Bhutan

STATUS: Independent Nation

PRONOUNCED: BOO tawn

CAPITAL: Thimpu

WORLD LOCATION: Southern Asia

FIRST LICENSE PLATES IN USE: 1961

MOTOR VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED:  Approx. 4,000

Plates are white on red, or sometimes yellow on red, for both private and government vehicles. The number consists of a three letter code, followed by up to four numerals.

CENTRAL REGION:

BCG - Government vehicle

BCT - Taxi

BCP - Private Car or Motorcycle

BCH - Hire Vehicle

EASTERN REGION:

BEG - Government vehicle

BET - Taxi

BEP - Private Car or Motorcycle

BEH - Hire Vehicle

WESTERN REGION:

BWG - Government vehicle

BWT - Taxi

BWP - Private Car or Motorcycle

BWH - Hire Vehicle

Other types:

OFFICIAL VEHICLES - BHT and up to three numbers.

ROYAL FAMILY - Yellow on red, with BHUTAN, and a low number.

The KING - Yellow on red plate, with just the word BHUTAN.

The Chief Monk - Yellow on red plate, with the number BHUTAN-1.

DIPLOMATIC - White on green, with an embassy code number, CD, then a low serial number.

ROYAL BHUTAN ARMY - Yellow on red (light vehicle), yellow on khaki (heavy vehicle) - plates have an arrow, then the letters RBA, and a number.

ROYAL BHUTAN POLICE - White on khaki, similar to above plates, and RBP for the prefix.

ROYAL BHUTAN GUARD - Black, yellow and green, with white numbers - RBG prefix.

Early Bhutan registration plates had a simple black serial number on an orange/red diagonally divided background. These date from the early 1960's. Sometime in the 1970's, the plates changed to yellow plates with white characters, with a BHT prefix, and a low serial number.

GRAPHICS USED:  Most Bhutan plates are hand painted, and some fancier issues have surfaced, although any graphics along these lines are more or less owner-added, and not really significant as a general graphic.

PLATES ARE: Owner provided.

SINGLE PLATES OR PAIRS: Pairs

OVAL: BHT   ISO: BT

CARS DRIVE ON: Left

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