Spain’s car plates are changing again – the small detail many drivers are only just noticing

Many drivers in Spain notice that the lettering on number plates has changed. It isn’t a change that would make the news overnight, but it is a noticeable difference. It is important to note that the word “you” means “you”. lettering on number plates is moving forward again – and that small detail is enough to spark curiosity among motorists and car buyers across the country.

The DGT (Dirección General de Tráfico) has confirmed that 2026 will see the natural progression of Spain’s number plate lettering, with new vehicles now appearing with combinations such as NKM and NKN. It’s not a reform, not a redesign – just the system doing exactly what it was built to do as more cars join Spain’s roads.

For anyone looking to buy a new car, these letters will reveal the date that the vehicle was first put on the road.

New registrations of cars in Spain continue alphabetical progression

Spain’s number plate Follow a simple yet highly structured pattern. Four numbers followed by 3 letters. The sequence is automatically updated as vehicles are registered. This means that each new vehicle reflects an exact moment in time.

With approximately 4,000 vehicles being registered every day, the system continues to progress. This pace indicates that Spain is likely to reach the plates starting with the letter “P” by the end of 2026 or the beginning of 2027.

Drivers who like to track these details will find the DGT The latest registrations are kept online so that you can see the evolution of the lettering in real time.

Some letters are never found on Spanish plates

You may have wondered why some letters are not included on Spanish license plates. The answer is simple. Vowels, Ñ, Q and combinations like LL or CH are excluded to avoid accidental words, confusion or combinations that could be misread.

Even with those restrictions, the format still allows for around 80 million possible combinations, meaning Spain’s current system has plenty of life left – potentially several more decades before any redesign is needed.

Spain’s Provincial Plates have been replaced with a new system

Spain’s current format is not the only one used. Prior to 2000, the number plate included provincial identifiers. This is something that many drivers can still recall. The European-style format introduced a system that was a national one without any regional codes.

The very first modern plate – 0000 BBB – was issued to a Mercedes registered in Vitoria more than 25 years ago. Since then, this sequence has quietly moved through the alphabet to mark the growth of Spain’s vehicle fleet, without most people even noticing.

The shift in the letter is a simple reminder that the number of vehicles added to Spanish roadways each year continues to grow.

Not dramatic – but for car enthusiasts and new buyers alike, it’s one of those small details that never goes completely unnoticed.