Vehicle registration plates of Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina vehicle registration plates have held their current form since 1998. Currently the Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) vehicle registration plate format consists of seven characters: five numbers and two letters arranged in the following order: X00-X-000 (taxis: TA-000000). The plates are uniform across the country and do not denote the place (town, municipality, canton, or entity) where the vehicle is registered, as was the case prior to 1998. Likewise the plates do not contain any heraldic symbols. The plates use only letters which are represented equally in Latin and Cyrillic script (A, E, O, J, K, M, T).
Special plates
- Working road machine plates had the regional letters at the top, and then numbers. These plates are white in blue plates.
- Temporary plates had letters "TT" followed by 6 numbers (TT - Testne Tablice). The letters are colored red. (e.g. TT-000000)
- Military plates had Eurostrip-like from previous series (XX-nnnnLL) but without the blue background. This plate consists of 5 numbers then one letter (e.g. 00000-X)
- Diplomatic plates had blue background and yellow font. Unlike previous series, the first group of numbers is two and the letter it can be used is A, C, M and E. (e.g. 00-A-000)
- EUPM plates used yellow background and the prefix "EUPM" followed by a numbers.
- Export plates had blue in white background plates with civilian format.
- Foreign owned plates had white in blue plates. Numbers and letters are with blue color.
- UNHCR plates had the prefix "UNHCR" (and numbers) in blue color.
- Agricultural vehicles had regional letters at the top, then numbers. Had a white in green plates.
- UNSF plates had the prefix "SFOR" and the color of the plate black in blue.
- NATO plates had the prefix "NATO" (emblem as divider) and the color of the plate is black in light green.
- UN Trailers had the style of "UN 1234T"
History
The revised registration plates were introduced as an initiative of the International High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina, Carlos Westendorp.[1] In a report from the Office of the High Representative for Bosnia and Herzegovina prior to the decision, it had been noted that police conduct around the Inter-Entity Boundary Line separating the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Republika Srpska, had been the "greatest obstacle to freedom of movement", including intimidation and arbitrary fines.[2]
Elsewhere it has been noted that vehicles which bore licence plates from one entity would be subject to vandalism in the other entity.[3] The development of licence plates which would not serve as proxy identifiers of driver ethnicity was a partial solution to these problems.[4] However, Bosnian towns typically contain all three constitutional ethnicities (Bosniaks, Croats and Serbs) making ethnic identity unclear regardless of the vehicle's origin. The post-1998 system of obscuring the region is also complicated by the fact that drivers of cars, lorries and buses proud of their ethnicity will advertise this phenomenon with all the matching insignia. For example: Croats and Serbs may drive with crosses hanging from their mirrors; besides the fact that Catholic and Orthodox crosses vary in design, they may also have by the cross - or elsewhere visible - their national flags. In addition, Croats and Serbs in areas where they form a majority do not display the flag of Bosnia and Herzegovina or any national Bosnian symbols, making it clear that where Bosnian national markers are shown - whether attached to the registration plate, the back of the car or the interior - the driver/family is Bosniak.
City codes
Prior to 1992
| Code | Region | Code | Region | Code | Region |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| BL | Banja Luka | TD | Titov Drvar | LI | Livno |
| PD | Prijedor | TR | Travnik | TB | Trebinje |
| SA | Sarajevo | ZE | Zenica | ČP | Čapljina |
| TZ | Tuzla | BI | Bihać | KNJ | Konjic |
| MO | Mostar | DO | Doboj | GŽ | Goražde |
| BČ | Brčko | VI | Visoko | ZV | Zvornik |
| BN | Bijeljina | JC | Jajce | MD | Modriča |
| BU | Bugojno |
Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina
On the territory controlled by Army of the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1992 were used new license plates. They wore a blue strip on the left side with the "BIH" script and the coat of arms above the script (1992 is no blue stripe). On the white background the form was XX-nnnnLL or XX-nnnnnL, where "XX" was the code of the city, "nnnn"/"nnnnn" were digits, and "LL" two letters (previously one letter), where the first letter denoted the municipality where it was issued (before this is not at all). Towns are given in following table:
| Code | Region | Code | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| SA | Sarajevo | BI | Bihać |
| PD | Prijedor | DO | Doboj |
| TZ | Tuzla | VI | Visoko |
| MO | Mostar | JC | Jajce |
| BR | Brčko | BU | Bugojno |
| TR | Travnik | ZV | Zvornik |
| ZE | Zenica | MD | Modriča |
| KO | Konjic | GO | Goražde |
Republic of Srpska
On territory of Republika Srpska, license plates were used similar to those before the war, with difference that instead of red star, the Serb four-S coat of arms was used. Letters on plates were usually in Cyrillic script, but the license plates with Latin versions of codes are also used.
