title: Vehicle registration plates of Colombia
text: # Vehicle registration plates of Colombia
  
  Colombia requires its residents to register their motor vehicles and display vehicle registration plates. The current plate design was introduced in the 1990s, but some of the previous 1972 through 1990 design remain in use.
  
  All vehicles are required to display plates on the front and back. Peculiarly, in Colombia commercial vehicles are also required to display plates on the sides. This is usually done not with actual metal plates, but by a large decal of the license plate. This practice can also be found on taxis in neighboring Panama and Peru, but in Colombia all commercial vehicles and public transport vehicles must display them.
  
  ## Current plate types
  
  | Category | Image | Type | Type | Colors | Serial format | Legends |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Category | Image | English | Spanish | Colors | Serial format | Legends |
  | Passenger | | Private | Particular | black on yellow | ABC·123 | The municipality of issuance is embossed at the bottom of the plate. Plates issued in Bogotá until 1991 read "BOGOTA D.E." for Distrito Especial (Special District). In 1991 the city's name was changed to Santa Fé de Bogotá and plates began to read "STFE DE BOGOTA." In 2000 the city's name was changed yet again Bogotá, D.C. and those issued since read "BOGOTA D.C.". As of 2017 plates that say "BOGOTA D.E." are becoming quite rare and somewhat of a collectors' item. Santa Fe plates are still somewhat common but are beginning to go the same way. |
  | Passenger | | Commercial | Comercial | black on white | ABC·123 | The municipality of issuance is embossed at the bottom of the plate. Plates issued in Bogotá until 1991 read "BOGOTA D.E." for Distrito Especial (Special District). In 1991 the city's name was changed to Santa Fé de Bogotá and plates began to read "STFE DE BOGOTA." In 2000 the city's name was changed yet again Bogotá, D.C. and those issued since read "BOGOTA D.C.". As of 2017 plates that say "BOGOTA D.E." are becoming quite rare and somewhat of a collectors' item. Santa Fe plates are still somewhat common but are beginning to go the same way. |
  | Non-passenger | | Official | Oficial | white on green | OAB·123 | The municipality of issuance is embossed at the bottom of the plate. Plates issued in Bogotá until 1991 read "BOGOTA D.E." for Distrito Especial (Special District). In 1991 the city's name was changed to Santa Fé de Bogotá and plates began to read "STFE DE BOGOTA." In 2000 the city's name was changed yet again Bogotá, D.C. and those issued since read "BOGOTA D.C.". As of 2017 plates that say "BOGOTA D.E." are becoming quite rare and somewhat of a collectors' item. Santa Fe plates are still somewhat common but are beginning to go the same way. |
  | | | Antique car | Auto antiguo | black on white with vertical blue stripes at left and right and blue graphic of an antique car at center | ABC·123 | "ANTIGUO" is screened at the top of the plate and the municipality of issuance is embossed at the bottom of the plate. |
  | | | Motorcycle | Motocicleta | black on yellow | ABC·12F (current); ABC·12 without letter and A to E (previous, still in use). | "COLOMBIA" is embossed at the bottom of the plate. |
  | | | Auto rickshaw private | Mototaxi privado | black on yellow | 123·ABC | "COLOMBIA" is embossed at the bottom of the plate. |
  | | | Auto rickshaw commercial | Mototaxi commercial | black on white | 123·ABC | "COLOMBIA" is embossed at the bottom of the plate. |
  | | | Trailer | Remolque | white on green | R·12345 | "COLOMBIA" is embossed at the bottom of the plate. |
  | | | Tank truck | Carrotanque | white on red | T·1234 | "COLOMBIA" is embossed at the bottom of the plate. |
  | Diplomatic | | Consular corps | Cuerpo consular | white on blue | CC·1234 | "COLOMBIA" is embossed at the bottom of the plate. |
  | Diplomatic | | Diplomatic corps | Cuerpo diplomático | white on blue | A-Z country initials ·123 FE-Schrift | "COLOMBIA" is embossed at the bottom of the plate. |
  | Diplomatic | | International organization | Organización internacional | white on blue | OI·1234 | "COLOMBIA" is embossed at the bottom of the plate. |
  | Diplomatic | | Non-diplomatic staff | Servicio Administrativo y Técnico | white on blue | AT·1234 | "COLOMBIA" is embossed at the bottom of the plate. |
  | Armed Forces | | Colombian Air Force | Fuerza Aérea Colombiana | yellow on black | FAC 123456 | "COLOMBIA" is embossed at the bottom of the plate. |
  | Armed Forces | | National Police | Policía Nacional | green on white | 12-3456 | "COLOMBIA" is screened at the top of the plate and "POLICIA NACIONAL" is screened at the bottom of the plate. |
  
  ## Previous plate types
  
  | Category | Image | Type | Type | Years | Colors | Serial format | Legends |
  | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
  | Category | Image | English | Spanish | Years | Colors | Serial format | Legends |
  | Passenger | | Private | Particular | 1972-1990 | white on black | $^A$ $_B$ 1234 | "COLOMBIA" is embossed at the bottom of the plate |
  | Passenger | | Commercial | Comercial | 1972-1990 | white on purple | $^A$ $_B$ 1234 | "COLOMBIA" is embossed at the bottom of the plate |
  | Non-passenger | | Official | Oficial | 1972-1990 | yellow on black | $^O$ $_A$ 1234 | "COLOMBIA" is embossed at the bottom of the plate |
  