License Plates for Planes: How to Understand Tail Numbers

Unique registration system gives each aircraft its identity

By Evan Dougherty

Published November 28, 2022

Read Time: 4 mins

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Ever noticed the alphanumeric code stenciled towards the rear of a plane’s fuselage? Like the passengers they transport, airplanes also must display their own unique identification.

The code is part of an international system of aircraft registrations that helps keep track of the tens of thousands of aircraft scattered around the world.

Crunching the numbers

Aircraft registration numbers, or tail numbers, are a group of characters used to identify a specific aircraft. In principle, registrations are akin to your Social Security number, a house’s street address or the license plate on a car.

All civilian aircraft worldwide must be registered by their respective countries’ governments. This allows federal regulators to do