Vehicle registration plates of Yemen started in 1993. The current version started in 2007.
Yemeni license plate types can be distinguished by their background colour, as well as an Arabic text above the numerical code, adjacent to the country name, (اليمن).
The numerical section of the license plate is divided into 2, with a horizontal line. On the left, a 1 or 2-digit code, indicating the Governorate to which the vehicle belongs. This number will be between 1 and 22. On the right is the numerical identifier code for the vehicle, which can range between 1 and 6 digits.
Plate Formats
Governorate codes
Southern Yemen
Due to the ongoing Civil war, political control in Yemen has fractured. This has had implications on vehicle registration plates. Most of the North, politically under the control of the Houthi-dominated Supreme Political Council, has retained the aforementioned registration plate formats. However, in the South, the city of Aden, politically dominated by the UAE-backed Southern Movement has developed a license plate design and format resembling those of UAE's Emirates (UAE License Plates). Most of the rest of Southern Yemen is politically controlled by the internationally-recognized Saudi-backed Government of Yemen. Individual provinces in the South have developed their own unique (but nevertheless similar is style and format) registration plates.
Aden City
Aden city, politically dominated by the UAE-backed Southern Movement, has started issuing license plates in formats resembling those of UAE's Emirates (UAE License Plates). The license plates feature a graphic of Ras Marshag Lighthouse, one of Aden's prominent landmarks, as well as a stylized Arabic Text saying "عدن" (Aden), as well as an English text saying Aden. The license plate currently consists of a 4-digit code, but is large enough to allow for 5, or 6-digit codes if need be. The license plate consists of black text and graphic and black boundary on white background. The numbers are in style of FE-Schrift.
Typical 1-line license plate, having a size complaint with that of European Union license plates, 520 x 110 mm
Typical 2-line license plate, installed on imported vehicles that can't accommodate a standard 1-line plate. Size compliant with American standard 335 x 170 mm
Hadhramaut Governorate
Hadhramaut Governorate License Plates consist of black text and black boundary on white background. Hadramaout Governorate plates consist of the governorate name in Arabic (حضرموت) and a 4 digit number. Hadramaut Governorate plates also have a strip on the left hand side with the letter H in black on a background whose color depends on the classification of the vehicle. Temporary plates have a strip on the right hand side that says "مؤقت", meaning temporary, on a blue background. The license plates for Hadramout use a unique serif font.
Al Mahrah Governorate
Al Mahrah Governorate License Plates consist of black text and black boundary on white background. Hadramaout Governorate plates consist of the governorate name in Arabic (المهرة) and a 4 digit number. Al-Mahrah Governorate plates also have a strip on the left hand side with the letter M in black on a background whose color depends on the classification of the vehicle. Similar to Hadramout, The license plates for Al-Mahra use a unique serif font.
The colour combination and structure of the license plates are similar to Hadramaout.
Marib Governorate
Marib Governorate License Plates consist of black numbers and black boundary on white background. Marib Governorate plates consist of the governorate name in Arabic (مأرب) and a 4 digit number. The governorate name is black on a background whose color depends on the classification of the vehicle. Marib Governorate plates also have a strip on the left hand side with the letter M in black on a background whose color matches the background color governorate name, and depends on the classification of the vehicle. The styles of Marib license plates thus differ from the previously mentioned southern governorates. The letter code used by the governorate, M, is the same as the letter code used by Al Mahrah Governorate. The license plates for Marib use a unique serif font.