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Vehicle registration plates of Singapore

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. Vehicle owners are also able to replace and bid for a new registration number for existing vehicles.[2]

License plates affixed on private and some light goods vehicles in Singapore usually have license plate frames provided by the dealership.
Vehicles owned by some car-sharing or taxi companies features plate frames with the company's name.

Current scheme Edit

 
Black on white (front) and black on yellow (rear) number plate scheme
 
A white on black number plate scheme

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.[3]

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).[3]

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 is blocked at the rear of a vehicle, or any other fittings such as wedding decorations 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:

  • S – Vehicle class ("S", with some exceptions, stands for a private vehicle since 1984)
  • x – Alphabetical series ("I" and "O" are not used to avoid confusion with "1" and "0")
  • #### – Numerical series (from 1 to 9999, without leading zeroes)
  • y – Checksum letter ("F", "I", "N", "O", "Q", "V" and "W" are never used as checksum letters; absent on special government vehicle plates and events vehicle plates)

Types of numbers Edit

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 FBV.  
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_ _ 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 SNN.[14]

 

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 XE.  
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.

Other specific vehicle types Edit

In addition, the following are controlled for specific types of vehicles, including:

 
Pulau Ubin vehicle registration plate
 
SBS Transit bus registration plate scheme
 
Singapore Elected President
 
Emergency and law enforcement
 
Singapore police commissioner
  • CSS: City Shuttle Service buses (no longer issued: some re-registered under TIB series while the rest were deregistered.)
  • LTA: Land Transport Authority enforcement officers' vehicles.
  • MID: Singapore Armed Forces vehicles (this is a suffix with up to five digits before it, e.g., "12345 MID"). "MID" originally stood for the Ministry of Interior and Defence. General ranks in the armed forces are provided with staff cars with two-digit MID plates.
  • MP: Vehicles operated by the Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command. (SAFPU plates were formerly used)
  • NZ: Vehicles of New Zealand diplomats, New Zealand Defence Support Unit (NZDSU), and Installations Auxiliary Police Force (IAPF).
  • PU: Tax-exempt, restricted for exclusive use with permission on the island of Pulau Ubin
  • QX: Emergency and law enforcement agencies (Singapore Police Force, Singapore Civil Defence Force, Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, etc.)
  • QY: Quasi-government agencies and statutory boards
  • RD: Research and development vehicles (such as electric, fuel-cell and smart car rental vehicles).
  • RU: Restricted Use vehicles, a special category for vehicles for which road taxes are not paid. A vehicle with such a licence is restricted for use within certain areas, for example a pushback truck within the grounds of Singapore Changi Airport or shuttle buses on Sentosa island and other southern islands of Singapore. When travelling out of the restricted boundaries, such vehicles are either required to be tagged with a trade-plate or towed.
  • S/CC: Vehicles of the Consular Corps
  • S/CD: Vehicles of the Diplomatic Corps
  • S/TE: "Technical employment" vehicles
  • S1 to S10: State cars used for ferrying official government guests and dignitaries
  • SBS: Buses operated and assigned to SBS Transit (from 1973) until January 2016. Currently also used by Tower Transit and Go-Ahead Singapore.
  • SDC: Buses operated by Sentosa Development Corporation (No longer issued, replaced by RU plates)
  • SEP: "Singapore Elected President" – the official state car of the President of the Republic of Singapore (1 SEP)
  • SG: Government-owned buses operated by contracted bus operators under Bus Contracting Model. Formerly assigned to goods vehicles, most goods vehicles were de-registered by 1998.
  • SJ: Supreme Court judges (the Chief Justice's car has the plate number "SJ 1").
  • SMB: Buses operated and assigned to SMRT Buses until January 2016, used in tandem with the TIB series. Used for buses registered after the merger of TIBS and SMRT in 2004. Currently also used by Tower Transit, SBS Transit and Go-Ahead.
  • SP: Speaker of Parliament (SP 1)
  • SPF: Commissioner of Police, Singapore Police Force (SPF 1)
  • STC: Buses operated by Singapore Traction Company. (All deregistered, operations ceased since 1971).
  • SZ/SZA: Older rental vehicles and chauffeur-driven private hire cars. Since the car tax rationalisation of 1998, private hire and rental cars have been issued with standard passenger vehicle prefixes.[12] Currently SZ prefixes are used on private boats/yachts with (a suffix with up to five digits after it with checksum).
  • TIB: Buses operated by SMRT Buses registered prior to the merger of Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS) and SMRT from 1983 to 2004. The last 2 buses TIB1246J and TIB1247G were deregistered in January 2021.
  • TP: Motorcycles of the Traffic Police Department, Singapore Police Force.
  • LM: Lifting machines such as crane. i.e. (LM123456A) issued by the Ministry of Manpower.
  • C: Construction equipment & diesel generators i.e.(C12ABC) issued by the National Environment Agency.

