Have you ever wondered what the numbers and letters in Cameroon’s vehicle registration plates mean?
Have you ever wondered what the numbers and letters in Cameroon’s vehicle registration plates mean?
Indeed these are not just random characters picked and planted on our cars, trucks, and motorcycles. This article will focus on vehicle registration plates in Cameroon and their meanings.
Background Knowledge about Vehicle Registration Plates in Cameroon.
Any motor vehicle, semi-trailer, or trailer whose maximum authorized laden weight exceeds 500 kg to circulate on public roads in Cameroon must be registered. The number plate or registration number plate is proof of this registration. At all times, number plates must be affixed to the front and back of the vehicle.
The current registration number plates used in Cameroon are the CEMAC number plates. The agreement to use the CEMAC license plates arrived on the 3rd of August 2001 by CEMAC member countries.
Read More: 10 Most Used Cars in Cameroon (Price and Benefits)
Vehicle Registration (License) Plates in Cameroon and Their Meanings
What does a CEMAC number plate look like?
Generally, the CEMAC license plate carries the following characteristics
- CEMAC logo.
- The Acronym of that particular country (CMR in the case of Cameroon)
Specifically, the characters on the number plate depend on the vehicle type and its use. Based on this, the different categories for vehicle registration plates in Cameroon are:
A. Privately Owned Vehicles
Number plates of personal vehicles have a reflective orange background with black numbers and letters. These letters and numbers are divided into three parts;
1. Two letters indicating the region of residence of the car (or car owner); e.g., LT for littoral, NW for the Northwest, CE for the Centre region, SW for South West, OU for the West region, ES for the East region, AD for the Adamawa region, EN for the Far North region, NO for the North Region, SU for South region.
2. A group of 4 digits indicating the exact serial number of the car in a particular series.
3. A letter or pair of letters indicating the series in which the vehicle is registered.
B. Trucks, Trailers, Semi-Trailers, Tractors, Motorcycles
Vehicle registration plates have a reflective orange background with black numbers and letters. The license plates of these vehicles are divided into four parts;
1. Two letters indicating the region of residence of t car owner; e.g., LT for the Littoral, NW for the Northwest, CE for the Centre region, etc.
2. A pair of letters indicating the type of machine (RE for trailers, SR for semi-trailers, SE for public works and agricultural tractors, TR for road tractors, MT for motorcycles).
3. Four digits indicating the exact serial number of the vehicle.
4. A group of letters indicating the exact series in which the vehicle is registered.
C. State-owned Vehicles
Registration plates of state-owned vehicles have a reflective white background with black numbers and letters. These letters and numbers are divided into three parts;
1. Two letters indicating the particular state department.
a. AN for National Assembly.
b. CA for Administration.
c. SEN for the Senate.
It is worth mentioning that for trucks, trailers, semi-trailers, motorcycles, etc., the two letters indicating the region are replaced by CA.
2. Four digits indicating the exact serial number of the vehicle.
3. A group of letters indicating the exact series in which the vehicle was registered.
D. Vehicles Belonging to Members of the Diplomatic Corps, Consular and Administrative Staff of Diplomatic Missions, or Vehicles Belonging to International Organizations.
Registration plates of vehicles under this category have a reflective light green background with numbers and letters in white, except for administrative personnel (PA), which have a reflective navy-blue background with white letters and figures. The digits and letters are separated into four parts:
1. A group of letters indicating the position of the car owner.
- CDM for Chief of Missions
- CPC for consular General
- CD for Diplomatic corps
- CC for Consular Staff
- PA for Administrative Personnel
2. A group of letters indicating the code of the particular diplomatic mission or international organization. Generally, the digits:
- 02 to 99 is assigned to diplomatic missions;
- 102 to 199 is given to international organizations
3. Thirdly, a pair of letters indicating the country of the particular diplomatic mission or international organization (e.g., RC for the Republic of Cameroon)
4. Finally, a group of digits at the end indicates the vehicle's serial number.
Suggested: Highway Code in Cameroon (CEMAC Highway Code) PDF
E. Vehicles Belonging to Personnel of Services that Offer Technical Assistance
The plates have an orange background and black letters and figures. Their number plates are composed of three parts;
1. The code IT stands for Temporary Registration.
2. A group of 5 digits indicates the vehicle's serial number.
3. A pair of letters RC indicating the Republic of Cameroon.
F. Test Vehicles
The color of the plates is a yellow background with black numbers and letters. These registration plates are composed of three parts;
1. A pair of letters indicates the owner's region of residence.
2. A group of four digits indicates the vehicle's serial number.
3. The code WG stands for Garage Wagon.
G. Transit Wagons
These vehicle license plates have a reflective red background, with white numbers and letters with TT inscribed. The Number plates are made of four parts;
1. The code TT means Transit Wagon.
2. A six-digit code indicating the date of the departure of the said vehicle DD-MM-YY.
3. Two letters indicate the Transit vehicle’s Region of Origin (notice here that the region’s code is slightly higher than usual).
4. One figure indicating the exact order of exit of the vehicle.
H. Vehicles Belonging to the Post and Telecommunications Ministry
The plates have a reflective white background with black letters and figures. These plates are made of 3 parts;
1. The code PT stands for Post and Telecommunications.
2. A group of 3 digits indicates the vehicle's serial number.
3. A pair of digits indicates the vehicle's year of registration.
See Also: Driving Test Questions and Answers in Cameroon
I. Vehicles that Benefit from Reduced Duties
This is a particular case, and the registration plates are composed of three parts;
1. The code IS stands for Special Registration.
2. A group of 5 digits indicates the vehicle's serial number.
3. The code RC indicates the Republic of Cameroon.
J: Forces of Law and Order
This includes the military and vehicles of the police force:
- Vehicles belonging to the police have the code SN, which means National Security, followed by a four-digit Serial number. The plates have white numbers and letters on a red reflective background
- Vehicles belonging to the military have registration plates with yellow reflective backgrounds and black characters written on them. A military logo appears on the left of the number plate. The registration plate carries a 7-digit number, with the first digit indicating the particular military branch. 2 represents the military police, 3 represents the army, and 4 represents the navy branch of the army.
Final Words
Registration plates are essential in the transport sector, so all vehicles, trucks, and motorcycles are expected to have registration numbers conforming to the law. These number plates are all linked to a database that allows the administrative authorities, the forces of law and order (police and Gendarmerie), and the Interpol to carry out security and regulatory exercises when and where necessary.
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