Dream car? Check. Paperwork? Check. Car plate number?
As part of the process of buying a car, a car plate comes next in line after you’ve signed off on all the necessary paperwork for your new ride. For your dream car, you would want a car plate that sounds and reads nicely too.
If you’ve ever driven in Malaysia and wondered, “What does V, W, J, A, or B stand for at the beginning of car plates?” here’s a list of vehicle plates by Malaysian state so that you can flex your newfound knowledge to your friends and family.
List Of Malaysian Vehicle Plates By State
| Vehicle Plate Starting With | State Of Origin | Vehicle Plate Example |
| A | Perak | ABC1234 |
| B | Selangor | BCD1234 |
| C | Pahang | CDE1234 |
| D | Kelantan | DEF1234 |
| F / FA to FF | Putrajaya | FGH1234 / FA1234 |
| J | Johor | JKL1234 |
| K | Kedah | KLM1234 |
| L | Labuan | LA1234 |
| M | Melaka | MNO1234 |
| N | Negeri Sembilan | NOP1234 |
| P | Penang | PQR1234 |
| Q | Sarawak | QRS1234C |
| R | Perlis | RST1234 |
| S | Sabah | STU1234C |
| T | Terengganu | TUV1234 |
| W | Kuala Lumpur | WXY1234
WX1234Y |
| V | VWX1234 |
Cars specifically registered in Langkawi, Kedah begin their car plates with “KV” and a suffix alphabet at the end. An example of a Langkawi car plate is KV 1234 A.
On the other hand, Sabah and Sarawak car plates specify the district or division they are registered in and are differentiated by a certain alphabet following the first letter.
| Sabah | Sarawak |
| SA – West Coast | QK and QA – Kuching |
| SY – West Coast | QB – Sri Aman and Betong |
| SB – Beaufort | QC – Samarahan and Serian |
| SD – Lahad Datu | QL – Limbang |
| SG – Sabah Government | QM – Miri |
| SK – Kudat | QP – Kapit |
| SL – Labuan | QR – Sarikei |
| SS and SM – Sandakan | QS – Sibu and Mukah |
| ST and SW – Tawau | QT – Bintulu |
| SU – Keningau |
Other car plates you may see on the road that are non-state specific are:
| Vehicle Plate Starting With | Usage | Vehicle Plate Example |
| H | Malaysian taxis | HA1234 |
| LIMO | KLIA limousine taxis | LIMO1234 |
| ZA to ZD | Army vehicles | ZA1234 |
| ZL | Navy vehicles | ZL1234 |
| ZU | Air force vehicles | ZU1234 |
| ZZ | For Ministry of Defence Malaysia (MINDEF) staff vehicles | ZZ1234 |
Similar to Sabah and Sarawak vehicle plates, Malaysian taxi plates are based on the district they are registered in:
- HA – Perak
- HB – Selangor
- HC – Pahang
- HD – Kelantan
- HE – Sabah
- HJ – Johor
- HK – Kedah
- HL – Labuan
- HM – Melaka
- HN – Negeri Sembilan
- HP – Pulau Pinang
- HQ – Sarawak
- HR – Perlis
- HS – Sabah
- HT – Terengganu
- HW – Kuala Lumpur
The alphabets ‘I’ and ‘O’ are not found in Malaysian vehicle plates as they are similar to the numbers ‘1’ and ‘0’. Additionally, the numbering sequence does not start with 0.
20 Types Of Limited Edition Vehicle Plates In Malaysia
Also known as vanity plates, these limited edition variations are aplenty in Malaysia!
