News Ethiopia Eyes Change in Vehicle License Plate Codes
May 3, 2025
The Ministry of Transport and Logistics announced plans to change the vehicles license plate coding, putting an end to the existing system of plate identification by region.
The announcement was made during a consultation on April 30 on a document dubbed “The Middle Age”. The consultation brought together the leadership and workers of line agencies.
Accordingly, the existing system of plate coding that identifies vehicles by the regions they have been licensed in would be changed to one that codes only the country as a plate ID.
Sources told the Reporter the senior managers with the ministry acknowledged the need to change the regional license plate IDs with a uniform, national plate ID. Bearing regional license plate codes, drivers and the vehicles have been subject to terrorist actions and discriminatory treatments.
While the executives who have attended the consultations did not clash with regions rights to code plates by the names of their respective administrative geographies, they nevertheless, urge all concerned to look into the pros and cons of having a regional vehicle license plate coding, and embrace the one harmonious, nationwide system of plate IDs.
Speaking to the Reporter, head of the Office of the Minister Abdissa Yadeta confirmed that a study got underway to change the license plate code system; although no practical activity has so far been conducted. He refrained from giving the details of the study, though.
Ethiopia ratified the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic of 1968 on August 25, 2021, that requires countries to apply a plate system based on the standard provided in the convention, according to Abeje Mamo, Legal Advisor to the Ministry.
Back in 2022, the Council of Ministers had approved a road transport draft amendment proclamation that will end the use of regional identifications on vehicle plates, among other reforms, but the bill had not been followed through.
Experts commenting on the matter have been saying that vehicles are universal equipment, and people coming from other countries need not be confused by the plating styles that this country adheres to.
In Ethiopia, vehicle license plates, in addition to regional IDs, vary based on the vehicle type and ownership. Private vehicles have white plates with blue alphanumeric characters and a “2” on the left, while commercial vehicles use green characters with a “3”. Government vehicles feature black characters on a white plate with a “4”, and religious/civic society vehicles have orange characters with a “5”. Specialized plates, like those for the UN or police, have distinct colors and markings.
Key aspects of license plates include color and character codes, vehicle category, regional codes, diplomatic codes, temporary plates, plates’ production as well as vehicle registration process.
It is not clear the current study gives any sense of a timeline for the change of license plate regional coding to nationwide plates’ identification.