Iraqi license plate codes explained
An Iraqi plate is not one number but three parts, and each says something different about the vehicle. Once you can read them, a plate listing tells you where the vehicle is registered and what it is used for.
The three parts
A plate carries a province code, a letter, and the number itself. The province code identifies where the vehicle is registered — 22 for Erbil, 11 for Baghdad. The letter distinguishes series within that province. The number is the part buyers care about, and the part that carries the value.
On MyNumber, plate listings are written in that order: province code, letter, number. A listing shown as 22 — P — 2002 is an Erbil plate, series P, number 2002.
Province codes
Every Iraqi province has its own code, running from 11 to 29 across all 19 provinces:
| 11 | Baghdad |
| 12 | Nineveh |
| 13 | Maysan |
| 14 | Basra |
| 15 | Al Anbar |
| 16 | Al-Qādisiyyah |
| 17 | Muthanna |
| 18 | Babil |
| 19 | Karbala |
| 20 | Diyala |
| 21 | Sulaymaniyah |
| 22 | Erbil |
| 23 | Halabja |
| 24 | Duhok |
| 25 | Kirkuk |
| 26 | Saladin |
| 27 | Dhi Qar |
| 28 | Najaf |
| 29 | Wasit |
Plate types
Plates also differ by what the vehicle is for. Private plates are for personal vehicles. Vehicles for hire cover taxis and buses. Trade plates cover trucks and pickups. The type is fixed to the vehicle's use, so it matters when you are buying a plate to fit a particular vehicle.
What makes a plate valuable
The same logic as phone numbers applies: short numbers, repeated digits, and memorable sequences carry the most value. A four-digit plate is generally worth more than a five-digit one, and 2002 is worth more than 2843.
Province matters too, since a plate is tied to where it is registered — a buyer in Erbil is usually looking for an Erbil plate.