Most often launched to commemorate special occasions or for charity drives, these car plates undergo fierce and expensive bidding wars because of their uniqueness.
| Vehicle Plate Starting With | Occasion | Vehicle Plate Example |
| A1M | Launched by Yayasan Kebajikan Artis Tanah Air (YKAT), formerly known as Yayasan Artis 1Malaysia | A1M1234 |
| BAMbee | To commemorate the 2000 Thomas and Uber Cup held in Malaysia, specially for BAM (Badminton Association of Malaysia) members | BAMbee1234 |
| G | Ranging from 1 to 9999 as part of the Lee Chong Wei Foundation | G1 |
| GG | Specially for members of Yayasan Modal Insan Harta (YMIH) | GG1234 |
| G1M | Launched by Kelab Explorasi 7 Benua Malaysia (KE7B) as part of a fund-raising initiative | G1M1234 |
| GOLD | Launched in 2024 by the Transport Ministry to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Federal Territories Day | GOLD2468 |
| NBOS | As part of the National Blue Ocean Strategy (NBOS) programme | NBOS1234 |
| PATRIOT | Launched by Yayasan Patriot Negara Malaysia (YPN) as part of a fund-raising initiative | PATRIOT1234 |
| PERFECT | Launched by the Perfect Group and limited to the first 100 as part of a fund-raising initiative | PERFECT1 |
| PUTRAJAYA | For only the first 9,999 car plates when Putrajaya was founded | PUTRAJAYA1 |
| RIMAU | To commemorate the 2017 SEA Games held in Malaysia | RIMAU1234 |
| SUKOM | To commemorate the 1998 Commonwealth Games held in Malaysia | SUKOM1234 |
| T1M | Launched by Pertubuhan Transformasi Anak Muda Malaysia as part of a fund-raising initiative | T1M1234 |
| UC | Launched by Universiti Malaysia Pahang (UMP) as part of a fund-raising initiative | UC1234 |
| UM | Launched in 2021 by Universiti Malaya | UM1011 |
| VIP | To commemorate Visit Pahang Year 2017 | VIP1234 |
| XIIINAM | To commemorate the 2-day XIII Ministerial Conference of the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) in Malaysia | XIIINAM1234 |
| XOIC | To commemorate the 10th OIC Summit held in Malaysia | XOIC1234 |
| XXVIASEAN | To commemorate the 26th ASEAN Summit held in Malaysia | XXVIASEAN1 |
| 1M4U | Introduced in 2013 for only the first 9,999 numbers | 1M4U1234 |
Besides these catchy ones, other types of vanity plates include those based on car models, such as PROTON, WAJA, and LOTUS, to name a few.
What Are Red Car Plates In Malaysia?
Malaysian car plates are standard-issue white font on a black background, but you may have come across car plates with a red background instead.
These red car plates are diplomatic vehicles which follow a distinctive format based on nationality, rank, and organisation. They can also have a black background, but are most easily recognised by their unique car plate.
Exclusively given to foreign diplomats, ambassadors, and high-ranking officials, there are four types of diplomatic organisations in Malaysia and their corresponding plates:
- DC – Diplomatic Corps
- CC – Consular Corps
- UN – The United Nations
- PA – Other international organisations
Hence, a diplomatic car plate will typically follow the 1C-2C-DC format:
- 1C – The nationality of the diplomat.
- 2C – The rank of the diplomat.
- DC – A constant suffix, which in this case means Diplomatic Corps.
How To Bid For Specific Car Plates?
To bid for car plates in Malaysia, you will first need to register with JPJeBid as an individual or company (if you’re buying a company car). After that, you will see a list of car plates available for bidding across Malaysia.
For instance, if you live in Kuala Lumpur but want a car plate starting with ‘A’, you can bid for it using JPJeBid!
You can submit as many bids as you like, but there is a non-refundable RM10 service charge for every number bidded, so don’t go too crazy with your car plate choices.
There is no limit on bidding prices, but instead, a minimum price based on each number’s category. Bid increments can range from as low as RM15 to up to a few thousand Ringgit, depending on the exclusivity of the car plate.
Otherwise, you can also find number plates for sale in Malaysia on Mudah.my, and at great prices! From your favourite lucky numbers to alphabets that symbolise your name, Mudah.my has a wide selection of car and motor plate numbers for sale.
A Dream Car Plate For A Dream Car
Some car owners prefer specific alphabets or numbers that bear significance in their lives – like birthdays or momentous days. Others may go the extra mile to avoid numbers or alphabets they consider pantang, whereas some insist on lucky ones to bring good fortune.
Besides these groups, some buy specific car plates solely to increase the market value of their car when selling it. Of course, don’t forget to factor in the cost of the car plate when calculating how much to sell your car for!