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.


Checksum Edit

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.

  • Online Checksum Calculator

Prefix exceptions Edit

LTA has introduced policies where certain series of licence plate prefixes are deliberately skipped for various reasons. The policies include:

  • SA: The SA sequence was never issued (the S-sequence in 1984 started with SBA), because the West Coast Division of Sabah state in Malaysia has been using the SA sequence.
  • SE, SI, SO and SU: When the SDZ series was exhausted in 2003, the SE series was skipped and the next plates issued was the SFA. LTA announced that it had adopted the policy of not issuing series with vowels in the middle of the three-letter prefixes. This was done to avoid forming objectionable word combinations such as "SEE" (resembles spelling of 'see'), "SEL" (resembles spelling of the word 'sell'), "SEX" (resembles spelling of 'sex'), "SEY" (resembles spelling of 'say'), "SIA" (resembles Singapore Airlines), "SIN" (resembles abbreviation of Singapore as well as 'sin') and "SUX" (resembles spelling of 'sucks').[17] After SGZ was exhausted in mid-2008, SJA was used next, since SH was already being used for taxis.
  • SKY: LTA has announced that since SKY also forms a meaningful word (sky), the SKY series will also be skipped[18] despite the middle letter being a consonant. SLY has also been skipped, and similar words such as SPA and SPY will likely also be skipped in the future.
  • FA, FE and FU: After FZ exhausted, FBA was issued and FA series are skipped for motorcycle. This was done to avoid forming objectionable word combinations such as "FAK" (resembles spelling of 'fuck') and "FAP" (resembles spelling of 'masturbating').
  • GA, GE and GU: After GZ exhausted, GBA was issued and GA series are skipped for Light Good Vehicle. This was done to avoid forming objectionable word combinations such as "GAY" (resembles spelling of 'gay').
  • SHE: SHE also forms a meaningful word (she), the SHE series also be skipped for taxi due despite the middle letter being a consonant.

Personalised registrations Edit

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.[19]

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.[19] Bids for vehicle registration numbers starts at S$1,000, with the number awarded to the highest bidder.[19] The highest amount recorded for a bid was in 2016, where the registration number of 'S32H' was sold for S$335,000.[20]

Other colour schemes Edit

Off-peak vehicles Edit

 
An offpeak white on red number plate

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.[21] 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.[22]

Vintage and Classic vehicles Edit

 
A Classic vehicle numberplate

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.[23][24] Owners of these vehicles are mandated to display a valid Day License during each use of 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 at Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) gantries.

Other categories Edit

 
A Restricted Use vehicle
 
A hazardous cargo vehicle (implemented in 2005)

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.

Similarities with Malaysian plates Edit

Potential conflicts with Malaysian vehicle registration number schemes:

'A' (Perak) - SG old motorcycles prefix

'C' (Pahang) - SG company buses (CB) and City Shuttle Service buses (CSS) prefixes

MY 'E' series prefix - SG old private cars prefix

'F' (Putrajaya) - SG motorcycles prefix

MY 'G' series prefix - SG Light Goods vehicles prefix

'M' (Malacca) - SG Military Police motorcycles (MP) prefix

'P' (Penang) - SG private buses (PA-PZ) and Pulau Ubin vehicles prefixes

'Q' (Sarawak) - SG old company cars (Q), Private ambulances (QXX) and Government vehicles (QX/QY) prefixes

MY 'R' series prefix - SG Restricted Use (RU) & Research and Development vehicles (RD) prefixes

'S' (Sabah) - SG older cars (SB, SK, SQ, SS, ST) prefixes

Sabah 'SJ' - SG Supreme Court prefix

Sabah 'SJA-SJY' - SG 'SJA-SJZ' prefixes

Sabah 'SMA-SMY' - SG 'SMA-SMZ' & SMRT buses (SMB) prefixes

MY 'SMS' - SG 'SMS' prefix

'T' (Terengganu) - SG Traffic Police motorcycles (TP) & SMRT buses (TIB) prefixes

