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A car numberplate game is a car game playable in the United Kingdom and other countries with a suitable car registration scheme, either looking out for a particular number or characteristic of a number plate, or thinking of a word or phrase that corresponds to the letters of the registration. Most are solitary games, however some can be played individually in competition with other passengers.
One game played in Europe is to spot the 26 letters of the alphabet on passing number plates, starting with A and working forwards. To make this a competitive game between two teams, a second team can work backwards at the same time.
Another game involves spotting number plates with each number from 1 to 999 in order. [1] The letters around the numbers are ignored. This was playable in the UK prior to 2001 when number plates read XXX 111X or X111 XXX, but since the current system of XX11 XXX was introduced in September 2001, such plates have become rarer and this particular game harder to play.
In Bulgaria plates typically have 4 numbers. The goal of the game is to make the first half equal to the second by using various calculations. For example, one scores a point with XX4282XX, as soon as he figures that 4 + 2 = 8 - 2. The letters around the numbers are ignored.
Another entertaining game is to simply read out the letters phonetically, e.g.: "XHV" becomes "KSZZHVV", and so on.[ clarification needed ]
In countries where local regions are marked on number plates, such as France or Germany, players can look for cars from different areas. In France, the last two digits of the number plate shows the car's department (e.g. 49 is Maine-et-Loire and 16 is Charente.). German plates also indicate where the car is registered (e.g. B is Berlin and KL is Kaiserslautern), however this changed from 2014.
Another game is spotting unusual vanity plates, where the car owner has paid a premium to get a particular code, like "REDBMW", "HERTOY," or "BONZO". In most European countries, premiums for such license plates are very high (sometimes as much as 2,000 euros), so very few drivers own such plates.
Another European version is spotting a plate and taking the letters - in order - and trying to construct a word which contain all the letters in the same order. For example, a Swede might see the plate "SVG111" and construct the Sweden words sving ("swing") or Sverige (Sweden). Points can be rewarded in different manners, such as finding the shortest word or finding the longest word.
A similar variant, particularly popular in the United Kingdom, involves considering the last three letters of a number plate to be an acronym, and creating a three-word sentence that fits. For example, a number plate ending in ZKG could be "Zebra Kills Giraffe". This game is not playable with most European number plates, unless they contain three characters in a row.
A North American version of the game, commonly referred to as the "license plate game," involves attempting to find a license plate from each U.S. state and/or Canadian province. After one player has spotted a plate especially rare in that region, the other players get a higher number of points by spotting another plate that matches the first. If a player calls out a state that has already been named, or the wrong state, they may have to pay some physical forfeit. (This game can also be played in Ireland, where numberplates indicate the city to which the car is registered.)
Another game common in North America is "license plate poker," in which the players attempt to form poker hands from the characters on license plates. Since North American plates have shorter texts than those in Europe, this is more difficult than it would seem. Flushes are obviously impossible, and straights are exceedingly rare.
Another game is spotting unusual vanity plates (as in Europe), or spotting a double letter or number (i.e. ABC-113 or ABB-113).
A point-scoring game can be played in the U.S. by assigning each plate a point value based on the last digit on the plate. Letters are assigned points based on their position in the alphabet, e.g., a plate with the letter M for the last digit is worth 13 points. A further variation allows points for plates that end in zero by moving back in the plate until a non-zero digit is found. In this variation the hypothetical plate ABC120 would be worth 20 points. Points are totaled for either the current trip or multiple legs of a trip by agreement.
Various car-spotting games exist in which players look out for cars which have rare traits, such as a particular colour or model.
The Canadian gameshow Bumper Stumpers ran in the 1980s, and challenged its contestants to solve gramogram letter puzzles presented as vanity licence plates, such as "PYR88" having a solution of "pirates" ("pyr" + "eights").
A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate, license plate or licence plate, is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identification purposes. All countries require registration plates for road vehicles such as cars, trucks, and motorcycles. Whether they are required for other vehicles, such as bicycles, boats, or tractors, may vary by jurisdiction. The registration identifier is a numeric or alphanumeric ID that uniquely identifies the vehicle or vehicle owner within the issuing region's vehicle register. In some countries, the identifier is unique within the entire country, while in others it is unique within a state or province. Whether the identifier is associated with a vehicle or a person also varies by issuing agency. There are also electronic license plates.
Car games are games played to pass the time on long car journeys, often started by parents to amuse restless children. They generally require little or no equipment or playing space. Some such games are designed specifically to be played while traveling, while others are games that can be played in a variety of settings including car journeys.
Number plates in Belgium are driver specific, meaning that they are transferred to a new vehicle from the owner's previous one.
The most common format for vehicle registration plates in Romania consists of black letters on white background in the format CC 12 ABC, where CC is a two letter county code, 12 is a two digit group, and ABC is a three letter group. For Bucharest, the format is B 12 ABC or B 123 ABC, where B is code for Bucharest city, 12 and 123 is a two or three digit group, and ABC is a three letter group. The left side of the plate bears a blue vertical strip displaying the 12 stars of the European Union and the country code of Romania (RO). Between 1992-2007 the band featured the Romanian flag instead of the 12 stars. All lettering comes from the Latin alphabet.
