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Most countries issue diplomatic license plates to accredited diplomats. Per the
Most countries issue diplomatic license plates to accredited diplomats. Per the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
, these are special vehicle registration plates
A vehicle registration plate, also known as a number plate (British English), license plate (American English), or licence plate (Canadian English), is a metal or plastic plate attached to a motor vehicle or trailer for official identificatio ...
which typically have distinctive features to allow diplomatic vehicles to be distinguished from other vehicles by police and other bodies, allowing them to give diplomatic vehicles special treatment and warning them that the operators and passengers of those vehicles may have diplomatic immunity
Diplomatic immunity is a principle of international law by which certain foreign government officials are recognized as having legal immunity from the jurisdiction of another country.
.
History
It is unknown when the first diplomatic licence plate was issued.Conventions
Conventions on the format of diplomatic license plates vary from country to country. They often feature the letters "CD" (for "''corps diplomatique
The diplomatic corps (french: corps diplomatique) is the collective body of foreign diplomats accredited to a particular country or body.
The diplomatic corps may, in certain contexts, refer to the collection of accredited heads of mission ( a ...
''"), “CC” (for “'' corps consulaire”),'' "D" (for "diplomat") or prefix of international organisations with diplomatic privileges, such as "EU" (for "European Union") and "OSCE" (for Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe
The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) is the world's largest regional security-oriented intergovernmental organization with observer status at the United Nations. Its mandate includes issues such as arms control, pro ...
").
Critics
Critics of these plates say that operators of these vehicles abuse these privileges, often parking in illegal spaces and breaking vehicular law without fear of repercussion. In 2019, in Japan, 2,600 parking violations involved diplomatic cars, out of which only 25% paid the fine. There are around 1900 cars with diplomatic licence plates in Japan. In Washington DC, from 2002 to 2019, cars with diplomatic plates have accumulated $745,280 in unpaid traffic and parking tickets.References
External links
* {{diplomacy-stub Vehicle registration plates Diplomacy