Reserve a personalised licence plate (Wunschkennzeichen)

KFZ-Zulassungsstelle · Licence plates

Online / in person

A personalised licence plate (Wunschkennzeichen) is a perfectly normal official vehicle licence plate – with the difference that you choose the identification number yourself, that is, the sequence of letters and digits after the local code. The legal basis is § 9 of the Vehicle Registration Ordinance (Fahrzeug-Zulassungsverordnung, FZV): under it, a licence plate consists of the distinguishing sign of the administrative district and the identification number allocated by the vehicle registration authority. If this identification number deviates from the regular allocation procedure because you chose it yourself, the authority charges a nationwide surcharge of €10.20.

If you want to secure your combination in advance, you have it pre-allocated – colloquially “reserved”. For this, the Fee Schedule for Measures in Road Traffic (Gebührenordnung für Maßnahmen im Straßenverkehr, GebOSt) provides for €2.60 per identification number. Altogether, the Wunschkennzeichen therefore costs €12.80 in addition to the actual registration fee. How long the reservation lasts, however, is set out in no law at all: the period is purely administrative practice of the respective Kfz-Zulassungsstelle (vehicle registration office) and in practice ranges from 14 days in Hamburg to 183 days in Cologne. This page explains step by step which combinations the FZV allows at all, which are blocked, how many characters remain for historic vehicle plates (H-Kennzeichen), seasonal licence plates (Saisonkennzeichen) and electric vehicle plates (E-Kennzeichen), and how you can save around €17 through the internet-based registration.

Last updated26 August 2026

Legal basis§ 9 FZV · Annex 1 & 4 FZV

Fee basisGebOSt Nr. 221 & 230, last amended on 12 August 2026

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Written and reviewed byAndrés Sánchez Botta

Independent information site: we are not the Kfz-Zulassungsstelle, not an authority and not a paid advisory service – we do not submit applications on your behalf. All the information comes from official sources and is explained here in plain terms; binding information always comes from the competent body. The GebOSt fees apply nationwide; the reservation period, appointment scheduling and means of payment are set independently by each vehicle registration authority. All information is provided without guarantee. We are neither lawyers nor tax consultants: we document official procedures and check the information against the official source – this is information, not legal or tax advice.

Required documents

Identity card (Personalausweis) or passport with registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) – originals

The vehicle registration authority must establish identity and place of residence, because its local jurisdiction – and therefore the distinguishing sign – is determined by the vehicle holder’s place of residence or registered office. So bring a valid identity card (Personalausweis), or, if you identify yourself with a foreign document, your passport together with a current registration certificate (Meldebescheinigung) from your Bürgeramt (citizens’ office). Copies, expired documents and photos on a smartphone are not accepted; anyone who only wants to reserve a plate identifies themselves on site with the same document.

Reservation confirmation with a reservation number

After the reservation, you receive a confirmation with a reservation number, which, depending on the authority, is also called a transaction or reservation code. This number is the proof that the combination is blocked for you – without it, the vehicle registration office falls back on the regular allocation procedure. The confirmation is valid only at the authority that issued it, and only until the expiry date stated on it; print it out or save the PDF file on your mobile phone.

Means of payment for the fees

The reservation fee of €2.60 becomes due immediately with an online reservation, whereas the allocation surcharge of €10.20 only becomes due at the registration itself. Which means of payment are accepted – cash, girocard or credit card – is decided independently by each vehicle registration office; find out in advance of your appointment so that you are not turned away because of the method of payment. For the motor vehicle tax, the authority additionally requires a SEPA direct debit mandate at registration.

Vehicle documents for the subsequent registration

The Wunschkennzeichen alone does not yet get you on the road: for the registration you need the registration certificate Part II, for a used vehicle additionally Part I, the electronic insurance confirmation (elektronische Versicherungsbestätigung, eVB number), and proof of a valid periodic roadworthiness test (Hauptuntersuchung, HU — commonly called ‘TÜV’). Your motor vehicle insurer issues the eVB number free of charge, usually within a few minutes by email or SMS. If one of these documents is missing, the reservation does not expire immediately, but the appointment is wasted – and the reservation period keeps running.

Online identity function, PIN and user account (only for i-Kfz)

If you want to complete both the reservation and the registration entirely digitally through the internet-based registration under §§ 18 to 32 FZV, you need an identity card with the online identity function activated together with a six-digit PIN, an NFC-capable smartphone or card reader, and a user account. Without these three elements, the application fails even before identification. If your identity card’s online function is not activated, it can be activated afterwards at the identity card authority; for individual i-Kfz transactions, the covered security codes on the registration certificate and the stamp sticker (Stempelplakette — the registration seal on the licence plate) must additionally be revealed.

