What is App Plate? Is App Plate Prohibited?

App Plate is a mobile application used in Turkey. The word “plate” refers to the combination of numbers and letters found on vehicle plates that indicate which city the vehicle is registered in. App Plate offers various services using this plate information. For example:

Vehicle Inquiry: You can perform vehicle inquiries with the vehicle plate. This can be used to learn information such as the vehicle’s traffic status, tax debt.

City Information: You can learn which city a vehicle is registered in from its plate.

Accident and Penalty Information: You can access information such as accident history and traffic fines with the vehicle plate.

Vehicle Owner Information: You can access the vehicle owner’s contact information from the plate.

With such functions, App Plate offers vehicle owners and other users the opportunity to easily access various information about vehicles.

Is App Plate Prohibited?

Yes, the use of APP plates is prohibited in Turkey.

Since 2017, the use of APP plates, along with all non-original plates, has been prohibited by the General Directorate of Security. The reason for the ban is that these plates are against the standards and increase the risk of forgery.

Apart from this:

Vehicles caught with APP plates may be banned from traffic.

Using fake plates may result in more severe sanctions.

How Much is the 2024 APP Plate Fine?

The use of APP (American Press Plate) is illegal in Turkey and against the Highway Traffic Law No. 6047. The fine applied to drivers or vehicle owners caught with APP plates in 2024 is 2,647 TL.

Drivers who continue to use fake plates are fined 32,170 TL and can be sentenced to 2 to 5 years in prison for forgery of official documents.

Will Specially Designed Plates Also Be Considered Non-Standard?

Yes, special-designed plates will also be considered non-standard in line with the plate regulation renewed in 2018.

This means:

If there are any other obstructive signs on the letters and numbers of the plate or if the plate becomes blurred enough to make it difficult to read, the vehicle will be considered to have a first degree serious defect and will not pass the inspection.

Non-standard plates will not be registered and vehicles with these plates will be banned from traffic.

Some important points to note:

Although special design plates may contain elements such as different fonts, colors, and decorations, they must comply with the standards and be readable.

It is also important that the wave shape at the bottom of the plate is clearly visible.

Plates that are not obtained from plate manufacturers authorized by official institutions will also be considered non-standard.

What is a Sealed App Plate?

Sealed APP plates have a different appearance and are generally preferred for aesthetic purposes. The letters and numbers on these plates can be printed thicker and differently than standard plates, and there may be various decorations or logos on the edges or corners of the plate.

The most distinctive feature of sealed APP plates is the seal on them. This seal usually contains the logo of the company or organization that produced the plate and the printing date. The purpose of the seal is to show that the plate is original and produced by an authorized organization.

However, the use of sealed APP plates is not legal in Turkey. Since 2017, the General Directorate of Security has banned all non-standard plates. This ban also includes sealed APP plates.

Here are some risks of using sealed APP plates:

Legal sanctions: Drivers using sealed APP plates are fined 2,647 TL.

Ban from traffic: Vehicles with sealed APP plates may be banned from traffic.

Security issues: Sealed APP plates may increase the risk of forgery and may not have the security features found in standard plates.

It is important to use standard plates instead of sealed APP plates. Otherwise, you may face penal sanctions and risk your traffic safety.

Why Are Sealed App Plates Banned?

Reasons Why Sealed APP Plates Are Prohibited:

Sealed APP plates have a different appearance than standard plates and are generally preferred for aesthetic purposes. However, the use of these plates is against the law and is prohibited for several reasons:

Security Issues:

Sealed APP plates increase the risk of forgery since they are not produced by authorized institutions. This makes identification in traffic difficult and allows criminals to camouflage their vehicles.

Elements such as holograms and security stripes found on standard plates are not present on sealed APP plates. This makes it difficult to verify the originality of the plate and weakens protection against crimes such as theft.

Failure to Comply with Standards:

Sealed APP plates do not comply with the standards specified in the Highway Traffic Regulation. These standards include the size, shape and includes font, color and position. Sealed APP plates generally do not comply with these standards and make readability difficult.

Non-standard plates may not be read correctly by traffic cameras. This may lead to injustice and errors in traffic fines.