'W' (Kuala Lumpur) - SG Rover/Jeep & Engineering Plant vehicles prefix

MY 'X' series - SG Very Heavy Goods vehicles prefix

MY 'Y' series - SG Heavy Goods vehicles prefix

References Edit

  1. ^ a b c "Vehicle Registration Number (VRN)". OneMotoring. from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  2. ^ "Retain or Replace a Vehicle Registration Number (VRN)". OneMotoring. from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  3. ^ a b c "LTA - Standard Registration". One Motoring. from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  4. ^ "This Continental touch can land you in trouble", The Straits Times, 22 February 2008.
  5. ^ "Computer by April at ROY to speed up work". from the original on 17 November 2016. Retrieved 17 November 2016.
  6. ^ "E-bike owners must register and install number plates starting August". Today. from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 2 August 2017.
  7. ^ "Power-Assisted Bicycle (PAB) | Vehicle Types and Registration | Buying | OneMotoring". onemotoring.lta.gov.sg. from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  8. ^ "LTA | Mandatory Inspection for Registered E-scooters From April 2020". www.lta.gov.sg. Retrieved 12 October 2023. All non UL2272-certified e-scooters, including those found to be declared as UL2272-certified erroneously will be automatically deregistered on 1 July 2020, the deadline for mandatory UL2272 compliance for use on public paths. E-scooters that are UL2272-certified but do not comply with weight, width and speed requirements during inspection will have their registration cancelled by LTA.
  9. ^ "One Motoring website for registering buses". One Motoring. from the original on 17 November 2018. Retrieved 17 November 2018.
  10. ^ Tan, Christopher (11 January 2023). "Hyundai to roll out first S'pore-assembled cars in first half of 2023 | The Straits Times". www.straitstimes.com. from the original on 12 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  11. ^ International Master Tax Guide 2009/10. CCH Australia Limited. 2009. p. 1617. ISBN 9781921485800.
  12. ^ a b "Q-plate, SZ, learner cars to be treated like normal carsQ-plate, SZ, learner cars to be treated like normal cars". Business Times. Singapore. 5 March 1998.
  13. ^ "COE Prices". tralvex.com. from the original on 25 January 2022. Retrieved 23 October 2019.
  14. ^ "Bidding Of Car (SNN series) Registration Numbers" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  15. ^ "Bidding Of Trailer (TRE Series) Registration Numbers" (PDF). (PDF) from the original on 28 September 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  16. ^ "Buy official F1 Singapore tickets and VIP Packages | Gootickets". www.singapore-f1-grand-prix.com. from the original on 16 June 2021. Retrieved 16 June 2021.
  17. ^ "No SEX please on licence plates", The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 October 2002, from the original on 6 September 2013, retrieved 21 March 2014.
  18. ^ . wanbao.com.sg. Archived from the original on 22 December 2015. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
  19. ^ a b c "Singapore Car Plate Numbers - Why Bid For One?". Direct Asia. 11 February 2021. from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  20. ^ "Vintage vehicle plate number auctioned for $335,000". The New Paper. 26 February 2016. from the original on 22 January 2023. Retrieved 22 January 2023.
  21. ^ "A guide to Off-Peak Car (OPC) and Revised Off-Peak Car (ROPC) schemes". Sgcarmart.com. from the original on 17 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
  22. ^ Yong, Clement (March 2021). "80% drop in off-peak cars in Singapore over last decade to just 12,000". The Straits Times.
  23. ^ "Classic Vehicle Scheme". onemotoring.lta.gov.sg. from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.
  24. ^ "Vintage Vehicle Scheme". onemotoring.lta.gov.sg. from the original on 27 March 2023. Retrieved 29 September 2023.

External links Edit

  • Land Transport Authority
  • Singapore Market Place for Car plate Numbers
  • Age of Singapore Car plate

