Almost anyone who’s ever driven on the German autobahn has probably played the game of checking number plates to see where cars are from. In future, there will likely be a new kid on the block, as the city of Munich is about to start issuing licence plates that carry the letters “MUC”.

Munich running out of vehicle licence plate combinations

In Germany, when a car is registered with local authorities, it is issued with a unique number plate identifier that has a prefix of up to three letters showing where the vehicle is registered. So “B” is for Berlin, “K” is for Cologne, “F” is for Frankfurt, and so on.

Up until now, like other big German cities, Munich has used a single letter prefix: “M”. But according to a report in the Münchner Abendzeitung, the city is running out of combination options for new licence plates, and so the district administration has applied to the Ministry of Transport in Bavaria for a new, additional prefix: “MUC”. 

According to the Münchner Abendzeitung, more and more people are applying for licence plates for electric motorcycles and scooters, which have much smaller plates with space for just two lines of characters. The first line is usually the place prefix, while the second line has space for just four additional identification numbers, because it always has to include an “E” for electric. City authorities therefore say they are running out of combinations for these short licence plates. 

Both M and MUC on Munich number plates in future

If all goes ahead, the plan is to use both “M” and “MUC” on licence plates in Munich in future - not just for two-wheeled electric vehicles, but also for cars - and drivers will be allowed to choose which prefix they prefer. 

The only exception is that cars, trailers and trucks that need the letter “E” (for electric vehicles) or “H” (for vintage vehicles) on their plates will not be able to use “MUC”, as the law states that licence plates cannot exceed eight characters. If the Bavarian state government and the Federal Ministry of Transport agree to the plans, cars with licence plates bearing the letters “MUC” might start driving around as soon as October 2023. 

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