How to distinguish between "0" and "O" on license plates? An article to help you understand it thoroughly
Recently, the issue of distinguishing the number "0" and the letter "O" in license plates has once again become a hot topic. Many car owners and netizens have reported that confusion often arises due to the similarity between the two when handling license plates, traffic violation inquiries or vehicle identification. This article will combine popular discussions across the Internet and provide you with a detailed answer to this confusion through structured data and analysis.
1. Why are “0” and “O” easily confused in license plates?

When the license plate uses the Arabic numeral "0" and the English letter "O", the visual similarity between the two is extremely high, especially when the font design is rounded. The following is a comparison of the main differences between the two:
| Comparative item | Number "0" | Letter "O" |
|---|---|---|
| shape characteristics | Usually a standard oval shape with a fixed aspect ratio | Closer to a perfect circle, some fonts are slightly flatter |
| Usage rules | Only appears in the license plate number part | Appears only in the letter part of the license plate (such as province abbreviation) |
| coding standards | Follow GA36-2018 "Motor Vehicle License Plate of the People's Republic of China" | The same standard stipulates that confusing characters such as "I" and "O" are prohibited in letters. |
2. Authoritative answer: my country’s license plate design rules
According to the "Motor Vehicle License Plate" (GA36-2018) standard issued by the Ministry of Public Security:
1. License plate letter partThe letter "O" has been completely excludedFor use, only 24 uppercase letters except I and O are retained.
2. Only “0-9” is used for the number part, and the font is specially designed to be clearly distinguished from letters.
3. The "O" in the license plate of special vehicles (such as police cars) is a special code and does not conflict with civilian vehicles.
3. Coping skills in actual scenarios
| scene | confusing situation | solution |
|---|---|---|
| New car number selection | System display font difference is small | Check the description of the number segment (letter digits/numeric digits) |
| Violation inquiry | Manual input recognition error | Check against driving license photo |
| ETC identification | Camera misjudgment | Contact customer service for manual correction |
4. Comparison of international license plate designs
Other countries use different strategies to address this issue:
| country | solution | Implementation effect |
|---|---|---|
| USA | Letter O with a horizontal line in the middle | Recognition rate increased by 40% |
| germany | Force different fonts | Professional equipment identification required |
| Japan | Disable the letter O completely | Zero false positive rate |
5. Technology development trends
As intelligent identification technology advances, new solutions are becoming popular:
1.AI-assisted recognition: Deep learning algorithm can reach 99.7% accuracy
2.RFID electronic license plate: Shenzhen and other places pilot radio frequency identification technology
3.3D license plate: Tactile distinction through concave and convex design
Conclusion
Through the systematic review of this article, it can be seen that my country's current license plate standards have avoided the confusion of "0" and "O" from the source. In daily use, just pay attention to:There will be no "O" in any license plate letters., the "0" in the digital digits all have specific font specifications. In case of special circumstances, you can contact the traffic control department for verification in time. With technological upgrading in the future, this historic problem will be better solved.
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