vehicle, registration, plates, singapore, this, article, needs, additional, citations, verification, please, help, improve, this, article, adding, citations, reliable, sources, unsourced, material, challenged, removed, find, sources, news, newspapers, books, s. This article needs additional citations for verification Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources Vehicle registration plates of Singapore news newspapers books scholar JSTOR April 2021 Learn how and when to remove this template message 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 Vehicle owners are also able to replace and bid for a new registration number for existing vehicles 2 License plates affixed on private and some light goods vehicles in Singapore usually have license plate frames provided by the dealership Vehicles owned by some car sharing or taxi companies features plate frames with the company s name Contents 1 Current scheme 2 Types of numbers 2 1 Other specific vehicle types 3 Checksum 4 Prefix exceptions 5 Personalised registrations 6 Other colour schemes 6 1 Off peak vehicles 6 2 Vintage and Classic vehicles 6 3 Other categories 6 4 Similarities with Malaysian plates 7 References 8 External linksCurrent scheme Edit nbsp Black on white front and black on yellow rear number plate scheme nbsp A white on black number plate schemeIn 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 3 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 3 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 is blocked at the rear of a vehicle or any other fittings such as wedding decorations 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 S Vehicle class S with some exceptions stands for a private vehicle since 1984 x Alphabetical series I and O are not used to avoid confusion with 1 and 0 Numerical series from 1 to 9999 without leading zeroes y Checksum letter F I N O Q V and W are never used as checksum letters absent on special government vehicle plates and events vehicle plates Types of numbers EditPrivate 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 ExampleA Motorcycles until mid 1980sCB Company or school buses discontinued in 1996 9 E Private vehicles from the early 1970s until the mid 1980s nbsp 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 FBV nbsp 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 nbsp 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 nbsp Q 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 SNN 14 nbsp 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 nbsp 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 nbsp X Very heavy goods vehicles Class 5 prime movers not constructed to carry any load The current prefix being issued is XE nbsp Y Heavy goods vehicles class 3 4 which are constructed to carry load or passengers only The current prefix being issued is YR nbsp 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 Other specific vehicle types Edit In addition the following are controlled for specific types of vehicles including nbsp Pulau Ubin vehicle registration plate nbsp SBS Transit bus registration plate scheme nbsp Singapore Elected President nbsp Emergency and law enforcement nbsp Singapore police commissioner CSS City Shuttle Service buses no longer issued some re registered under TIB series while the rest were deregistered LTA Land Transport Authority enforcement officers vehicles MID Singapore Armed Forces vehicles this is a suffix with up to five digits before it e g 12345 MID MID originally stood for the Ministry of Interior and Defence General ranks in the armed forces are provided with staff cars with two digit MID plates MP Vehicles operated by the Singapore Armed Forces Military Police Command SAFPU plates were formerly used NZ Vehicles of New Zealand diplomats New Zealand Defence Support Unit NZDSU and Installations Auxiliary Police Force IAPF PU Tax exempt restricted for exclusive use with permission on the island of Pulau Ubin QX Emergency and law enforcement agencies Singapore Police Force Singapore Civil Defence Force Immigration and Checkpoints Authority etc QY Quasi government agencies and statutory boards RD Research and development vehicles such as electric fuel cell and smart car rental vehicles RU Restricted Use vehicles a special category for vehicles for which road taxes are not paid A vehicle with such a licence is restricted for use within certain areas for example a pushback truck within the grounds of Singapore Changi Airport or shuttle buses on Sentosa island and other southern islands of Singapore When travelling out of the restricted boundaries such vehicles are either required to be tagged with a trade plate or towed S CC Vehicles of the Consular Corps S CD Vehicles of the Diplomatic Corps S TE Technical employment vehicles S1 to S10 State cars used for ferrying official government guests and dignitaries SBS Buses operated and assigned to SBS Transit from 1973 until January 2016 Currently also used by Tower Transit and Go Ahead Singapore SDC Buses operated by Sentosa Development Corporation No longer issued replaced by RU plates SEP Singapore Elected President the official state car of the President of the Republic of Singapore 1 SEP SG Government owned buses operated by contracted bus operators under Bus Contracting Model Formerly assigned to goods vehicles most goods vehicles were de registered by 1998 SJ Supreme Court judges the Chief Justice s car has the plate number SJ 1 SMB