Vehicle registration plates in Denmark normally have two letters and five digits and are issued by authorities. Plates can be obtained at authorized car dealers, vehicle inspection stations or official registration centers (Skat Motor center) The combination is simply a serial and has no connection with a geographic location, but the digits have number series based on vehicle type.
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Danish license plates do not follow the owner or the vehicle, when a car is sold the plates are turned in and the new owner must apply for new plates. Exception is from this rule when a car is sold privately from one person to another person, the new owner can use the current plates that are on the car.
Numbering (before 2012)
On the number combination one can see the type of a vehicle:
New system on http://www.skat.dk/SKAT.aspx?oId=1825582&vId=0
Continuously updated highest assigned serial letters and numbers on http://nrpl.dk/high-2012.php (after 2012)
Types
Hearses are registered as yellow-plate cars (commercial use). The actual plates are, however, white (personal use), reflecting the view that the deceased is a passenger rather than commercial freight.
EU plates
A new design with an EU stripe was expected in 2008, but has been delayed to 12 October 2009. This makes Denmark potentially the last EU country to adopt euro plates (Vehicle registration plates of Europe). The EU stripe is, however, currently optional. In preparation for the new design the font has been slightly condensed on some new plates issued since mid-2008. Since July 2009, buyers of a car can pick a license plate with or without an EU strip.
If a Danish registered vehicle does not have the plate with the EU stripe then it must be equipped with an approved oval DK-sign when driving abroad. If one drives both with a car and a caravan/trailer, both must bear the label. The sign shall be elliptical (oval) 175×115 mm, white background with black lettering. The letters must be 80 mm in height, the distance between them shall be 10 mm, and there shall be no advertising.
Faroe Islands
Cars registered in the Faroe Islands before 1996 have plates with white background, black text in Danish style, but with only one letter, F.
Cars registered after 1996 have white background, blue text in their own style, two letters and three digits. There is a blue stripe to the left with the Faroese flag and the code "FO". The Faroe Islands are outside the EU.
Greenland
Plates have a white background, and black text in Danish style with the serial letters "GR" reserved for Greenland. The EU stripe is not applicable since Greenland is a non-EU member.