Amman: The Cabinet on Saturday approved an amendment to the national vehicle license plate system aimed at increasing transparency and improving public oversight of government vehicles.
According to Jordan News Agency, as part of the reform, government, diplomatic, and temporary import vehicles will adopt alphanumeric license plates that clearly indicate the authority or institution operating the vehicle. The move replaces previous numeric-only coding and introduces letter-based identifiers that reflect the vehicle's affiliation. The new codes include:
- PM - Prime Minister and Cabinet members
- SN - Senate
- PR - House of Representatives
- JC - Judicial Council
- GV - Government entities
- AQ - Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority
- CD - Diplomatic corps
- TM - Temporary import
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Department will determine how to transition current government vehicles to the new system. The decision emphasizes that license plates for private vehicles, public transport, and cargo trucks will remain unchanged.
In a related decision, the Cabinet also announced that all revenues generated from the auction of distinctive (special) license plate numbers, regardless of their category, will be allocated to the University Student Support Fund beginning with the upcoming academic semester.
This initiative is in addition to the fund's budgetary allocation, which the government has increased by 50% in the current fiscal year, raising its total to JD30 million. Officials say the measure is expected to expand financial assistance to a larger number of students pursuing higher education.
The shift to letter-based plate codes is part of broader efforts to enhance traceability and accountability in the use of government vehicles. Authorities noted that alphanumeric systems are widely adopted internationally and are considered a best practice for modern vehicle registration systems.
The updated framework will also enable license plate transfers without requiring a change in vehicle ownership, simplifying the process for buyers and sellers in the specialized plate market.