid for a new registration number for existing vehicles.[2]
In general, every motor vehicle in Singapore requires a vehicle registration number to be displayed at the front center (in almost all cases or otherwise set by car manufacturer due to bumper constraints) and rear of the vehicle.[1] Two colour schemes are in use: white-on-black scheme that is standard on cars and motorcycles from dealerships, or the Euro black-on-white (front of the vehicle) and black-on-yellow (rear) scheme.
These plates are either represented in rectangular single line or squarish two line format. The number plate has to be made of a reflective plastic with flat characters or metal based with bolded or embossed characters which are black (for white-yellow), or white or silver (for black based ones).
Although no standardised typeface is used, all typefaces are based on the Charles Wright number plate typeface that was and is still used in the UK. Rarely, the Arial Bold or FE-Schrift font used in Germany can be seen – though the use of these fonts is prohibited by the Land Transport Authority (LTA).[3]
For motorists who would be attaching a bicycle rack of which the vehicle licence plate would be blocked at the rear of a vehicle, or any other fittings that obstructs the view of the number plate, motorists are required to hang an additional licence plate prominently at the rear of the vehicle.[4]
A typical vehicle registration number comes in the format Sxx #### y:
Private car licence plate numbers began in the early 1900s when Singapore was one of the four Straits Settlements, with a single prefix S for denoting Singapore, then adding a suffix letter S 'B' to S 'Y' for cars, but skipping a few like S 'A' (reserved for motorcycles), S 'H' (reserved for taxis), S 'D' (reserved for municipal vehicles), and S 'G' for goods vehicles large and small. There was no checksum letter, for example, S. When the checksum letter was implemented, these plate numbers were given checksum letters as well, for example SG5999 became SG5999Z.
When 'S' was exhausted at SY, in January 1972, private cars started with E and Land Transport Authority begin to create separate vehicle categories according type of vehicles which previously all vehicles in Singapore must bear prefix S due to previous standardization with Peninsular Malaysia according to geographical location (A is for Perak, B is for Selangor, S is for Singapore/Sabah), motorbikes with A and goods vehicles under 3 tonnes with Y. E was followed by EA, EB with the letters EC in 1973 up to EZ. E was chosen then as letters A-D were already in used by other states in Malaysia.[5]
From 1984, the "S" series of number plates was launched again after EZ, but now with two serial suffix letters, starting from SBA, although with several prefixes being skipped as they are reserved, such as SBS and SMB, as they were used for buses that belong to public transport operators. However under the Bus Contracting Model which was later implemented, bus operators under Bus Contracting Model utilise the SG prefix for all public buses.
Since August 2017, the Land Transport Authority announced that electric bicycle (also known as Power-Assisted Bicycle) owners would have to register their personal mobility vehicles between 14 August and 31 January 2018 and install number plates, with sealing and registration to be done by the individual. Since then, if the unregistered PAB already has an LTA orange seal, a registration is only needed. Alternatively, if a registered PAB is bought from a retailer, only a transfer the registration to the individual's name is needed. Registration for PAB with blue seal has ceased as of 2018. [6] [7]
Since January 2019, the Land Transport Authority announced that electric scooter owners would have to register their personal mobility vehicles between 2 January and 30 July 2019. A registered e-scooter must have a LTA Registration Mark and an Identification Mark (which bears the unique registration number assigned to the e-scooter) affixed. However, non-UL2272 certified vehicles were deregistered automatically on 1 July 2020.[8]
Other classes of vehicles have registration numbers beginning with specific letters:
| Series | Vehicle class | Example | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A_ | Motorcycles until mid-1980s | ||
| CB | Company or school buses (discontinued in 1996)[9] | ||
| E_ | Private vehicles from the early 1970s until the mid 1980s | ||
| EVS | Special prefix for the first 100 locally assembled EVs.[10] | ||
| F_ FB_ | Motorcycles (e.g., FA–FZ); used till late 2005. Second generation prefixes (e.g., FBA, FBB, and so on); started at the end of December 2005. The current prefix being issued is FBW. | ||
| G_ GB_ | Light Goods vehicles (class 3) (e.g., GA – GZ) till late 2006. Second generation prefixes (e.g., GBA onwards; introduced at the end of December 2006, after GZ. The current prefix being issued is GBM. | ||
| P_ | Private operator buses (PA, PC, PD, PH, PZ were used to separate private buses, and so on, but later on all private hire buses were issued plates with PA, PC and so on). The current prefix being issued is PD. | ||
| Q_ QE_QB_QC_ | Once issued to company-registered vehicles. Expenses incurred in the use of these cars were tax-deductible, though the road tax payable was twice that of a private car.[11] After a tax rationalisation in 1998 which did away with these benefits, company cars have been issued with standard number plates ever since.[12] The Q-prefix was used both standalone (e.g. QB 1 K) and as a prefix for, E, B and C-series plates (e.g. QEZ 6257 R, QBX 2223 K, QCK 6861 Z)[13] | ||