Power of attorney when represented or using a registration service

You do not have to appear yourself: an authorised person or a commercial registration service can both reserve and register the vehicle. For this, they need a power of attorney signed by you, a copy of your identity document and their own valid ID. Alongside vehicle holders, Nr. 230 of the GebOSt expressly names vehicle dealers and registration services as possible recipients of a pre-allocation – a reservation by a third party is therefore provided for by law and also costs €2.60 per identification number.

Step by step

Establish the competent vehicle registration office and distinguishing sign

The competent authority is the vehicle registration authority of the administrative district where the vehicle holder has their place of residence or registered office – and this district also determines the local code. Under § 9 Abs. 1 Satz 2 Nr. 1 FZV, the correct term is distinguishing sign, consisting of one to three letters; the widespread singular term “distinguishing letter” is incorrect, because alongside B for Berlin and M for Munich there are three-letter signs such as GAP, MYK or WOB. Which signs may be issued is determined under § 9 Abs. 3 FZV by the Federal Ministry of Transport at the request of the federal states – so you cannot choose it yourself. Therefore, check first which authority is competent for you: a reservation at the wrong vehicle registration office is worthless.

Put together your desired combination under Annex 1 FZV

Only the identification number can be freely chosen, and even for that, Annex 1 FZV sets out a fixed pattern: one or two letters, followed by one to four digits – from “A 1” to “ZZ 9999”. Umlauts (Ä, Ö, Ü), special characters, hyphens and leading zeros are not provided for and are rejected by the official portals. Note down at least three alternatives before you start your search: short, memorable combinations of two letters and one or two digits are practically all taken in large cities, while four-digit number sequences are often still available.

Check the number of characters for your type of licence plate

Under Annex 4 FZV, Abschnitt 3 Nr. 4, more than eight characters are not permitted on a licence plate; the letters of the distinguishing sign and the letters and digits of the identification number are counted. This limit, however, only applies to the ordinary single-row licence plate. For an H-Kennzeichen and for a Saisonkennzeichen, the maximum is seven characters each – in each case excluding the identifying letter or the statement of the operating period – and for an E-Kennzeichen even less room remains. So anyone coming from a district with a three-letter code such as MYK who wants a Saisonkennzeichen has only four characters left for their desired combination.

Check availability in the vehicle registration authority’s portal

Almost every vehicle registration authority runs its own Wunschkennzeichen portal that queries the stock in real time. Enter the distinguishing sign, the letters and the digits there; the system immediately reports whether the combination is free, already reserved or blocked. Use the official portal of your own authority wherever possible: private intermediaries offer the same query, but charge service fees for it that can go far beyond the statutory €2.60. If your combination is already taken, only an alternative helps – an allocated licence plate does not become free early, but only once the previous holder deregisters the vehicle (Abmeldung) or receives a different licence plate.

Reserve the plate and pay €2.60

Legally, the reservation is a pre-allocation under Nr. 230 of the GebOSt annex and costs a nationwide €2.60 per identification number. You then receive a reservation confirmation with a number and – crucially – with the expiry date. Enter this date in your calendar straight away, because the periods differ considerably: the city of Cologne reserves online-allocated licence plates for 183 days, the Munich district (Landkreis München) for 60 days with no possibility of extension at all, and the Landesbetrieb Verkehr in Hamburg initially for only 14 days. Never rely on general rules of thumb, but solely on the date in your confirmation.

Register the vehicle and provide the reservation number

At the registration appointment – or in the i-Kfz application – you provide the reservation number; only this turns the reservation into an allocation, and only then does the €10.20 become due. The registration itself costs €30.00 at the counter under Nr. 221.1 of the GebOSt, and under Nr. 221.1.1 only €12.80 online. In person, many vehicle registration offices require an appointment booked through the appointment portal; in smaller districts, open office hours are still available. Plan the appointment so that it definitely falls within the reservation period: if the reservation expires beforehand, the authority releases the combination again.

