Vehicle Registration Plates of Mexico
Vehicle registration plates in Mexico are issued by each state's Secretaría de Vialidad y Transporte. Plates are typically made of aluminum and feature a unique alphanumeric code, with designs varying by state and vehicle type. The current standard format, introduced in stages since the 1990s, uses a combination of letters and numbers to identify the issuing state and vehicle class.
Background
Mexico, like the US, has a federal system where states issue their own license plates. The article describes the history and formats of Mexican plates, which differ by state and year. Recent plates use a standardised design with state-specific letter codes (e.g., NUE for Nuevo León). Plates are tied to the vehicle for its lifetime, not to the owner. Understanding the system matters for identifying vehicles, verifying registration, and decoding the state of origin from plate prefixes. Prior to 2011, plates followed a different numbering system; older plates often remain valid if the vehicle is registered.