All the letters that can be on car license plates: a complete guide

Car license plates are not just metal plates with numbers and letters. They carry encrypted information about the region of registration, type of vehicle and even ownership history. But few people think about why the numbers are used specifically certain letters, and some characters of the alphabet will never be found there. For example, why is there no letter Yo or why Oh and A so often confused with numbers?

In this article we will look at all permitted letters for license plates in Russia for 2026, we will explain the logic of their choice and talk about the nuances that are important to know when buying a car, registering a duplicate or checking the license plate through the traffic police database. You will learn what symbols are used in special numbers (diplomatic, transit, military), as well as how to avoid problems with fakes and “crooked” combinations.

Spoiler: not all Cyrillic letters are suitable for numbers - and there are good reasons for this related to international standards and technical limitations. Let's find out!

Why are not all letters of the alphabet suitable for numbers?

At first glance, it may seem that any letters of the Russian alphabet can be used on state registration plates (GRP). However, in practice only 12 characters allowed: A, B, E, K, M, N, O, R, S, T, U, X. Why is this so?

There are three main reasons:

• 🔹 International compatibility. The numbers should be easily recognizable abroad, and some Russian letters (for example, F, W, Sh) is difficult to transliterate into Latin without losing meaning.
• 🔹 Technical limitations. The symbols on the license plates must be clearly legible both to people and to cameras that automatically record violations. Letters like Yo, y, b may be distorted when printing or shooting.
• 🔹 Disambiguation. For example, the letter Z looks too much like a figure 3, and H - on 4. This may lead to errors when reading numbers.

In addition, the traffic police rules state that letters on numbers should not have mirror counterparts (for example, E and Z in mirror image they look like 3 and E). This rule helps to combat counterfeits and “reversals” - numbers that are read the same in the forward and backward directions.

Official list of allowed letters for 2026

According to GOST R 50577-2018 (current edition for 2026), the following symbols are allowed to form letter combinations on license plates in Russia:

Letter	Example on the number	Similar symbols (risk of confusion)	Notes
A	A123BE77	Digit 4, Latin A	The most common letter on numbers
B	V777OO123	Latin B, digit 8 (in some fonts)	Used on diplomatic plates
E	E999KH77	Digit 3, Latin E	Often found on transit numbers
K	K123MR50	Latin K, digit 4 (handwritten)	—
M	M001AA199	Latin M, numbers 11 (in some fonts)	Used on motorcycle license plates

The full list includes 12 letters, but in practice some of them (E, O, A) are used more often than others due to the limited number of combinations. For example, in Moscow (region code 77, 97, 99, 177, 197, 199, 777) all possible combinations with letters have already been practically exhausted A, B, E, K, M.

Prohibited letters: why are they not on the numbers?

There are 33 letters in the Russian alphabet, but only 12 are used in numbers. Where did the rest go? Here's the full list prohibited characters and the reasons for their exclusion:

• 🚫 B, G, D, F, Z, I, L, P, F, C, Ch, Sh, Shch, Kommersant, S, b, E, Yu, Z — are not used due to the difficulty of recognition or the lack of Latin analogues.
• 🚫 Yo - officially excluded, since in most documents it is replaced by E.
• 🚫 Y - may be confused with numbers 1 or Latin I.
• 🚫 X - allowed, but often avoided due to associations with “boorish” numbers (for example, XXX).

Fun fact: letter Oh is allowed, but in practice they try not to use it in combinations with numbers 0 (zero) to avoid confusion. For example, number A001OO77 can be read as A0010077, which makes identification difficult.

Why are there no letters "Y" on the numbers?

The letter "Yo" was excluded due to technical difficulties: in most databases and documents it is automatically replaced with "E". In addition, international standards (for example, for transit numbers) do not have an analogue of this letter, which would create problems when traveling abroad.

Features of letters on special numbers

In addition to standard rooms, there are special categories, where unique letter combinations are used. Here are the main types:

• 🚗 Diplomatic numbers: start with letters D (Latin) followed by numbers and letters CD (Corps Diplomatique). Example: D 023 CD 77.
• 🚛 Transit numbers: use a letter T (for example, T 123 AB 77) and have a red background. Validity period: up to 20 days.
• 🛡️ Military numbers: start with a letter M (Ministry of Defense) or A (other law enforcement agencies), followed by a 4-digit numeric code. Example: M 1234 77.
• 🚜 Agricultural machinery: uses a letter T at the beginning (for example, T 001 AA) and yellow background.