Have the plates embossed and stamped

The actual plates are embossed by a private plate maker, usually right next to the vehicle registration office or online with delivery; these costs are not an official fee item of the GebOSt and are not part of the €12.80. Bring the embossed plates to the vehicle registration office so that the stamp sticker and, if required, the Hauptuntersuchung sticker can be applied. Only with the officially stamped plates and the issued registration certificate Part I may you drive the vehicle on public roads; until then, driving is only permitted with a short-term licence plate (Kurzzeitkennzeichen).

Fees & costs

Service	Amount
Allocation of a desired identification number (surcharge, GebOSt note on Nr. 221)	€10.20
Reservation / pre-allocation per identification number (GebOSt Nr. 230)	€2.60
Wunschkennzeichen total (in addition to the registration fee)	€12.80
Registration, re-registration or change of licence plate at the counter (GebOSt Nr. 221.1)	€30.00
Registration online via i-Kfz (GebOSt Nr. 221.1.1)	€12.80
Address change after a move from a different registration district, keeping the licence plate (GebOSt Nr. 221.9)	€23.60
The same address change online (GebOSt Nr. 221.9.1)	€9.90
Surcharge for a Wechselkennzeichen (interchangeable licence plate) (§ 9 Abs. 2 FZV)	€6.00
Extension of a current reservation	Depends on the competent authority (Hamburg: €10.00 per 90 days)
Refund after the reservation period expires	Depends on the competent authority
Embossing the plates (private plate maker)	No official fee
Example: new registration with a Wunschkennzeichen at the counter	€42.80 (€30.00 + €10.20 + €2.60)
Example: new registration with a Wunschkennzeichen via i-Kfz	€25.60 (€12.80 + €10.20 + €2.60)

All the official amounts on this page come from the annex to the Fee Schedule for Measures in Road Traffic (GebOSt) and apply uniformly nationwide – including the reservation fee of €2.60, which is often described as “varying by local authority”. Only two things vary by local authority: the length of the reservation and any surcharges charged by private intermediary portals. Anyone who pays more than €2.60 for a reservation is not paying an official fee, but a private service fee.

The €10.20 surcharge is charged per allocation transaction. If you later want to switch to a different Wunschkennzeichen, you pay it again – in addition to the fee for changing the licence plate, which Nr. 221.1 of the GebOSt assigns to the same item as the registration, that is, €30.00. A spontaneous change of licence plate is therefore considerably more expensive than the initial reservation.

Not included are the costs of the plate maker, the motor vehicle tax and the motor vehicle insurance. Plate embossing is a private service whose prices are not officially set.

Important notes

Combinations contrary to public decency are excluded by law. § 9 Abs. 1 Satz 3 FZV expressly provides that neither the identification number nor the combination of the distinguishing sign and the identification number may offend against public decency. On this basis, the vehicle registration authorities block, in particular, letter sequences with a reference to National Socialism such as NS, SS, SA, HJ and KZ – as well as sequences that only take on such a meaning together with the local code. The block lists are administrative practice of the federal states and are not uniform nationwide: a sequence permitted in one district can be rejected in the neighbouring district.

The eight-character limit does not apply to every type of licence plate. Annex 4 FZV allows only five characters in the identification number for two-row licence plates, and for motorcycle licence plates only four. Anyone registering a motorcycle or a vehicle with a short rear must therefore keep their desired combination noticeably shorter than with the single-row car licence plate. Check this before reserving: the vehicle registration office simply cannot allocate a combination that is too long for a two-row plate.

The reservation period is purely administrative practice. The FZV contains no deadline for the pre-allocation; how long your combination stays blocked is decided by each vehicle registration authority itself. The real range is wide: Cologne, 183 days, Munich district, 60 days with no possibility of extension – after that, a completely new reservation is required – and Hamburg, initially 14 days, with up to four extensions of 90 days each for €10.00 each. Blanket statements such as “90 days maximum” are wrong in both directions.

Save online: a Wunschkennzeichen and i-Kfz go together. The internet-based registration under §§ 18 to 32 FZV expressly supports Wunschkennzeichen – the fee note on Nr. 221 of the GebOSt names not only the counter transactions 221.1 and 221.2 but also the online variants 221.1.1 and 221.2.1. The €10.20 surcharge stays the same, but the registration fee drops from €30.00 to €12.80. A new registration with a Wunschkennzeichen therefore costs €25.60 online instead of €42.80 at the counter.

