Make your own puzzles · Step by step

Create Your Own License Plate Crossword

From a list of German plate codes to a printable Swedish-style crossword in six easy steps.

Which place is behind HH, AC or AB? Turn German vehicle registration codes into your own crossword with the Puzzle-Generator app. The codes appear as clues in the grid, and players fill in the corresponding German cities or districts. It is a fun puzzle for car enthusiasts, geography lessons or a games evening.

You need: the app, a CSV list of registration codes and an optional background image. Our example uses a square 10×10 Swedish-style crossword on an A4 page.

1. Open the app and choose a Swedish-style crossword

Open the app and select Swedish-style crossword as the type for your new puzzle. This format places clues inside the grid, making it a good fit for short plate codes such as “HH”.

Need the app first? Visit the download page. Learn more about the format in Swedish-style crosswords with clues in the grid.

Selecting the Swedish-style crossword puzzle type in the Puzzle-Generator app — Choose a Swedish-style crossword to place the plate codes inside the grid.

2. Download and import the registration code list

The openpotato GitHub project provides vehicle registration code lists. For Germany, open src/de/kennzeichen.csv and use the “Raw” view to download it as a .csv file.

The source file has several comma-separated columns. Prepare it in a spreadsheet for the app: use StadtOderKreis as the answer and Unterscheidungszeichen as the short clue. Save these two columns in that order (or reverse them to use place names as clues and plate codes as answers) as a semicolon-separated CSV without the header row. The app uses the format Answer;ShortClue;LongClue; the long clue can be left blank.

A;AUGSBURG;
AC;AACHEN;
AB;ASCHAFFENBURG;

Import the prepared file into the word list manager. Check that answers and clues are correctly assigned and remove duplicate entries. For the 10×10 example, choose place names of no more than ten letters. Avoid unclear abbreviations of long district names.

Tip: Right-click the word list in Puzzle-Generator to open a context menu with additional options. For example, you can shuffle the words, sort them or swap the columns.

For import details, see the crossword creation guide. The registration code list is provided by openpotato; source and license information is available in the linked repository.

CSV import showing German place names and vehicle registration codes in the word list — Check the imported entries: AUGSBURG is the clue and A is the answer.

3. Set up a 10×10 grid and generate the puzzle

Choose a square grid with 10 columns and 10 rows. Click “Generate new puzzle” and review the preview. Do the letters match at intersections? Are the plate codes readable and the direction arrows clear?

A small grid may not fit every entry in your list, and clue cells need space too. If the result looks too sparse or crowded, adjust the selected words or algorithm settings and generate it again. Longer place names may require a larger grid. Make sure the clue cells are large enough for the text, or adjust the font size accordingly.

Find out what the settings do in the guide to crossword generation options.

Settings for a square Swedish-style crossword with 10 columns and 10 rows — A square 10×10 grid is the starting point for this registration code puzzle.

4. Style the colours, fonts and grid lines

Adjust cell colours, fonts, text sizes and grid lines. Keep clue cells easy to read and leave enough space to write in the place names. Dark text on light backgrounds is a good starting point.

Set the page to A4 portrait. Leave room for a heading such as “Do You Know These German Plate Codes?” above the grid and an answer text or short instruction below it. Browse the puzzle examples for more ideas.

5. Optional: Add a matching AI background

The background for this example was created with ChatGPT around the theme of vehicle registration plates. Here is an English translation of the example prompt:

Create an image in A4 portrait format, at the highest possible resolution. It will serve as the background for a puzzle and should include a clear square area for a crossword grid. There should also be room for a heading above it and an answer text below it. The image should match the theme of vehicle registration plates and look as though it was created by a professional graphic designer. It should not be too playful, but modern and suitable for a puzzle page.

AI-generated A4 background themed around vehicle registration plates with a clear square area for the crossword — The AI-generated background image. Right-click it to save a copy.

Save the generated image and set it as the page background in Puzzle-Generator. Move the grid into the clear square area and adjust its position and size. Then match the heading and text colours to the image.

Design tip: Ask the AI to create the background artwork, then add the heading, instructions and answer text in the app. This keeps them readable and easy to edit. Check that decorative elements do not interfere with the grid.

Registration code crossword with its grid, heading and text positioned on the AI-generated background — The finished layout: grid in the clear area, heading above it and text below.

6. Export as a PDF or image and print

Export your finished puzzle as a PDF or image. Before printing, check the preview for a complete page, comfortably sized cells and text that stays within the page edges. Print one test copy first and, if possible, save a solution for checking answers later.

Your registration code crossword is ready! Choose a different selection of cities or a fresh background to make the next edition.