Yugoslavia license plate (YU) in 2026 ✅

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Yugoslavia Car License Plates and Details

Yugoslavia license plates from 1961 consisted of a two-letter regional code, or less commonly three letters, the Yugoslav coat of arms (a red star), and two blocks of numbers separated by a hyphen. Initially, the configuration was two numbers and two numbers, later three and two, and finally three and three. In the case of more populated regions, higher numbers were used. The characters were black on a white background, which became reflective during the final years.

When were Yugoslavia license plates used until?

Yugoslavia license plates were used until the complete disappearance of this state in February 2003. During the 1990s, the transition was made from license plates displaying the red star to plates using the national flag (without the star). Until 2011, Serbia and Serbia and Montenegro continued using Yugoslav license plates with the national flag.

When the countries that formed Yugoslavia separated, the license plates that had been in use ceased to be valid and the entire vehicle fleet had to be re-registered to obtain new license plates. Each country became independent on a different date, so Yugoslav license plates remained valid until different years depending on the area. You can find more information in the section dedicated to each of the countries: Bosnia and Hercegovina, Croatia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Kosovo*.

Other Yugoslavia Special License Plate Systems

Yugoslavia used a series of special license plates. Trailers had the regional code and coat of arms moved to the right side of the plate.

Temporary License Plates

Temporary license plates used black characters on a white background, retaining the regional code but ending with the letters RP (Registrovano Privremeno) and the last two digits of the year in which the plate was valid. Previously, until reaching number 999, temporary license plates used a number to identify the region. On these plates, the letters RP appeared first, with a red strip below the year on the right side of the plate.

Military License Plates

Military license plates used a dark blue background and began with the letter M-Militia. The first number identified the region.

License Plates Used on Agricultural Vehicles

Agricultural vehicle license plates used a different size and configuration from the other special license plates. They used white characters on a green background. A serial number was displayed at the top of the plate and the name of the region, in capital letters, at the bottom. In the case of a trailer, the regional name was displayed at the top.

Regional Codes Used on Yugoslavia License Plates

Since the beginning of the 1960s, Yugoslavia license plates used a two-letter code to identify the region. On some special license plates, this could be located elsewhere on the plate. In some cases, three-letter codes were created. In the table below, you can see the complete list of codes and the dates when they began or ceased to be used.

Old License Plate System (1930-1942)

From 1930 to 1942, Yugoslav license plates were slightly smaller and divided into two sections. On the left was a blue strip showing the regional code (banovina at the time) and the date until which the plate was valid, while on the right was a serial number in black on a white background (or white on black for military vehicles). It should be noted that at the time plates were issued annually and had to be renewed every year. The codes were issued according to the capital of the banovina, with 1 for Belgrade, 2 for Ljubljana, etc. At the end of the 1930s, the regional banovina code was replaced by a letter identifying the region. The letter c identified the banovina of Serbia.

This system with this design lasted until approximately 1943, when a different type of license plate came into use.

Old License Plate System (1942-1961)

From approximately 1943 until the adoption of the system that remained in use until the end of Yugoslavia (see detailed section) in 1961, license plates featuring the red star for the first time were used. The blue strip on the left was replaced by a regional code followed by a number in red, the coat of arms (red star), and an independent numerical series for each region. The letter identified the region. For example, c identified Serbia. In the regions of Croatia and Slovenia, the first letter of the abbreviated regional name was also displayed in red.

International Code Used by Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia used a series of different international codes recognized and used by its vehicles. During the period of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, the SBS code was used. During the Yugoslav period, the Y code was initially used and was later replaced by YU. From 2003 to 2006, the SCG code (Serbia and Montenegro) was used.

Matriculasdelmundo. License plates of Yugoslavia. Reviewed and updated information. Matriculasdelmundo.com. Retrieved on 13/09/2026 from https://matriculasdelmundo.com/en/yugoslavia.html.

License plates from other states and territories that you may be interested in:

Map of the Yugoslavia license plates

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Official Sources on License Plates of Yugoslavia

All the information about the license plates of cars and motorcycles in Yugoslavia and vehicle plates shown here has been extracted from official state archives (such as the BOE and the DGT in Spain), from personal sightings, by contacting automobile clubs from other countries, or through media or files referenced in the text. This information on car and motorcycle plates in Yugoslavia has been collected since 2009, so we hope you find the information you're looking for about Yugoslavia license plates.

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Please, check matriculasdelmundo.com in Spanish here for all the updated information about license plates of Yugoslavia.