A vanity plate or personalized plate ; prestige plate, private number plate, cherished plate or personalised registration ; personalised plate or custom plate is a special type of vehicle registration plate on an automobile or other vehicle. The owner of the vehicle pays extra money to have their own choice of numbers or letters, usually portraying a recognizable phrase, slogan, or abbreviation, on their plate. Sales of vanity plates are often a significant source of revenue for North American provincial and state licensing agencies. In some jurisdictions, such as British Columbia, vanity plates have a different color scheme and design.
Austrian car number plates are mandatory vehicle registration plates displaying the registration mark of motor vehicles in Austria. They are used to verify street legality, proof of a valid liability insurance and to identify and recognise the vehicle.
Vehicle registration plates of Poland indicate the region of registration of the vehicle given the number plate.
Finnish vehicle registration plates usually carry three letters and three numbers separated with a dash, though vanity plates may carry 2-3 letters and 1-3 numbers. Since 1989 the code has no connection with the geographic location, except that Åland has its own type of plate. Between 1972/1973 and 1989 the first letter indicated where the vehicle was first registered as the plate did not have to be changed even if the vehicle was moved to another area of Finland.
Vehicle registration plates are the mandatory number plates used to display the registration mark of a vehicle, and have existed in Spain since 1900. Most motor vehicles which are used on public roads are required by law to display them. The government agency responsible for the registration and numbering of vehicles is the Directorate General of Traffic.
Standard Bulgarian vehicle registration plates display black glyphs on a white background, together with – on the left-hand side of the plate – a blue vertical "EU strip" showing the flag of Europe and, below it, the country code for Bulgaria: BG.
In Iceland, vehicle registration plates are issued by the Icelandic Transport Authority. The plates are made of aluminium with reflective base and embossed characters. There are eleven different styles corresponding to the vehicle's type and tax status. Icelandic registration plates follow the EU standard for registration plates, with the Icelandic emblem with the letters IS on the left side with a standard (EU) size of 520 x 110mm.
Standard vehicle registration plates in Lithuania bear three letters and three numbers in black lettering on a white background. The plates are usually of the standard EU dimensions, but can also be manufactured in the American dimensions for special import vehicles. All plates issued since 2004 also bear a blue EU identification stripe on their left-hand edge. Those issued between the restoration of Lithuanian independence in 1990 and the country's accession to the European Union in 2004 bore a similar stripe with a small Lithuanian flag in place of the flag of Europe.
Thailand's vehicle registration plates are issued by the Department of Land Transport (DLT) of the Ministry of Transport. They must be displayed on all motorized road vehicles, as required by the Motor Vehicle Act, B.E. 2522 and the Land Transport Act, B.E. 2522. The plates vary in design, colors and dimensions according to the type of vehicle, but usually display a registration number and the vehicle's province of registration. Specifications are given in Ministry of Transport regulations. Current style started in 1975 for most vehicle types, but with small changes in 1997, and 1997 for motorcycles.
Vehicle registration plates of Canada, also known as license plates, are issued by provincial or territorial government agencies. Registration plates in Canada are typically attached to motor vehicles or trailers for official identification purposes. Some Canadian registration plates have unique designs, shapes, and slogans related to the issuing jurisdiction. For example, registration plates issued in the Northwest Territories are shaped like a polar bear. In Alberta, registration plates typically display the words "Wild Rose Country."
The current vehicle registration plate system of Cuba was introduced in May 2013. Current plates are European standard 520 mm × 110 mm, completely replacing the previous system introduced in 2002. The international vehicle registration code for Cuba is C.
An Israeli vehicle registration plate, or an Israeli license plate, is a vehicle registration plate, a metal or plastic plate or plates attached to a motor vehicle or trailer, used in Israel for official identification purposes.
Iranian license plates have had European standard dimensions since 2005. Each province in Iran has multiple unique, two-digit codes that are included at the right end of the license plates in a distinguished square outline, above which the word ایران or "Iran" has been written. A province's license plates will not be issued with a new code unless all possible combinations with the old code have been issued. In Tehran, the first code to be issued for the province was code 11, and subsequent codes all increased by 11 as well Ever since code 99 was fully issued, the new codes for Tehran have started from 10 and subsequently increased by 10. Most province codes increased by 10 based on the first code issued for their province. Khuzestan Province, for example, has been allocated codes 24 and 14, and code 24 will not be used before code 14 is fully issued. However, as codes started getting exhausted, numbers and letters have been assigned more liberally and without following this rule of thumb anymore
Vehicle registration plates are the alphanumeric plates used to display the registration mark of a vehicle, and have existed in the United Kingdom since 1904. It is compulsory for motor vehicles used on public roads to display vehicle registration plates, with the exception of vehicles of the reigning monarch used on official business.
Kyrgyz registration plates were first issued in 1980, when the country was still a republic of the Soviet Union. Despite having gained its independence in 1991, it continued to use the old Soviet plates until the introduction of the current format in 1994.
The vehicle registration plates of Madagascar are created in 1950 from time to time with the revised version in 2014. It contains a black plate consisting with white characters with the current format with 4 random numbers, with the first letter as a province code, and the last 2 random letters.