Vatican City

STATUS: Independent State

FORMERLY: Italian territory (until 1929)

WORLD LOCATION: Located within the boundaries of Rome, Italy.

FIRST LICENSE PLATES IN USE: 1930

MOTOR VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED:  Approx. 250

GRAPHICS USED:  Most issues have a small lead seal attached to the plate, with the Vatican crest embossed on it.

PLATES ARE: Officially issued.

HISTORY OF VATICAN PLATES:

1930: Current series came into use, black on white with S.C.V. and a serial number.

1962: Papal vehicle plates came into use, red on white with S.C.V. and a low serial number. Front plates had the number before the S.C.V., rear plates had the number after the S.C.V.

1984: Both front and rear plates had the S.C.V. as a prefix, followed by a serial number.

1988: Private vehicle license plates first issued, with CV as a prefix. Current SCV plates have one or two lead zeros before the actual serial number on low numbered plates - i.e., SCV 0023 or SCV 081.

KNOWN LICENSE PLATE TYPES

• Vatican City Administration Vehicles: from number S.C.V. 00526 on up, black on white plates.
• Vatican City Administration Motorcycles: Small plates from number S.C.V. 0056 on up, black on white plates.
• Vehicles registered to His Holiness the Pope: Red on white plates, numbers S.C.V.1 through S.C.V. 55. Currently, the Pope is said to used number S.C.V. 4 on his Popemobile, but in the past he only used plates with the Vatican City flag on them.
• Private Cars: from number CV 03001 on up, black on white.
• Private Cars (before 1988): Standard Italian temporaries, with the EE prefix.
• Private Motorcycles: from number CV 0301 on up, black on white, smaller plates.
• Cardinals: S.C.V. or CV prefix plates, by choice of the owner.
• Diplomatic Vehicles: Diplomatic vehicles use Italian diplomatic plates, with a number "2" prefix.

SINGLE PLATES OR PAIRS: Pairs

OVAL: V    ISO: SCV

CARS DRIVE ON: Right, since 1924.

Header photo of private Vatican plate courtesy/collection of JJPotylo-Glanzmann (Switzerland). This is one of very few private car plates (CV prefix) in collectors hands.

	Vatican City Private Motorcycle license plate.  The series starts at CV 0301, so this is a very rarely seen issue.  Approx. 6" x 6" in size.  This is the only known example of a private motorcycle plate in a collectors hands.  From the Drew Steitz collection.
	1940's vintage Vatican City State Government license plate.  Embossed heavy steel, with the lead seal to the left.  Approximately 13" x 13" in size.  The front mate to this plate is a small square plate, basically a miniature of the rear. "SCV" indicates a state issue (Stato della Citta del Vaticano).  Formerly in the Roy Klotz collection.

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