Keeping your licence plate when you move preserves your combination. Since 2015, you have been allowed to keep your licence plate nationwide when you move to a different registration district – the local code is then retained, even if it no longer matches your place of residence. This is not free of charge: the address change after a move from a different registration district while keeping the existing licence plate costs €23.60 under Nr. 221.9 of the GebOSt, or only €9.90 online under Nr. 221.9.1. First complete the Ummeldung (change of address) at the Bürgeramt, and then the address change in the Fahrzeugschein.

Wechselkennzeichen: note the surcharge and the exclusions. A Wechselkennzeichen under § 9 Abs. 2 FZV allows two vehicles of the same vehicle class to carry a shared licence plate part; the GebOSt provides for a surcharge of €6.00 for this. However, it must not be issued as a Saisonkennzeichen, a red licence plate, a Kurzzeitkennzeichen or an export licence plate. Anyone who wants to combine a desired combination with seasonal use must therefore choose between a Wechselkennzeichen and a Saisonkennzeichen.

Reservation and allocation are two separate transactions. The €2.60 only secures the combination; the right to carry it only arises with the allocation as part of the registration – and only then does the €10.20 become due. Conversely, you can also have a Wunschkennzeichen allocated directly at the counter without a prior reservation: then you only pay the €10.20 surcharge, but you bear the risk that the combination has been given to someone else by the time of your appointment.

What happens to the reservation once the period expires. Once the period expires, the vehicle registration authority releases the combination again for others. Whether, and to what extent, the €2.60 paid is refunded or credited towards a new reservation is regulated neither in the FZV nor in the GebOSt, and therefore depends on the competent authority. If in doubt, ask before the period expires whether an extension is possible – in Hamburg up to four times for 90 days each at €10.00 each, whereas in the Munich district it is not possible at all.

Popular combinations disappear quickly. Two letters with one or two digits, initials with a birth year, and round numbers are almost completely taken in densely populated areas. Keep alternatives ready, therefore, and make use of the greater scope offered by four-digit number sequences – under Annex 1 FZV, combinations up to “ZZ 9999” are provided for.

Common mistakes

Relying on a blanket reservation period

Anyone who relies on the widely circulated figure of “10 to 90 days” is wrong in both directions. In Hamburg, the basic reservation has already expired after 14 days – the licence plate is then gone, even though you still believe yourself to be well within the supposed 90 days. In Cologne, conversely, people unnecessarily extend or re-reserve, even though the original reservation runs for 183 days. The only thing that matters is the expiry date on your reservation confirmation.

Reserving at the wrong vehicle registration office

A reservation is only effective at the authority that granted it. Anyone who reserves in a neighbouring district because its portal seemed clearer pays €2.60 for a combination that their own vehicle registration office is not allowed to allocate at all – the distinguishing sign is determined under § 9 FZV by the vehicle holder’s place of residence or registered office. The registration appointment then ends with a licence plate from the regular allocation procedure, and the fee paid is lost.

Too many characters for the chosen type of licence plate

Eight characters are the upper limit for ordinary single-row licence plates. Anyone who wants to use the same combination for an H-Kennzeichen, a Saisonkennzeichen, an E-Kennzeichen, a two-row plate or a motorcycle finds out at the counter that it cannot be allocated. The reservation fee has then been paid, but the Wunschkennzeichen cannot be obtained – and whether the money is refunded depends on the competent authority.

Applying for a letter sequence contrary to public decency or blocked

Combinations with a reference to National Socialism such as NS, SS, SA, HJ or KZ are rejected under § 9 Abs. 1 Satz 3 FZV, as are sequences that only take on such a meaning together with the local code. The portals already filter out many of these automatically, but not all of them – the final decision is made by the vehicle registration authority during the allocation process. Expect the application to be refused and that you will need to switch to an alternative at short notice.

Choosing umlauts or impermissible characters

Annex 1 FZV provides only for the letters A to Z and digits from 1 to 9999 for the identification number. Ä, Ö, Ü, special characters, hyphens and leading zeros are excluded, so entries such as “MÜ 8” or “AB 007” are not accepted by any official portal. Anyone who insists on this loses time and has to start the search completely afresh – in the worst case, the alternative combination has been taken in the meantime.

Forgetting the reservation number for the appointment

Without the reservation number, the caseworker cannot match the pre-allocation to your case. In the best case, it can be looked up using your personal details; in the worst case, the vehicle is registered with a licence plate from the regular stock. A subsequent correction is then no small matter, but a chargeable change of licence plate under Nr. 221.1 of the GebOSt – €30.00 plus a renewed €10.20 Wunschkennzeichen surcharge.