| S_ S_ _ | Private vehicles, also formal number plate series. First generation prefixes (e.g., SB – SY) issued till 1969. Second generation prefixes (e.g., SBA onwards; introduced from 1984. The current prefix being issued is SNT.[14] | ||
| SH SH_ | Taxis or street hire vehicles such as Singapore-Johore Express, former SBS buses operating Sentosa and Airport services (AIRBUS) and Singapore Explorer Trolley – City Sightseeing buses. The current prefix being issued is SHF.SH was also previously used for public buses that were not operated by the Singapore Traction Company (e.g. buses under the Chinese bus companies and later, SBS from the 1960s to 1974, when new SBS numbers were issued specifically for SBS buses.) | ||
| TR_ | Trailers. The current prefix being issued is TRE.[15] | ||
| W_ | Engineering plant vehicles (Class 5), some registered Jeeps and Rovers. The current prefix being issued is WD. | ||
| X_ | Very heavy goods vehicles (Class 5/prime movers) not constructed to carry any load. The current prefix being issued is XF.[16] | ||
| Y_ | Heavy goods vehicles (class 3/4) which are constructed to carry load or passengers only. The current prefix being issued is YR. | ||
| 12345 | Power-Assisted Bicycle (PAB) number plate for blue sealed vehicles with a maximum of 5 digits. Registration has ceased as of 2018. | ||
| _123 _ _12 | Power-Assisted Bicycle (PAB) number plate for orange sealed vehicles with a maximum of 4 alphanumerics. The first generation prefix (A - Z) was exhausted in 2021. The second generation prefix (AA - ZZ) is currently being issued. | ||
| 123_ _ | E-scooter number plate with a maximum of 5 alphanumerics. |
In addition, the following are controlled for specific types of vehicles, including:
Special prefixes were used for specific events, such as:
They are neither used after the events nor sold for to the public, but unofficial series for cosmetic purposes.
Civil Mobilisation Exercise or Vehicle Recalls have a large A3/A2 sticker stuck at the rear and front of the vehicle denoted that the vehicle is being mobilised or deployed for civil emergency exercises. These usually happen during weekends.
The checksum letter is calculated by converting the letters into numbers, i.e., where A=1 and Z=26, potentially giving seven individual numbers from each registration plate. However, only two letters of the prefix are used in the checksum. For a three-letter prefix, only the last two letters are used; for a two-letter prefix, both letters are used; for a single letter prefix, the single letter corresponds to the second position, with the first position as 0. For numerals less than four digits, additional zeroes are added in front as placeholders, for example "1" is "0001". SBS 9889 would therefore give 2, 19, 9, 8, 8 and 9 (note that "S" is discarded); E 12 would give 0, 5, 0, 0, 1 and 2. SG 2017 would be given as 19, 7, 2, 0, 1, 7.
Each individual number is then multiplied by 6 fixed numbers (9, 4, 5, 4, 3, 2). These are added up, then divided by 19. The remainder corresponds to one of the 19 letters used (A, Z, Y, X, U, T, S, R, P, M, L, K, J, H, G, E, D, C, B), with "A" corresponding to a remainder of 0, "Z" corresponding to 1, "Y" corresponding to 2 and so on. In the case of SBS 9889, the final letter is a "U"; for E 23, the final letter should be a H. SG 2017 back letter should be a C. The letters F, I, N, O, Q, V and W are not used as checksum letters.
Checksum suffix letters are not applied to special government vehicles and event vehicles.
LTA has introduced policies where certain series of licence plate prefixes are deliberately skipped for various reasons. The policies include:
To date, vanity plates or such a scheme has not been introduced, as it would further encourage the use of private vehicles which contradicts the efforts by the state in discouraging the usage of private vehicles.
For now, there is a thriving trade in the sales of number plates that have single, double or significant digits (i.e., lucky numbers) or registration numbers from the older series.[20] Bids for vehicle registration numbers starts at S$1,000, with the number awarded to the highest bidder.[20] The highest amount recorded for a bid was in 2016, where the registration number of 'S32H' was sold for S$335,000.[21]
Vehicles registered as "Off-peak Vehicles", colloquially known as "weekend cars" or red plate, pay a cheaper annual road tax compared to ordinary private cars, and rebates towards the registration of Certificate of Entitlement (COE) and Additional Registration Fee (ARF) on a new vehicle purchase.[22] Off-peak vehicles display number plates with white characters on a red background and are held with a tamper seal at the corner, bolted onto the bumper beam frame or the trunk itself. They are also not to be confused with the preserved vehicle licence plate format for de-registered vehicles.
These vehicles are only allowed to run on the roads in Singapore after peak hours (7:00 pm – 7:00 am) on weekdays, and the whole day on Saturday (Revised OPC scheme allows on whole Saturday, non-revised old OPC scheme vehicles must adhered to the old scheme restriction which is 7:00 am – 3:00 pm on Saturday), Sunday and public holidays. The restrictions do not apply if the vehicle is not in Singapore and is in Malaysia during restricted hours.