Buses operated and assigned to SMRT Buses until January 2016 used in tandem with the TIB series Used for buses registered after the merger of TIBS and SMRT in 2004 Currently also used by Tower Transit SBS Transit and Go Ahead SP Speaker of Parliament SP 1 SPF Commissioner of Police Singapore Police Force SPF 1 STC Buses operated by Singapore Traction Company All deregistered operations ceased since 1971 SZ SZA Older rental vehicles and chauffeur driven private hire cars Since the car tax rationalisation of 1998 private hire and rental cars have been issued with standard passenger vehicle prefixes 12 Currently SZ prefixes are used on private boats yachts with a suffix with up to five digits after it with checksum TIB Buses operated by SMRT Buses registered prior to the merger of Trans Island Bus Services TIBS and SMRT from 1983 to 2004 The last 2 buses TIB1246J and TIB1247G were deregistered in January 2021 TP Motorcycles of the Traffic Police Department Singapore Police Force LM Lifting machines such as crane i e LM123456A issued by the Ministry of Manpower C Construction equipment amp diesel generators i e C12ABC issued by the National Environment Agency Special prefixes were used for specific events such as ASN Vehicles used by VIPs and delegates during the ASEAN Summit held in Singapore in November 2018 WTO Vehicles used during the World Trade Organization s inaugural Ministerial Conference held in Singapore in December 1996 IOC Vehicles used during the International Olympic Committee s 117th Session held in Singapore in July 2005 NDP Vehicles used during the National Day Parade 2005 on 9 August 2005 AIRSHOW Vehicles used during Singapore Airshow APEC Vehicles used during the APEC Annual Meetings in November 2009 SIWW Vehicles used during Singapore International Water Week WCS Vehicles used during World Cities Summit YOG Vehicles used during the 2010 Summer Youth Olympics SEAG Vehicles used during the 2015 Southeast Asian Games APG Vehicles used during the 2015 ASEAN Para Games HSBC Vehicles used during the events organised by HSBC Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation HWWC Vehicles used during the HSBC Women s World Championship Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation OCBC Vehicles used by OCBC during annual cycling event Such as OCBC Cycle yearly SGP without checksum suffix Vehicles used during the Singapore Grand Prix 16 IMDEX Vehicles used during the 2017 Maritime Defence Exhibition amp Conference IMDEX Asia 2017 CESS Vehicles used during the CleanEnviro Summit IW Vehicles used during the Interpol World LIV Vehicles used during the LIV Golf Tournament GYSS Vehicles used during the Global Young Scientists Summit MEDIATE Vehicles used during the Singapore Convention on Mediation SIN Vehicles used during the 2023 Singapore Classic 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 Checksum EditThe 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 Online Checksum CalculatorPrefix exceptions EditLTA has introduced policies where certain series of licence plate prefixes are deliberately skipped for various reasons The policies include SA The SA sequence was never issued the S sequence in 1984 started with SBA because the West Coast Division of Sabah state in Malaysia has been using the SA sequence SE SI SO and SU When the SDZ series was exhausted in 2003 the SE series was skipped and the next plates issued was the SFA LTA announced that it had adopted the policy of not issuing series with vowels in the middle of the three letter prefixes This was done to avoid forming objectionable word combinations such as SEE resembles spelling of see SEL resembles spelling of the word sell SEX resembles spelling of sex SEY resembles spelling of say SIA resembles Singapore Airlines SIN resembles abbreviation of Singapore as well as sin and SUX resembles spelling of sucks 17 After SGZ was exhausted in mid 2008 SJA was used next since SH was already being used for taxis SKY LTA has announced that since SKY also forms a meaningful word sky the SKY series will also be skipped 18 despite the middle letter being a consonant SLY has also been skipped and similar words such as SPA and SPY will likely also be skipped in the future FA FE and FU After FZ exhausted FBA was issued and FA series are skipped for motorcycle This was done to avoid forming objectionable word combinations such as FAK resembles spelling of fuck and FAP resembles spelling of masturbating GA GE and GU After GZ exhausted GBA was issued and GA series are skipped for Light Good Vehicle This was done to avoid forming objectionable word combinations such as GAY resembles spelling of gay SHE SHE also forms a meaningful word she the SHE series also be skipped for taxi due despite the middle letter being a consonant Personalised registrations EditTo 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 19 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 19 Bids for vehicle registration numbers starts at S 1 000 with the number awarded to the highest bidder 19 The highest amount recorded for a bid was in 2016 where the registration number of S32H was sold for S 335 000 20 Other colour schemes EditOff peak vehicles Edit nbsp An offpeak white on red number plateVehicles 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 21 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 22 Vintage and Classic vehicles Edit nbsp A Classic vehicle numberplateVehicles 