| Code | Region | Code | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| СС | Sarajevo (Srpsko Sarajevo, Српско Сарајево) | СЊ | Foča (renamed to Srbinje (Србиње)) |
| ПД | Prijedor (Приједор) | ДО | Doboj (Добој) |
| БЛ | Banja Luka (Бања Лука) | ЗВ | Zvornik (Зворник) |
| БЧ | Brčko (Брчко) | МД | Modriča (Модрича) |
| ТБ | Trebinje (Требиње) | БН | Bijeljina (Бијељина) |
| МГ | Mrkonjić Grad (Мркоњић Град) | ВГ | Višegrad (Вишеград) |
| ДВ | Drvar (Дрвар) | НЊ | Nevesinje (Невесиње) |
Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia
On the territory of the Croatian Republic of Herzeg-Bosnia, license plates were used similar to those of Croatia, with difference in the shape of shield in Croat coat of arms ("checkerboard"-"šahovnica").
| Code | Region | Code | Region |
|---|---|---|---|
| MO | Mostar | TR | Travnik |
| ČA | Čapljina | OR | Orašje |
| PO | Posušje | KI | Kiseljak |
| ŠB | Široki Brijeg | RA | Prozor (renamed to Rama) |
| JA | Jajce | ŽE | Žepče |
| TG | Tomislavgrad | LI | Livno |
| GR | Grude | LJ | Ljubuški |
Diplomatic, consular and foreign mission plate prefixes
These prefixes were also valid for Croatia from 1991 to 1994.
| Code | Country or Organization |
|---|---|
| 10 |  |
| 11 |  |
| 12 |  |
| 13 |  |
| 14 |  |
| 15 |  |
| 16 |  |
| 17 |  |
| 18 |  |
| 19 |  |
| 20 |  |
| 23 |  |
| 24 |  |
| 25 |  |
| 26 |  |
| 27 |  |
| 28 |  |
| 29 | Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe |
| 30 | .svg.png){kind=small} |
| 32 |  |
| 33 |  |
| 34 |  |
| 35 |  |
| 36 |  |
| 37 | Office of the High Representative |
| 38 | Commission for Human Rights |
| 39 |  |
| 40 |  |
| 41 | World Bank |
| 42 |  |
| 43 |  |
| 44 | United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees |
| 46 | International Monetary Fund |
| 47 | Customs and Fiscal Assistant Office |
| 48 |  |
| 49 | European Central Bank |
| 50 | European Commission in Bosnia and Herzegovina |
| 51 | United Nations Development Program |
| 52 | International Organization for Migration |
| 53 | .svg.png){kind=small} |
| 54 | Central Bank |
| 55 | Commission for Property of Displaced Persons and Refugees |
| 56 |  |
| 57 | United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization |
| 58 |  |
| 59 |  |
| 60 | United Nations Children's Fund |
| 61 |  |
| 62 |  |
| 63 |  |
| 64 | European Union Monitoring Mission |
| 65 | International Monetary Group |
| 68 | World Health Organization |
| 69 |  |
| 70 | International Centre for Migration Policy Development |
| 71 | International Commission for Missing Person |
| 72 | Maltese Sovereign Line |
| 73 | International Commission of Red Cross and Red Crescent |
| 74 |  |
| 75 |  |
| 76 | International Trust Fund |
| 77 | International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Society |
| 78 | International Finance Corporation |
| 79 |  |
| 80 |  |
| 81 | Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights |
| 82 |  |
| 83 | Refugees Return Foundation |
| 84 | European Union Police Mission (A prefix), European Union Monitoring Mission (M prefix) |
| 85 | Regional Environmental Centre |
| 86 | Stability Pact Anti-corruption Initiative |
| 87 |  |
| 88 | The Registry |
| 89 | High Judicial and Prosecutorial Council |
| 90 | Office of the EU Special Representative |
| 91 | Japan International Cooperation Agency |
| 92 |  |
| 93 | .svg.png){kind=small} |
| 94 |  |
| 95 |  |
| 96 | Regional Coordination Council |
| 97 | Peace Support Operation Training Centre |
| 0100 | |
| 0103 |  |
References
- "Decision on the Deadlines for the Implementation of the New Uniform Licence Plate System". Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 20 May 1998. Archived from the original on 14 October 2008.
- "5th Report of the High Representative, s. 85". Office of the High Representative in Bosnia and Herzegovina. 16 April 1997.
- Dahlman, C.; Ó Tuathail, G. (2000). "The legacy of ethnic cleansing: the international community and the returns process in post-Dayton Bosnia and Herzegovina". Political Geography. 24 (5): 569–599. doi:10.1016/j.polgeo.2005.01.007.
- Aitchison, A. (2007). "Police Reform in Bosnia and Herzegovina: State, Democracy and International Assistance" (PDF). Policing and Society. 17 (4): 321–343. doi:10.1080/10439460701717908.
External links
