The current system, being phased out in favor of Mercosul standard plates, was created in 1990 and was named Registro Nacional de Veículos Automotores (RENAVAM).
Above the combination is a metallic band with the standardized state abbreviation and the name of the municipality in which the vehicle is currently registered.
The letters on the license plate can describe the state where a vehicle was originally registered.
In September, 2018, Mercosul standard license plates started to be adopted in Rio de Janeiro.
The number in that position of the alphanumberic format is being replaced by a letter, in accordance with the below table.
Brazilian vehicle license plate for a private-use vehicle registered in Rio de Janeiro, RJ. Mercosur-style plates were introduced in September 2018.
Colour schemes denoting functions used in Brazilian license plates, current style
Colour schemes denoting functions used in Brazilian license plates in the style that lasted from 1990 to 2018
The first Brazilian license plate was issued in 1901. The early model of the plates was used until 1913
Brazilian license plate used between 1915 and 1941, always beginning with the letter P (private) or A (cabs, trucks and buses)
License plate model used in Brazil between 1941 and 1970. The "Distrito Federal" tag was used in Rio de Janeiro city until 1960, when Brasília became the country's capital and federal district
Cab - truck - bus license plate used in Brazil between 1941 and 1970. The name "Guanabara" began to be used in Rio de Janeiro city in 1960, referring to the city-state where it belonged until 1975, when it was merged with state of Rio de Janeiro and became its capital
Private license plate model used in Rio de Janeiro city, Brazil, between 1941 and 1970. The name "Guanabara" began to be used in Rio de Janeiro city in 1960
Brazilian yellow alphanumeric plate used in private cars between 1971 and 1990
Brazilian license plate used from 1990 until the exchange for Mercosur plates
Rear plate from Pernambuco
Front license plate of a truck from Pernambuco
Pre-production sample of Brazil's Mercosur license plate. Note that the actual implemented alphanumeric format is different from the one shown above: it is LLLNLNN and not LNLNLLN, as seen here)
