How to Say "license plate" in Spanish
The most common Spanish word for “license plate” is “placa” — use 'placa' for the general term for a vehicle's license plate, especially on cars, motorcycles, and trucks. It's the most common and widely understood term..
English → Spanish
placa
PLAH-kah/ˈplaka/
nounA2general
Use 'placa' for the general term for a vehicle's license plate, especially on cars, motorcycles, and trucks. It's the most common and widely understood term.
Examples
¿Dónde está la placa trasera de tu coche?
Where is your car's back license plate?
El policía me pidió ver mi licencia y la placa del vehículo.
The police officer asked me to see my license and the vehicle's plate.
Gender Reminder
Even though 'placa' ends in 'a,' remember it is a feminine noun, so you use 'la placa' or 'una placa'.
matrícula
nounB1formal
Use 'matrícula' when referring to the official registration plate of a vehicle, often implying a more formal or administrative context. It is common in Spain.
Examples
Apunté la matrícula del coche que se dio a la fuga.
I wrote down the license plate of the car that drove away.
Placa vs. Matrícula
The most common mistake is using 'matrícula' in regions where 'placa' is the standard term, potentially causing confusion. While 'matrícula' is technically correct for the official plate, 'placa' is the universally understood word for a license plate in most Spanish-speaking countries.
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