Car Registration Ireland

Looking to move to Ireland? Unsure about what car registration looks like in Ireland?

This blog post will cover all you need to know about car registrations in Ireland. You will discover what an Irish car registration plate looks like, the county codes for vehicles registered in Ireland, and the origins of the standardised EU registration plate.

Need to know about motorcycle registration? Looking for car registration information in the UK? Click these links to read more.

What is a Car Registration in Ireland?

A car registration plate is assigned to all vehicles after they have been correctly registered with the transport authority in Ireland, the RSA and the Department for Transport

The Road Safety Agency (RSA) and the Department of Transport are departments in the Republic of Ireland’s government that are responsible for promoting the safe use of Ireland’s roads, and managing driver licensing, as well as establishing a vehicles’ roadworthiness and other road safety standards.

Registration with the Department for Transport and the RSA ensures that all vehicles and their drivers are regulated and monitored appropriately.

What Does Car Registration Look Like in Ireland?

As the Republic of Ireland is a part of Europe, car registration in Ireland looks very similar to the majority of other European countries.

Each registration plate contains a unique identification number that belongs to the registered vehicle. Each registration plate is unique, corresponding only to the vehicle it has been registered to. Registration plates are attached to the front and back of the vehicle.

Car registration plates in the ROI are formatted in a YYY–CC–SSSSSS layout.

The first section of the registration plate (YYY) corresponds to the year of the original registration for the vehicle. A vehicle registered in 2022 would have a 221 registration if it were registered between January and June, and a 222 registration if it were registered between July and December.

The second section of a registration plate in ROI (CC) corresponds to the county/city in which the vehicle was originally registered. The final section (SSSSSS) of the registration plate is a one to six digit sequence number that starts with the first vehicle registered in the county/city that year/period.

Current Codes for ROI Registration Plates

Here is a list of the current city/county codes on ROI registration plates:

EU Standardised Registration Plates

The Republic of Ireland first introduced the blue European Union strip comprising the European flag symbol, and the country code of the member state on the left-hand side of their vehicle registration plates in 1991.

A similar band was adopted by Portugal in 1992 and by Germany in 1994 and was standardised across the EU on 11 November 1998.

When reading a registration plate on a vehicle it is easy to establish whether the car is EU registered, and the country of registration at a quick glance. On the left of the registration plate, you will notice a section which is blue and contains a circle of 12 yellow stars. This design is a replica of the EU flag and is used to show uniformity among EU member nations.

EU registration plates also conform to a number of other common standards, and you can read more about that in our blog post on Car Registration.

Do I Need a New Registration Plate For My Vehicle?

When importing your vehicle from one country to another, you will need to register that vehicle with the corresponding authority in that country. Once registering with the RSA and the Department of Transport, they will provide you with the information required for you to obtain new registration plates for your vehicle. This will allow you to drive your vehicle legally in the ROI.
Are you thinking of taking your Irish registered vehicle abroad? If so, you will probably need to get a Certificate of Conformity for your vehicle. EUROCOC are the market leaders in COC mediation and we make this process very simple. If you need to get a COC for your vehicle, we can help you in a few easy-to-follow steps. Just click here to get started!