Historically, each Caza maintained its own paper ledgers. Digitization began only in the early 2000s, but some older vehicles (pre-1994) may have incomplete digital records. If a plate was issued in, say, 1988 in West Bekaa, its record might exist only on microfilm in a regional office, not in the central database.
Lebanese plates use a coding system that indicates the registration area and vehicle type: lebanon car plate database
Privacy advocates argue that Lebanon’s draft Personal Data Protection Law (stalled in parliament since 2019) would properly regulate database queries. For now, the system remains a closed book to the average citizen—a double-edged sword. Historically, each Caza maintained its own paper ledgers