Vehicle Registration Plates of Finland - History

History

• 1917-1922: Right after gaining independence, different licence plates were issued for each city.
• 1922-1929: The standard plate had a white background, on which a provincial designation and four-digit number was marked.
• 1930s-40s: Annual plates were issued. Plates for odd-numbered years were white with black markings and plates for even-numbered years were black with white markings. The registration number consisted of a provincial designation, dash and a (maximum) four-digit number. A seal and the last two digits of the current year were marked on the left side of the plate.
• 1950: Annual plates were no longer issued. The standard registration number consisted of two letters, a dash and a (maximum) three-digit number, embossed in white on a black background. The first letter was the provincial designation.
• 1960: A white border was added to the plate. The registration number consisted of three letters and one or two numbers.
• 1972: The current licence plate type was introduced.
• 1996: The size of the vehicle licence plate was reduced. The old dimensions were 123 mm x 342 mm and 123 mm x 397 mm.
• 2001: EU licence plates were introduced.