Bhutan license plate (BT) in 2025 ✅
Bhutan license plates since 1990 have a squared unique size with white characters on a red background. The configuration of the license plates of Bhutan is the letter B and a letter that identifies the type of vehicle. Next, a number that identifies the province and another group of five characters are shown.
Language: Dzongkha
International code: BT
In Bhutan they drive on the left
First plate was registered on: 1960.
There are 5 7 cars per 1000 inhabitants.
Continent: Asia
Table of contents of Bhutan license plates
Current Car and Motorcycle License Plates of Bhutan
Since 1997, current Bhutan vehicle license plates use white characters on a red background for private vehicles. The format of Bhutan car and motorcycle license plates begins with the letter B followed by another letter that identifies the vehicle type. The background color of the Bhutan license plate also changes depending on the type of vehicle. Green backgrounds identify electric vehicles. After that, a hyphen is followed by a number indicating the registration office, which is thus a regional geographic code. This is followed by a sequence of four numbers or a letter plus five numbers. Previously, only four digits were used. It is believed that after reaching 9999, the sequence continued with A0001. Dzongkha script is displayed at the top of the plate, varying depending on the vehicle type.
Bhutan license plates are issued by the Road Safety and Transport Authority of Bhutan. For example, the plate BP-1-A0001 indicates a private vehicle (BP) registered in region 1 (Western Bhutan, where Thimphu the capital is located), with serial number A0001. Since November 2022, green backgrounds are used for electric vehicles. In the early years of this system (1995–1997), Dzongkha script was not shown at the top of the plates.
What Does the Second Letter on a Bhutan Plate Mean?
The second letter of a Bhutan license plate identifies the type of vehicle. All special types of Bhutan license plates are listed in the table below. A Bhutan plate with a second letter P (BP) indicates a private vehicle with a red background. A T (BT) means taxi and has a yellow background. A G (BG) on a red plate indicates a government vehicle. Plates with green backgrounds identify electric vehicles. Bhutan motorcycle plates follow the same design but in a smaller format.
| Two-letter prefix on the plate | Type of special vehicle | Dzongkha text on top of the plate | Bhutan license plate background color |
|---|---|---|---|
| BP
| Private vehicle | སྒེཪ་འཁོར | Red |
BP
| Private vehicle electric | སྒེཪ་འཁོར | Green |
BG
| Government vehicle | ? | Red Yellow characters |
BG
| Government vehicle electric | ? | Green |
BT
| Taxi | གླ་འཁོར | Yellow |
| BT | Taxi electric | གླ་འཁོར | Green |
CD
| Diplomatic Corps | ? | Blue or green |
| RBG | Royal Bodyguard of Bhutan RBG = Royal Bodyguard of Bhutan | ? | Various colors |
| RBP | Police RBP = Royal Bhutan Police | ? | Blue |
What Does the Middle Number on a Bhutan Plate Mean?
The third character in Bhutan license plates is a number separated by dashes. This number is a regional code identifying the registration office of the vehicle. Currently, only digits 1 to 5 are used. The table below shows what region each number corresponds to, for all types of Bhutan car and motorcycle plates.
| Regional numeric code on Bhutan plate | Region it identifies in Bhutan |
|---|---|
| 1 | Western Bhutan Thimphu (capital) |
| 2 | Central Bhutan |
| 3 | Eastern Bhutan |
| 4 | Southern Bhutan |
| 5 | Currently unknown |
Old Car License Plates of Bhutan
Before 1995, Bhutan license plates had a format of 3 letters followed by 4 digits, in white characters on a red background. The first letter was always B, identifying Bhutan. The second letter indicated the region: C for central, E for eastern, and W for western Bhutan. Thimphu, the capital, is in the western zone (W). The third letter indicated the type of vehicle. P was used for private vehicles. One common configuration was BWP, indicating a private vehicle registered in the capital. Finally, the plate included a sequence of four numbers.
☛ Which code identifies cars from Bhutan?
The code BT identifies Bhutan. The license plates of Bhutan may be used with the international registration code BT next to it on the back part of the car.
Example of a car with the international recognition code of Bhutan
Below you can find a car with the oval code and international recognition of Bhutan which is BT.
Questions and answers about car license plates in Bhutan 🥇
Where is the code BT in a license plate from?
The international code BT identifies Bhutan, in Asia.
Which country uses the code BT on its license plate?
The country that uses the code BT on its car license plate system is Bhutan.. The letter or letters BT always identify Bhutan. The international code BT must always be displayed on the rear of the vehicle inBhutanSpain in an oval in black characters on a white background when travelling abroad, except in very rare cases.
When did Bhutan have its first ordinary car license plate?
The date of the first car license plate registration officially issued in Bhutan was in 1960.
Which side of the road do people drive on in Bhutan?
In Bhutan, you drive on the left side of the road.
On which continent is Bhutan located?
Bhutan is located in the continent . You can check how are the license plates of Asia following the link to the general section within matriculasdelmundo. Car license plates in Asia
What are license plates from Bhutan called in other English-speaking couuntries?
In English, license plate of Bhutan is commonly called a license plate of Bhutan in the United States and Canada. In the UK and Australia, it’s often known as a number plate of Bhutan. Another term, registration plate of Bhutan, is understood globally and is slightly more formal. All these terms refer to the same vehicle identification plate of Bhutan, with usage varying by country. Car plate of Bhutan can be used in more technical situations.
Is it the same a license plate of Bhutan and a registration plate of Bhutan?
Yes, both license plate of Bhutan and registration plate of Bhutan can be used to refer the same vehicle registration unique number of Bhutan.
Cite this section about the license plates of Bhutan
Matriculasdelmundo. License plates of Bhutan. Reviewed and updated information. Matriculasdelmundo.com. Retrieved on 21/08/2025 from https://
License plates from other states and territories that you may be interested in:
Map of the Bhutan license plates
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Official Sources on License Plates of Bhutan
All the information about the license plates of cars and motorcycles in Bhutan and vehicle plates shown here has been extracted from official state archives (such as the BOE and the DGT in Spain), from personal sightings, by contacting automobile clubs from other countries, or through media or files referenced in the text. This information on car and motorcycle plates in Bhutan has been collected since 2009, so we hope you find the information you're looking for about Bhutan license plates.
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