An apparatus for manufacturing motor vehicle license plates with a plate blank provided with an embossed individual license plate number, comprising the following features: a. a magazine for storing a plurality of embossing tools, wherein each embossing tool is provided for mechanically embossing the plate blank with at least one character of the individual license plate number, b. an embossing press configured for embossing the individual license plate number into the plate blank in an embossing process by means of a plurality of embossing tools, c. an embossing tool unit configured for i. automatically removing from the magazine a plurality of embossing tools required for embossing the individual license plate number, and ii. automatically feeding the removed embossing tools to the embossing press for embossing a plate blank located in the embossing press with the individual license plate number, d. a cover tool, which can adopt a loading/unloading position and an embossing position and is configured such that i. in the loading/unloading position, a non-embossed plate blank can be inserted into the cover tool and an embossed plate blank can be removed therefrom, and ii. in the embossing position, the non-embossed plate blank is positioned and mechanically fixed in the embossing press, so that the individual license plate number can be embossed into the plate blank by means of the embossing press and the plurality of embossing tools fed from the embossing tool unit to the embossing press, and e. a central control unit configured for controlling the embossing tool unit, the cover tool and the embossing press, wherein f. the apparatus further comprises a housing, which can adopt an opened and a closed state, wherein the housing in the closed state protects at least the cover tool and the embossing press from direct access by a user. a. a magazine for storing a plurality of embossing tools, wherein each embossing tool is provided for mechanically embossing the plate blank with at least one character of the individual license plate number, b. an embossing press configured for embossing the individual license plate number into the plate blank in an embossing process by means of a plurality of embossing tools, c. an embossing tool unit configured for i. automatically removing from the magazine a plurality of embossing tools required for embossing the individual license plate number, and ii. automatically feeding the removed embossing tools to the embossing press for embossing a plate blank located in the embossing press with the individual license plate number, i. automatically removing from the magazine a plurality of embossing tools required for embossing the individual license plate number, and ii. automatically feeding the removed embossing tools to the embossing press for embossing a plate blank located in the embossing press with the individual license plate number, d. a cover tool, which can adopt a loading/unloading position and an embossing position and is configured such that i. in the loading/unloading position, a non-embossed plate blank can be inserted into the cover tool and an embossed plate blank can be removed therefrom, and ii. in the embossing position, the non-embossed plate blank is positioned and mechanically fixed in the embossing press, so that the individual license plate number can be embossed into the plate blank by means of the embossing press and the plurality of embossing tools fed from the embossing tool unit to the embossing press, and i. in the loading/unloading position, a non-embossed plate blank can be inserted into the cover tool and an embossed plate blank can be removed therefrom, and ii. in the embossing position, the non-embossed plate blank is positioned and mechanically fixed in the embossing press, so that the individual license plate number can be embossed into the plate blank by means of the embossing press and the plurality of embossing tools fed from the embossing tool unit to the embossing press, and e. a central control unit configured for controlling the embossing tool unit, the cover tool and the embossing press, wherein f. the apparatus further comprises a housing, which can adopt an opened and a closed state, wherein the housing in the closed state protects at least the cover tool and the embossing press from direct access by a user.