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 23 24 Owners of these vehicles are mandated to display a valid Day License during each use of 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 at Electronic Road Pricing ERP gantries Other categories Edit nbsp A Restricted Use vehicle nbsp A hazardous cargo vehicle implemented in 2005 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 Similarities with Malaysian plates Edit Further information Vehicle registration plates of Malaysia Potential conflicts with Malaysian vehicle registration number schemes A Perak SG old motorcycles prefix C Pahang SG company buses CB and City Shuttle Service buses CSS prefixesMY E series prefix SG old private cars prefix F Putrajaya SG motorcycles prefixMY G series prefix SG Light Goods vehicles prefix M Malacca SG Military Police motorcycles MP prefix P Penang SG private buses PA PZ and Pulau Ubin vehicles prefixes Q Sarawak SG old company cars Q Private ambulances QXX and Government vehicles QX QY prefixesMY R series prefix SG Restricted Use RU amp Research and Development vehicles RD prefixes S Sabah SG older cars SB SK SQ SS ST prefixesSabah SJ SG Supreme Court prefixSabah SJA SJY SG SJA SJZ prefixesSabah SMA SMY SG SMA SMZ amp SMRT buses SMB prefixesMY SMS SG SMS prefix T Terengganu SG Traffic Police motorcycles TP amp SMRT buses TIB prefixes W Kuala Lumpur SG Rover Jeep amp Engineering Plant vehicles prefixMY X series SG Very Heavy Goods vehicles prefixMY Y series SG Heavy Goods vehicles prefixReferences Edit a b c Vehicle Registration Number VRN OneMotoring Archived from the original on 22 January 2023 Retrieved 22 January 2023 Retain or Replace a Vehicle Registration Number VRN OneMotoring Archived from the original on 22 January 2023 Retrieved 22 January 2023 a b c LTA Standard Registration One Motoring Archived from the original on 22 January 2023 Retrieved 22 January 2023 This Continental touch can land you in trouble The Straits Times 22 February 2008 Computer by April at ROY to speed up work Archived from the original on 17 November 2016 Retrieved 17 November 2016 E bike owners must register and install number plates starting August Today Archived from the original on 2 August 2017 Retrieved 2 August 2017 Power Assisted Bicycle PAB Vehicle Types and Registration Buying OneMotoring onemotoring lta gov sg Archived from the original on 16 June 2021 Retrieved 16 June 2021 LTA Mandatory Inspection for Registered E scooters From April 2020 www lta gov sg Retrieved 12 October 2023 All non UL2272 certified e scooters including those found to be declared as UL2272 certified erroneously will be automatically deregistered on 1 July 2020 the deadline for mandatory UL2272 compliance for use on public paths E scooters that are UL2272 certified but do not comply with weight width and speed requirements during inspection will have their registration cancelled by LTA One Motoring website for registering buses One Motoring Archived from the original on 17 November 2018 Retrieved 17 November 2018 Tan Christopher 11 January 2023 Hyundai to roll out first S pore assembled cars in first half of 2023 The Straits Times www straitstimes com Archived from the original on 12 January 2023 Retrieved 17 January 2023 International Master Tax Guide 2009 10 CCH Australia Limited 2009 p 1617 ISBN 9781921485800 a b Q plate SZ learner cars to be treated like normal carsQ plate SZ learner cars to be treated like normal cars Business Times Singapore 5 March 1998 COE Prices tralvex com Archived from the original on 25 January 2022 Retrieved 23 October 2019 Bidding Of Car SNN series Registration Numbers PDF Archived PDF from the original on 28 September 2023 Retrieved 29 September 2023 Bidding Of Trailer TRE Series Registration Numbers PDF Archived PDF from the original on 28 September 2023 Retrieved 29 September 2023 Buy official F1 Singapore tickets and VIP Packages Gootickets www singapore f1 grand prix com Archived from the original on 16 June 2021 Retrieved 16 June 2021 No SEX please on licence plates The Sydney Morning Herald 10 October 2002 archived from the original on 6 September 2013 retrieved 21 March 2014 Sky是天空也是人名陆交局不发SKY车牌 wanbao com sg Archived from the original on 22 December 2015 Retrieved 15 December 2015 a b c Singapore Car Plate Numbers Why Bid For One Direct Asia 11 February 2021 Archived from the original on 22 January 2023 Retrieved 22 January 2023 Vintage vehicle plate number auctioned for 335 000 The New Paper 26 February 2016 Archived from the original on 22 January 2023 Retrieved 22 January 2023 A guide to Off Peak Car OPC and Revised Off Peak Car ROPC schemes Sgcarmart com Archived from the original on 17 January 2023 Retrieved 17 January 2023 Yong Clement March 2021 80 drop in off peak cars in Singapore over last decade to just 12 000 The Straits Times Classic Vehicle Scheme onemotoring lta gov sg Archived from the original on 27 March 2023 Retrieved 29 September 2023 Vintage Vehicle Scheme onemotoring lta gov sg Archived from the original on 27 March 2023 Retrieved 29 September 2023 External links Edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to License plates of Singapore Land Transport Authority Singapore Market Place for Car plate Numbers Age of Singapore Car plate Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Vehicle registration plates of Singapore amp oldid 1179759809, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,

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