Switzerland license plate: Diplomatic CD

Format, years and the law

Format

CD LL 999-999 (L is any letter, 9 any digit)

• sign: on a dark green or dark blue field (Art. 82 Abs. 2 lit. d)
• canton: the two canton letters, in BLACK, Art. 84 Abs. 4

CD is the corps diplomatique, then the canton and two number groups: the car's number within the mission, low means senior, and the federal code for the sending state or organisation. Green sign field: a country's mission; blue: an international organisation.

CD

Corps diplomatique (diplomatic corps)

The format above follows the issuing rules: a registration that fits it is one this series could have issued.

Years issued

Documented since 1977; the format is likely older than the first year documented. Still issued.

Vehicle class

Diplomatic: diplomatic corps (embassy) issuance, usually its own decode. Issued for car, van, and motorcycle.

Colours

Characters #000000 Background #FFFFFF

Size

300 × 80 mm · every country's size

• 

  Diplomatic CD 500×110 mm

  diplomatic · 500 × 110 mm

• 

  Diplomatic CD 300×160 mm

  diplomatic · 300 × 160 mm

About this plate

THE CD SERIES. Art. 86 Abs. 1 defines eligibility exactly: service cars of diplomatic missions and the private vehicles of their diplomatic staff; the same for permanent missions to intergovernmental organisations; and service cars of institutional beneficiaries under Art. 2 Abs. 1 lit. a, b, i, j, k, l and m of the Gaststaatgesetz (SR 192.12) plus the vehicles of their most senior officials who enjoy diplomatic status in Switzerland. Art. 86 Abs. 4 forbids the use of a SEPARATE "CD" or "AT" sign (a loose badge) outright. TWO RECORDED GAPS, both deliberate: the country/organisation code table behind the second number group is an FDFA allocation and is not in the VZV; and the ordinance does not assign the dark-green and dark-blue fields to particular signs. Neither was guessed. The Swiss design choice is the mirror image of Germany's: Germany hides diplomatic status in an ordinary-looking plate, Switzerland puts a coloured sign field on the plate and takes the coats of arms off.

Legal basis and sources

1. VZV Art. 82 Abs. 2 lit. d (CD/CC/AT on a dark green or dark blue field, 'Eingefügt durch Anhang 1 Ziff. II 10 der V vom 19. Juni 1995 ..., in Kraft seit 1. Okt. 1995 (AS 1995 4425)'); Art. 83 Abs. 4 (ASTRA may set... https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/1976/2423_2423_2423/de
2. VTS Art. 33 Abs. 6 (vehicles of keepers with diplomatic or consular privileges are exempt from periodic inspection) https://www.fedlex.admin.ch/eli/cc/1995/4425_4425_4425/de