Are license plates counted when they are used up?

After the prefix ZZ, it will go back to WA and cross again~ There will be no problem if it lasts for 20 more years!

Some people also add the word "Hong Kong" to their words, which is really embarrassing!

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Those car associations and license plate companies don't waste any more time and are trying their best to find opportunities to show their loyalty.

Add some Chinese characters, 咩港咩咩咩粤, which can save money for the time being.

The Transport Department has made a decision early on. After the ZZ prefix is ​​used up, it will continue to use the old rule, AB 1234, which means that the 3 million numbers that have not yet been assigned will be reused. According to this approach, it is absolutely acceptable and has the least impact. There is no need to significantly change the law, and it does not affect the existing license plate numbers in the market. It does not conflict with customized license plates. In addition, there will definitely not be 6 million vehicles in Hong Kong. Zhong Weiji customized his license plate. Basically there will never be a day when you run out of license plate numbers. , can be used forever.

Traditional license plate numbers range from AA1 to ZZ9999. In this calculation, there are 26 times 26, a total of 676 letter combinations. Then multiply by the 9999 numbers after each combination, and finally add 1 to 9999. The correct calculation should be: AA to ZZ have 26 times 26, that is, 676 combinations. Each combination is matched with a number from 1 to 9999, for a total of 676 times 9999, plus the combinations from 1 to 9999. The total is 676 times 9999 plus 9999.
Do the math, 676 times 9999 is 6759324, plus 9999, the total is 6,769,323. So the total number of combinations is 6,769,323.

Because Hong Kong license plates do not have the letters I, O, and Q, there are only 23 options left for each position. There are two letter positions in total, so 23 times 23, or 529 combinations. Each combination can be matched with numbers from 1 to 9999, so the total is 529 times 9999. Finally add 1 to 9999. The calculation is 529 times 9999, plus 9999, the total is 5,304,690.

The prefixes AA to EZ, HK, XX, etc. may be retained for auction purposes because of their historical value.

This is the most feasible and simplest method today, and everyone is happy with it for the time being.

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The Transport Department handles the registration of vehicles and assigns vehicle registration numbers in accordance with the Road Traffic (Registration and Licensing of Vehicles) Regulations (Cap. 374E). The Transport Department will allocate a traditional vehicle registration mark to the vehicle for identification purposes when the vehicle is registered or when the owner retains the original registration mark of the registered vehicle. According to the current traditional vehicle registration number allocation system, except for some prefix English letter series that have been reserved for specific purposes, the Transport Department has been allocating them in alphabetical order from "AA" to "ZZ", while the trailing digits will be randomly selected by the computer system and assigned to registered vehicles. Regarding the question raised by Councilor Lam Lin, the comprehensive reply is as follows.

As of the end of March 2023, the Transport Department is allocating traditional vehicle registration numbers of the "YN" series. Based on the current allocation speed, it is expected that the allocation of traditional vehicle registration numbers of the "ZZ" series will begin from the end of 2024 to early 2025.

According to the current arrangement, if the registered vehicle owner does not apply to retain the registration number originally assigned to the vehicle before canceling the registration of the vehicle in his name or changing the registration number to another vehicle registration number, the registration number will be returned to the transport Department. The numbers that have been returned can only be assigned to vehicles again through auction. According to the records of the Transport Department, as of the end of March 2023, there were approximately 3 million traditional vehicle registration marks that had been returned to the Transport Department and had not been re-allocated to any vehicles. Based on the current distribution rate, it is expected to meet the needs for no less than 20 years in the future.

After considering relevant factors, the Transport Department initially plans to continue to use the current traditional vehicle registration number format. After the "ZZ" series of numbers are allocated, starting with the "WA" series, the numbers returned to the transport department will be re-allocated in reverse alphabetical series order. A traditional vehicle registration number that is issued and not re-allocated to any vehicle; i.e. first allocate "WA" to the "WZ" series, then "VA" to the "VZ" series, then "UA" to the "UZ" series, and so on. The arrangement follows the current traditional vehicle registration mark format and does not involve changing the combination format of the current vehicle registration mark. Therefore, there is no need to amend relevant legislation or significantly change the computer system to avoid any impact on stakeholders.

The Transport Department will continue to closely monitor the allocation of vehicle registration marks and will announce to the public the latest information on the allocation of vehicle registration marks in a timely manner depending on the future allocation progress.