Such plates may contain letters that are rarely used on civilian signs (for example, D or C in Latin transliteration).

How are the letters on the numbers related to the region?

The letter combinations on the license plates are not directly tied to the region - they are formed sequentially as new cars are registered. However region code (numbers at the end of the number) determines in which subject of the Russian Federation the registration was carried out.

For example:

• 📍 77, 97, 99 — Moscow;
• 📍 78, 98, 178 — St. Petersburg;
• 📍 50, 90, 150 — Moscow region;
• 📍 02 — Republic of Adygea.

When a region runs out of free combinations (for example, all variants with letters A, B, E, K, M exhausted), the traffic police begins to use new codes. So, Moscow first received the code 77, then 97 and 99, and later - 177, 197, 199 and 777.

Common mistakes and how to avoid them

Even experienced drivers sometimes confuse the letters on license plates, especially if the plates are dirty or damaged. Here are the most common mistakes:

1. Confusion A and Oh: In some fonts these letters are almost identical. For example, number A123OO77 can be read as A123AA77.
2. B and B (Latin): foreign cars may have Latin B, which is visually similar to Cyrillic B.
3. E and 3: letter E in some fonts the numbers look like numbers 3, especially if the number is painted or shabby.
4. R and R (Latin): Latin on older numbers P may be mistaken for Cyrillic R.

To avoid problems:

• 🔍 Always check the license plates when buying a car through the traffic police service traffic police.rf/check/auto.
• 📸 Take photographs of license plates in case of an accident or recording of violations - this will help to avoid errors in the protocols.
• 🚨 If you doubt the authenticity of the number, pay attention to print quality, font and security features (holograms, microtext).

Letters on license plates of other countries: comparison with Russia

Different countries have their own rules for creating license plates. For example:

• 🇺🇸 USA: use the Latin alphabet (26 letters), but are prohibited I, O, Q due to similarity with numbers 1 and 0.
• 🇩🇪 Germany: letters Ä, Ö, Ü allowed, but often replaced by AE, OE, UE.
• 🇯🇵 Japan: use hieroglyphs to indicate vehicle classes and Latin characters for serial numbers.
• 🇨🇳 China: combinations of hieroglyphs and Latin letters (prohibited I and O).

In Russia, the system is closer to the European model, but with an emphasis on the Cyrillic alphabet. The main difference is limited set of letters (12 versus 20–26 in most EU countries). This is due to historical practice and the need to simplify the recognition of license plates by cameras that record violations.

Why is there no letter “Y” on license plates in Europe?

EU countries use the Latin alphabet, so Cyrillic letters (including "Yo") are not used on numbers. An exception is countries with two official alphabets (for example, Greece, where numbers may have Greek letters).

FAQ: Frequently asked questions about letters on numbers

Is it possible to order a number with specific letters?

Yes, but with restrictions. You can select any letters from the allowed list (A, B, E, K, M, N, O, R, S, T, U, X), if the combination is free. However, in Moscow and other large cities, most “beautiful” combinations (for example, AAA, MMM) are already taken. The cost of choosing a personal number is from 3,000 to 20,000 rubles, depending on the region.

What to do if the letter on the number is erased?

If the characters on the number become unreadable, you face a fine Art. 12.2 Code of Administrative Offenses of the Russian Federation (500 rubles). You need to contact the traffic police to replace the sign. In this case, the old combination of letters and numbers is retained - only the physical plate changes.

Is it possible to drive with Latin letters on the license plate?

No, unless it is a diplomatic or transit number. On civilian vehicles in Russia, only Cyrillic letters from the approved list are allowed. Latin characters (for example, A, B, C) on standard plates are unacceptable and are considered a sign of counterfeit.

Why are the letters on some numbers bolder than others?

It depends license plate series. Since 2013, a new standard has been in force in Russia (GOST R 50577-2018), where letters and numbers have a thicker font for better readability. Older plates (issued before 2013) may have thinner characters, but they remain valid until replaced.

Can a number have two identical letters in a row?

Yes, there are no restrictions on the repetition of letters. Often there are combinations like AAA, MMM or LLC. However, such numbers may attract the attention of traffic police inspectors, since they are often chosen for “beautiful” or “status” cars.

Now you know all the nuances associated with the letters on license plates. This information will be useful when purchasing a car, completing paperwork or verifying the authenticity of license plates. Remember: any deviations from the official list of letters are a reason to be wary and double-check the car's history.