Car Number Plates
What they tell you
The Current System
New registrations changed from annual to twice yearly a few years ago. Shortly after, in September 2001, a new-style plate was introduced, made up of three parts:
- Local memory tag The first two letters show where the vehicle was registered. The first represents the region and the second a DVLA local office.
- Age identifier The two numbers in the middle of the plate indicate the age of the vehicle. The age identifier changes twice a year: on 1 March and 1 September. The first digit indicates a car that is registered in the six months from March (0) or September (5) and the second digit indicates the year. For example:
- an age identifier of 55 indicates a car first registered between 1 September 2005 and 28 February 2006.
- The first digit of the age identifier will increase by 1 each decade. So for example: in 2012, the age identifiers will be 12 and 62.
- Random letters The last three letters are random and give the car a unique identity.
For a full list of local tags and age identifiers visit the official DVLA website: www.dvla.gov.uk
Is Your Plate Compliant?
A number of laws, including rules about typefaces and 'GB' plates, came into force with the introduction of the new plates. The main ones are:
- all new number plates must display the new mandatory font
- existing plates need not be changed provided the font used is substantially the same as the new one
- number plates must be replaced if they have been customised with stylised letters and figures, such as italics, or with number plate fixing bolts that alter the appearance of the letters or numbers. Failure to replace such number plates may result in keepers risking prosecution
April 2009 – National flags now permitted on number plates
Under the new rules - which come into force on 27 April 2009 - motorists in England, Scotland and Wales can display the Union flag, Cross of St George, Saltire or Red Dragon of Wales.
This amendment to the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 means that motorists in England, Scotland and Wales can display the Union flag, Cross of St George, Cross of St Andrew (also known as the Saltire) or Red Dragon of Wales as well one of the following identifiers: GREAT BRITAIN, Great Britain, GB, UNITED KINGDOM, United Kingdom, UK, CYMRU, Cymru, CYM, Cym, ENGLAND, England, ENG, Eng, SCOTLAND, Scotland, SCO, Sco, WALES or Wales. No other symbols or flags can be displayed on number plates.
GB plates
Motorists may still choose to display the blue European Flag with "GB" within the circle of stars on their number plates.
This allows motorists to travel within the European Community without the need to display the conventional oval sticker to identify in which member state the vehicle is registered.
Motorists displaying national flags and identifiers on number plates will still be required to display the conventional oval sticker when travelling in Europe.
For more information on the rules visit the official DVLA website: www.dvla.gov.uk
The Previous System
The old 'prefix' system with a leading single letter to show the year of first registration began on 1 August 1983 with the introduction of the 'A' prefix and ended with 'Y', which ran from 1 March 2001 until 31 August 2001.
Prior to 1983, letters were used as a suffix. The table below shows both systems.
| Old suffix letters | Old prefix letters | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan '63 to Dec '63 | A | A | Aug '83 to July '84 | |
| Jan '64 to Dec '64 | B | B | Aug '84 to July '85 | |
| Jan '65 to Dec '65 | C | C | Aug '85 to July '86 | |
| Jan '66 to Dec '66 | D | D | Aug '86 to July '87 | |
| Jan '67 to July '67 | E | E | Aug '87 to July '88 | |
| Aug '67 to July '68 | F | F | Aug '88 to July '89 | |
| Aug '68 to July '69 | G | G | Aug '89 to July '90 | |
| Aug '69 to July '70 | H | H | Aug '90 to July '91 | |
| Aug '70 to July '71 | J | J | Aug '91 to July '92 | |
| Aug '71 to July '72 | K | K | Aug '92 to July '93 | |
| Aug '72 to July '73 | L | L | Aug '93 to July '94 | |
| Aug '73 to July '74 | M | M | Aug '94 to July '95 | |
| Aug '74 to July '75 | N | N | Aug '95 to July '96 | |
| Aug '75 to July '76 | P | P | Aug '96 to July '97 | |
| Aug '76 to July '77 | R | R | Aug '97 to July '98 | |
| Aug '77 to July '78 | S | S | Aug '98 to Feb '99 | |
| Aug '78 to July '79 | T | T | March '99 to Aug '99 | |
| Aug '79 to July '80 | V | V | Sept '99 to Feb 2000 | |
| Aug '80 to July '81 | W | W | March 2000 to Aug 2000 | |
| Aug '81 to July '82 | X | X | Sept 2000 to Feb 2001 | |
| Aug '82 to July '83 | Y | Y | March 2001 to Aug 2001 | |
Number Plate History
- Index marks of one or two letters were issued to the various licensing authorities in 1903 and most then started to issue registration numbers starting at 1. It is believed that the first registration mark issued was DY1 - in Hastings, Kent on 23 November 1903. (The registration mark A1 was issued in London some time later)
- A three letter/three number series was introduced in 1932
- By the mid-1950s all marks had been allocated, so marks issued by some authorities were reversed with letters following numbers. Others continued to issue 'forward' marks (numbers following letters) until the mid-1960s
- The addition of a year suffix began in all authorities between 1963 and 1965
- The registration year ran from 1 January to 31 December until 1967 when it was moved to 1 August
- The registering and licensing of new cars was centralised in 1974 with the establishment of the DVLC, now DVLA in Swansea
- The year 'prefix' system with a leading single letter to show the year of first registration began on 1 August 1983 with the introduction of the 'A' prefix. (This series ended with 'Y', which ran from 1 March 2001 until 31 August 2001
- Q plates were introduced in 1983 and are issued to kit cars and some imports where the date of first registration can't be established
- The current system with the two number 'age identifier' in the middle of the plate was introduced in September 2001
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27 April 2009