Reserving with a private intermediary instead of the authority

Commercial portals sometimes charge a multiple of the statutory €2.60 for the same service. This fee is set nationwide in Nr. 230 of the GebOSt and does not vary at all from one local authority to another; any higher amount is a private service fee and not an official fee. In the worst case, you pay twice, because the legally binding pre-allocation can in any case only be carried out by the competent vehicle registration authority.

Needlessly giving up the licence plate when moving

Anyone who has a new licence plate allocated after moving to a different registration district permanently loses their desired combination and pays a renewed €10.20 surcharge for a new Wunschkennzeichen, plus the registration fee. The address change while keeping the existing licence plate, by contrast, costs €23.60 under Nr. 221.9 of the GebOSt, or €9.90 online under Nr. 221.9.1 – work out both options before your appointment.

Frequently asked questions

What does a Wunschkennzeichen cost in 2026?

The Wunschkennzeichen costs €12.80 in addition to the actual registration fee: a €10.20 surcharge for the allocation of an identification number that deviates from the regular allocation procedure, and €2.60 for the reservation per identification number. Both amounts are set out in the annex to the GebOSt and apply nationwide. The registration itself additionally costs €30.00 at the counter or €12.80 online.

How long does the reservation of a Wunschkennzeichen last?

This depends solely on your vehicle registration authority, because the FZV contains no deadline for it. In practice, the range runs from 14 days at the Landesbetrieb Verkehr Hamburg, through 60 days in the Munich district, to 183 days at the city of Cologne. Hamburg allows up to four extensions of 90 days each for €10.00 each, whereas in the Munich district an extension is excluded; what always matters is the expiry date on your reservation confirmation.

Which letters and numbers can I choose?

Only the identification number can be freely chosen: one or two letters, followed by one to four digits, that is, from “A 1” to “ZZ 9999” under Annex 1 FZV. Umlauts such as Ä, Ö and Ü, special characters and leading zeros are not provided for. The preceding distinguishing sign of one to three letters is determined under § 9 Abs. 3 FZV by the Federal Ministry of Transport at the request of the federal states, and cannot be chosen.

Which combinations are prohibited?

Under § 9 Abs. 1 Satz 3 FZV, neither the identification number nor the combination of the distinguishing sign and the identification number may offend against public decency. On this basis, the vehicle registration authorities block, in particular, letter sequences with a reference to National Socialism such as NS, SS, SA, HJ and KZ, as well as sequences that only take on such a meaning together with the local code. The block lists are administrative practice of the federal states and are not uniform nationwide.

Can I choose a licence plate from a different district?

No. Under § 9 FZV, the distinguishing sign is determined by the administrative district in which the vehicle is registered, that is, by the vehicle holder’s place of residence or registered office. You may only keep a code from elsewhere through keeping your licence plate: when moving to a different registration district, the address change while keeping the existing licence plate costs €23.60 under Nr. 221.9 of the GebOSt, or €9.90 online under Nr. 221.9.1.

Can I reserve and register the Wunschkennzeichen online?

Yes. The internet-based registration under §§ 18 to 32 FZV expressly supports Wunschkennzeichen; the fee note on Nr. 221 of the GebOSt separately names the online transactions 221.1.1 and 221.2.1. You need an identity card with the online identity function activated together with a PIN, an NFC-capable reader or smartphone, and a user account. The registration fee thereby drops from €30.00 to €12.80.

How many characters may a Wunschkennzeichen have?

On an ordinary single-row licence plate, a maximum of eight characters is permitted under Annex 4 FZV; the letters of the distinguishing sign and the letters and digits of the identification number are counted. For H-Kennzeichen and Saisonkennzeichen, the maximum is seven characters each, and for an E-Kennzeichen even less. Two-row licence plates allow only five characters in the identification number, and motorcycle licence plates only four.

Do I get the fee back if the reservation lapses?

Once the period expires, the vehicle registration authority releases the combination again for others. Whether the €2.60 paid is refunded or credited towards a new reservation is regulated neither by the FZV nor by the GebOSt, and therefore depends on the competent authority. Therefore, ask in good time before the expiry about an extension, which some authorities offer against a separate fee.

Do I need an appointment at the vehicle registration office?

At many vehicle registration offices, an online appointment is required; in smaller districts, open office hours are still available. Book the appointment early enough that it definitely falls within your reservation period, because especially in large cities, appointments are often booked out weeks in advance. Anyone using the internet-based registration does not need an appointment at all.