Motor Vehicle Registration Codes
Every Indonesian number plate tells you two things at a glance: where the vehicle is registered, and what it is used for. The leading letter or letters give the kode wilayah (regional code) of the SAMSAT office that issued the plate; the background colour marks the vehicle's category. Learning to read both is useful when you buy a used vehicle, check that a seller's paperwork matches the plate, or simply work out where the car in front of you is from.
Regional letter codes
The prefix denotes the registration region, not necessarily where the vehicle now lives. Codes are assigned by Korlantas Polri (the national traffic police) and the full list is long and periodically extended. Common prefixes:
| Code | Region |
|---|---|
| B | Greater Jakarta (incl. Bekasi, Depok, Tangerang) |
| D | Bandung, Cimahi |
| F | Bogor, Sukabumi, Cianjur |
| E | Cirebon area |
| H | Semarang area |
| AA | Magelang, Kedu |
| AB | Yogyakarta |
| AD | Surakarta (Solo) |
| L | Surabaya |
| N | Malang, Pasuruan |
| W | Sidoarjo, Gresik |
| DK | Bali |
| DR | Lombok, Mataram |
| BL | Aceh |
| BK | Medan, North Sumatra |
| BG | South Sumatra |
| BE | Lampung |
| KB | West Kalimantan |
| KT | East Kalimantan |
| DD | Makassar |
| DB | Manado, North Sulawesi |
| PA | Papua (Jayapura, Merauke) |
For the authoritative current list, consult Korlantas Polri. Diplomatic and consular vehicles ignore the regional scheme entirely: they carry a CD (Corps Diplomatique) or CC (Corps Consulaire) prefix followed by a country code.
Plate colours and the EV strip
Under Police Regulation (Perpol) 7/2021, category is shown by colour:
- White, black text — private vehicles (individuals, companies, foreign missions). This is the current standard.
- Yellow, black text — public and commercial transport (buses, taxis, ride-hail).
- Red, white text — government service vehicles.
- Green, black text — free-trade-zone vehicles (Batam, Bintan, Karimun, Sabang).
The white plate replaced the old black-on-white private plate to help ETLE traffic cameras read plates at night. The changeover is gradual: a vehicle only switches when it is newly registered, transferred, or reaches its five-yearly renewal, so older black plates remain legal and common. Korlantas Polri aims for full conversion by 2027. Battery-electric vehicles add a blue strip along the bottom of the plate, over whatever base colour applies.
Documents and renewal
Three documents matter. The BPKB (ownership book) is the title, issued once. The STNK (registration certificate) is renewed annually with the vehicle tax (PKB), and fully every five years. The TNKB is the physical plate, reissued at the five-year mark. Everything is processed through SAMSAT, the one-roof system. Annual tax and STNK renewal can now be done online nationwide via the SIGNAL app, but the five-yearly renewal requires an in-person physical inspection (cek fisik) of the chassis and engine numbers and cannot be done remotely.
Fees change; treat any figure as indicative and confirm at your local SAMSAT. Note that the second-transfer fee (BBNKB II) on used vehicles was abolished from 2025, so putting a used vehicle into your own name now costs only the STNK, BPKB and TNKB administrative charges plus the usual tax.
If you are a foreign resident
A foreign resident can register a vehicle in their own name. You will generally need a valid KITAS or KITAP, your passport, and a domicile letter for your Indonesian address; the vehicle is registered in the region matching that address. Financing is not usually open to foreign nationals, so expect to buy for cash. Because the paperwork rests on your stay permit, get that footing right first — Okusi Associates covers Indonesian immigration, visas and work permits in detail.
See also Private Transport and the wider Getting Around section.
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