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
- the symbol of the European Union (circle of 12 stars on a blue background) combined with the national identifier 'GB' is the only symbol permitted on UK number plates. Vehicles with a Euro-plate no longer have to use the traditional oval-shaped national identifier sticker when travelling within the EU
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
- London County Council issued the first plate, A1, in 1903.
- A three letter/three number series was introduced in the mid-1930s.
- By the mid-1950s all marks had been allocated, so marks were reversed with letters following numbers.
- The addition of a year suffix began 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.
- 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.