City authorities are in the process of changing vehicle number plates so that they display the designation Vientiane Capital instead of Vientiane Municipality, with over 4,000 vehicles already being fitted with new plates.

Director of the Vehicle and Driving Management Division of the Ministry of Public Works and Transport, Mr Bounpon Bounsomvang, said that from March 1-12 a total of 4,375 vehicles had been given new plates.

Of this number, 1,875 new vehicles were registered and 2,451 had their licence plates changed.
The registration fee for new and old motorcycles, plus technical equipment, is 184,000 kip, while for old motorcycles that have existing technical equipment the fee is 134,000 kip.

For light vehicles (cars, minibuses, jeeps and pick-ups), new or old vehicles that require new technical documents, the fee is 219,000 kip, while for old vehicles that have the requisite technical equipment the fee is 144,000 kip.

For trucks weighing 3-15 tons, the fee is 329,000 kip, old vehicles that have technical documents will incur a fee of 154,000 kip, and the fee for vehicles weighing more than 15 tons is 344,000 kip.
The fee for old trucks that have technical documents is 169,000 kip, the fee for tail lift (trailer) vehicles is 379,000 kip, and the fee for old trailers that have technical documents is 154,000 kip.

Mr Bounpon requested all vehicle owners in Vientiane, especially those whose vehicle registration has expired, to renew their registration and get new plates at the branch of the Vehicle and Driving Management Division nearest their home.

The division has three branches: at Dongphosy in Hadxaifong district, at Km16 in Xaythany district, and at Namxuang in Naxaithong district, while the head office is located in Thongpong village, Sikhottabong district.

Electric vehicles with a power of 1 kilowatt or more will be registered and an indication of this attached to the licence plate. Vehicles powered by less than 1 kilowatt will not have registration displayed on the licence plate, although this will change in the near future and their licence plates will be changed to reflect their registration status.

The change to number plates is taking place to comply with a decree issued in 2006 on the city’s change of name from Vientiane Municipality to Vientiane Capital, when various regulations were revised and enforced to conform to the change in designation, except for vehicle registration documents and number plates.

To complete the change in designation, the Ministry of Public Works and Transport and the Ministry of Public Security are acting on an order issued by the transport ministry in December 2023 requiring a change in vehicle number plate designation from Vientiane Municipality to Vientiane Capital.
The owners of registered vehicles with a Vientiane Municipality number plate will be able to use them until the registration expires. After that, the vehicle’s number plate must be changed to the Vientiane Capital designation.

People who wish to change their licence plates before the vehicle registration expiration date may do so, but the plate’s code and registration number must remain the same.

All vehicles that are registered from March 1, 2024, onwards will bear a Vientiane Capital licence plate.
The Ministry of Public Works and Transport has instructed all relevant parties to comply with the change.
Meanwhile, the number of motor vehicles in Laos is continuing to rise, especially in Vientiane.
The latest statistics reveal that there are 1.8 million vehicles on Lao roads, with 843,500 registered in Vientiane alone. Most of these are motorbikes, according to the Vientiane Vehicle Control Unit.