For owners of off-peak vehicles who wish to drive on weekdays during restricted hours, they are required to buy an e-licence for $20 either online or through major post offices. Car owners have up to 24 hours on the following day to purchase the e-licence. First-time offenders may be fined up to $5,000 for failing to display a valid day coupon or using an invalid day coupon, and up to $10,000 for using an altered day coupon when their vehicles are used during the restricted hours.
Off-peak vehicles pay a relatively lower road tax (a discount of up to $500) as compared to other private vehicles, and are also given rebate of $17,000 which can be offset against the COE and ARF. Once seen as a alterative for motorists to use on selected days, a majority of people in Singapore do not use off-peak vehicles in today’s trends due to its restrictions on day usage.
Similarly, due to rising vehicle ownership costs as an alternative, they are not beneficial financially beyond COE expiry and COE renewal and for cars above 1600cc. Off-peak vehicles are popular among cars below 1600cc due to lower road tax rebates.[23]
Vehicles registered under the Classic Vehicle Scheme, Vintage (Restricted) Vehicle Scheme, and the Revised Vintage Vehicle Scheme bear the Vintage and Classic vehicle registration plate, which has an ordinary registration number but with white lettering on a half-red, half-yellow background, with a seal affixed on the number plate by an authorised inspection centre.
According to Land Transport Authority (LTA) guidelines, classic vehicles are required to be of at least 35 years of age, while vintage vehicles must be manufactured in 1939 or earlier. Under the Classic Vehicle Scheme and the Revised Vintage Vehicle Scheme, the maximum allowable road usage for these vehicles is limited to 45 days per year, while vehicles registered under the Vintage (Restricted) Vehicle Scheme are limited to 28 days of annual road usage.[24] [25] Owners of these vehicles are required to display a valid Day License every time they use their vehicle.
These vehicles enjoy rebates on road tax and the registration of Certificate of Entitlement (COE). However, they cannot be converted to other vehicle registration schemes and are required to pay ERP.
A "Restricted Use" vehicle displays a registration plate with white letters on a diagonally bisected background, the upper half of which is red and the lower half emerald green. The two lead characters of the plate are "RU".
"Hazardous Cargo" plates were introduced in 2005, using normal commercial vehicle registrations, often in the 'Y' code, but with, unusually, black figures on a reflective orange background. These trucks are permitted to carry fuel, gas canisters and chemicals (flammables), and are not permitted to enter both tunnels and city areas unless route arrangements have been made in advance with the fire services. Malaysian lorries are also required to have a separate HAZMAT orange licence plate affixed to both the trailer and wagon (tow head). Such vehicles are subject to the same rules as Singapore-registered hazardous cargo vehicles.
"Research and Development" vehicles display a half-yellow, half-blue plate with the prefix "RD".
Motor dealers and traders use white on blue plates using the suffix "S", preceded by up to four numerals for their test drive vehicles.
Driving instructors teaching students in Singapore must display an "L" ("learner") plate beside their vehicle registration plates on both the front and back of the vehicle.
See also: Vehicle registration plates of Malaysia.
Potential conflicts with Malaysian vehicle registration number schemes:
| Singaporean registration plate formats having similarities with Malaysian registration plate formats | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Algorithm (Singapore) | Algorithm (Malaysia) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ax #### y (Motorcycles registered prior to mid-1980s) | Ax #### (Perak) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| CB #### y (School buses) | CB #### (Pahang) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ex #### y (1972-1984 Private vehicles series) | Exx #### (Pre-1980s Sabah) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Fx #### y (Motorcycles) | Fx #### (Putrajaya) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Gxx ##### y (Light Goods vehicles) | G #### / GG #### / G ### G(Commemorative Series) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| MP ## (Military Police motorcycles) | MP #### (Malacca) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Px #### y (Private Buses using formats PA, PC, PD, PH; Pulau Ubin vehicles using PU) | Px #### (Penang) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Q/Qx/Qxx #### y (Pre-1998 company vehicles, private ambulances, except government vehicles with QX and QY prefixes) | Q/Qx/Qxx #### / Q/Qx/Qxx #### x (Sarawak) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Rx #### y (Restricted Use vehicles using format RU; Research and Development format using RD) | Rx #### (Perlis) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SG #### y (Public buses) | SG #### (Sabah & Sarawak Government) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SJ #### / SJx #### y (Supreme Court Justice vehicles and 2007-2010 Private vehicles) | SJx #### (West Coast, Sabah) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| SMx #### y (2018-2021 Private vehicles and public buses using SMB prefixes) | SMx #### (Sandakan, Sabah) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sxx #### y (Private vehicles, pre-1969 and 1984-present formats) | Sxx #### x (Sabah divisions with extended series) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| TP #### y (Traffic Police motorcycles) | TP #### (Terengganu) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Wx #### y (Engineering plant vehicles and Land Rovers & Jeeps) | Wx #### / Wx #### x (Kuala Lumpur first series including extended) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Xx #### y (Very Heavy Goods vehicles) | XX #### (Commemorative series) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Yx #### y (Heavy Goods vehicles) | YY #### (Commemorative series) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| "x" denotes sequencing or series. "y" denotes checksum suffix. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||