German license plate codes identify the district the vehicle comes from. However their usage is far beyond just license plates - signs often use the license plate codes to identify cities when space is sparse, and in informal writing the cities are often abbreviated to license plate codes.
License plate codes can be one, two or three letters. They may include German umlauts (Ä, Ö, Ü).
| Code | City |
|---|---|
| A | Augsburg |
| AA | Aalen |
| AB | Aschaffenburg |
| ABG | Altenburg |
| AC | Aachen |
| AE | Auerbach im Vogtland |
| AH | Ahaus |
| AIB | Bad Aibling |
| AIC | Aichach |
| AK | Altenkirchen |
| AL | Altena |
| ALF | Alfeld |
| ALS | Alsfeld |
| ALZ | Alzenau in Unterfranken |
| AM | Amberg |
| AN | Ansbach |
| ANA | Annaberg |
| ANG | Angermünde |
| ANK | Anklam |
| APD | Apolda |
| AR | Arnsberg |
| ARN | Arnstadt |
| ART | Artern |
| ASD | Aschendorf an der Ems |
| ASL | Aschersleben |
| AT | Altentreptow |
| AU | Aue |
| AUR | Aurich |
| AW | Ahrweiler |
| AZ | Alzey |
| AÖ | Altötting |
| B | Berlin |
| BA | Bamberg |
| BAD | Baden-Baden |
| BB | Böblingen |
| BBG | Bernburg |
| BC | Biberach |
| BCH | Buchen im Odenwald |
| BE | Beckum |
| BED | Brand-Erbisdorf |
| BEI | Beilngries |
| BEL | Belzig |
| BF | Burgsteinfurt |
| BGD | Berchtesgaden |
| BH | Bühl |
| BI | Bielefeld |
| BID | Biedenkopf |
| BIN | Bingen am Rhein |
| BIR | Birkenfeld |
| BIT | Bitburg |
| BIW | Bischofswerda |
| BK | Backnang |
| BKS | Bernkastel |
| BL | Balingen |
| BLB | Bad Berleburg |
| BM | Bergheim |
| BN | Bonn |
| BNA | Borna |
| BO | Bochum |
| BOG | Bogen |
| BOH | Bocholt |
| BOR | Borken |
| BOT | Bottrop |
| BR | Bruchsal |
| BRA | Brake an der Unterweser |
| BRB | Brandenburg an der Havel |
| BRG | Burg bei Magdeburg |
| BRI | Brilon |
| BRK | Bad Brückenau |
| BRL | Blankenburg |
| BRV | Bremervörde |
| BS | Braunschweig |
| BSB | Bersenbrück |
| BSK | Beeskow |
| BT | Bayreuth |
| BTF | Bitterfeld |
| BU | Burgdorf |
| BUL | Burglengenfeld |
| BZ | Bautzen |
| BZA | Bergzabern |
| BÜD | Büdingen |
| BÜR | Büren |
| BÜS | Büsingen am Hochrhein |
| BÜZ | Bützow |