Aruba requires its residents to register their motor vehicles and display vehicle registration plates. The island is one of the last jurisdictions in the world to continue issuing new plates each year rather than showing re-validation through stickers or other documentation.
The license plates have been changed annually since 1950. Only until 1958 the name "ARUBA N.A." was displayed on it. In 1976 the slogan "ISLA DI CARNAVAL" (English :"Island of Carnaval") was added. The slogan was changed again in 1983 to display "ONE HAPPY ISLAND". When Aruba became its own autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1986, the name "ARUBA N.A." was changed to "ARUBA". Since 2011 the word "ARUBA" was changed to "aruba.com". The plate itself is valid for the first half of the year, and then a metal tab is added to indicate validity during the second half of the year. This tab is painted in the reverse color scheme as the plate and displays the same serial number as the plate.
From 2019 onwards the FE-Schrift or Fälschungserschwerende Schrift is used as the font for all vehicle registration plates of Aruba. Following this change in the font, the name "aruba.com" will be changed to "ARUBA.COM" in all capitals. This is the first time since 1993 that the license plates have undergone a drastic change in the use of its font.
The Governor of Aruba as representative of the Dutch Monarch uses the "A" Prefix with Number "1" (A-1) as his plate.
1931 to 1957 While license plates in Aruba may have been issued as early as 1924, few of these plates are known to exist. All plates issued through 1957 appear to have been in height by in width.
ImageYearPlate colorsSloganSerial FormatSerials IssuedNotes1234-A1931pink on greennone1234-AA-12341932white on dark bluenoneA-12341234-A1933black on whitenone1234-AA-12341934yellow on blacknoneA-1234A-12341935white on bluenone1234-AA-12341936red on whitenoneA-12341234-A1937white on blacknone1234-AA-12341938black on orangenoneA-12341234-A1939white on dark bluenone1234-AA-12341940black on whitenoneA-12341234-A1941yellow on blacknone1234-AA-12341942black on whitenoneA-12341943none1234-AA-12341944white on bluenoneA-12341234-A1945black on whitenone1234-A1946noneA-1234A-12341947yellow on blacknoneA-12341234-A1948black on whitenone1234-AA-12341949orange on blacknoneA-12341234-A1950black on golden yellownone1234-AA-12341951white on blacknoneA-12341234-A1952black on whitenone1234-AA-12341953golden yellow on blacknoneA-1234A-12341954black on golden yellownoneA-1234A-12341955golden yellow on blacknoneA-1234A-12341956black on orangenoneA-1234A-12341957golden yellow on blacknoneA-1234
1958 to 1975 In 1958 Aruba changed their license plate size to the North American standard plate size of 152 × 300 mm (6 × 12 inches). At the same time the words "ARUBA N.A." appeared at the top of the plate. Prior to 1958 the country name had not appeared on the plates. The long bolt slots introduced in 1960 allowed the use of 1/2 year validation tabs. Whether these tabs were issued from 1960 to 1963 is not known, but tabs for 1964 and all years since are known to exist. ImageYearPlate colorsSloganSerial FormatSerials IssuedNotesA-12341958black on orangenoneA-1234A-12341959golden yellow on blacknoneA-1234A-12341960white on bluenoneA-1234Plates modified with long bolt slots to accommodate 1/2 year validation tabs.A-12341961black on golden yellownoneA-1234A-12341962black on whitenoneA-1234A-12341963white on rednoneA-1234A-12341964red on whitenoneA-1234A-12341965black on golden yellownoneA-12341966white on royal bluenoneA-12341967golden yellow on blacknoneA-1234A-12341968white on maroonnoneA-12341969maroon on whitenoneA-12345Longer serial format starting this year is based on earliest known 5-digit plate.1970green on whitenoneA-12345A-123451971white on maroonnoneA-123451972black on orangenoneA-12345A-123451973blue on whitenoneA-12345A-123451974white on maroonnoneA-123451975white on bluenoneA-12345
1976 to 2003 In 1976 new license plates were introduced with the slogan "ISLA DI CARNIVAL" centered at the bottom. The year was simultaneously re-positioned vertically at the far right into two sets of numbers separated by a bolt hole. The slogan was changed again in 1983 to "ONE HAPPY ISLAND". After Aruba became a separate autonomous country within the Kingdom of the Netherlands in 1986, the N.A. in ″Aruba, N.A.″ (N.A. standing for Netherlands Antilles) was removed.
ImageYearPlate colorsSloganSerial FormatSerials IssuedNotes1976black on off-whiteISLA DI CARNIVALA-123451977red on golden yellowISLA DI CARNIVALA-123451978golden yellow on redISLA DI CARNIVALA-123451979red on whiteISLA DI CARNIVALA-123451980white on brownISLA DI CARNIVALA-123451981black on yellowISLA DI CARNIVALA-12345Last year for wide dies for serial number.1982red on whiteISLA DI CARNIVALA-12345New thinner style font for serial number introduced.1983yellow on light blueONE HAPPY ISLANDA-12345First year for new slogan.1984black on yellowONE HAPPY ISLANDA-12345Very thin style font introduced for serial numbers.1985black on whiteONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123451986red on yellowONE HAPPY ISLANDA-12345Last year for "Aruba N.A." at top of plate.1987white on mauveONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123451988black on whiteONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123451989white on redONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123451990white on blueONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123451991white on blackONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123451992black on whiteONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123451993white on brownONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123451994white on blueONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123451995black on redONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123451996blue on whiteONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123451997white on pine greenONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123451998black on whiteONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123451999white on orangeONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123452000brown on whiteONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123452001black on yellowONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123452002white on blackONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123452003black on orangeONE HAPPY ISLANDA-12345
2004 to present In 2004 the year of the license plate was moved to the left side, and it became hidden behind the semi-annual validation tab when the tab was placed onto the plate. This change allows the serial number to be moved farther to the right when five digit plates are used. Between 2015 and 2019, the four-pointed star seen on the flag of Aruba was also added to the design.
ImageYearPlate colorsSloganSerial FormatSerials IssuedNotes2004yellow on blackONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123452005white on blueONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123452006white on redONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123452007black on whiteONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123452008white on greenONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123452009black on yellowONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123452010white on blueONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123452011white on redONE HAPPY ISLANDA-12345A-123452012brown on whiteONE HAPPY ISLANDA-12345A-123452013white on orangeONE HAPPY ISLANDA-12345A-123452014black on whiteONE HAPPY ISLANDA-12345A-123452015white on blueONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123452019white on orangeONE HAPPY ISLANDA-123452020maroon on whiteONE HAPPY ISLANDA-12345
Type codes The codes in the chart below are currently displayed as the first character in the serial number and identify the type of vehicle the license plate is registered to.
PrefixTypePrefixTypeAPrivate automobileMFAMotorcycle AAGAgentMFDMotorcycle DBBusMFVMotorcycle VBRCompany carNVanity plateDGovernment vehicleONon-scheduled transportDTDiesel TruckTTouringGARGarageTRTruckMBAPrivate motorboatTXTaxiMBDPilot boatVRental car
References