Registrations
Registration plates by month of issue
Over the years, the registration plate system has been changed a number of times and this page is here to explain how they work and what’s changed. All new vehicles added to UKev display the registration plate in the description where applicable, this page will help you understand what you can tell from each number plate such as the year it was registered, where it was registered and more.
- Current Style (2001 Onwards)
- Prefix Style (1983-2001)
- Suffix Style (1963-1983)
- Other Styles
- Irish Registrations
Front | Rear | ||
AB12 CDE | AB12 CDE | ||
On 1 September 2001, the UK adopted a new style of registration plate that would last for 49 years. It consists of a two- letter location identifier followed by a two-digit year identifier and then three random letters. A new number is introduced every six months.
The two-letter location identifier works from the location of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency’s office where the car was first registered. The table below shows how these work. |
Area | First Letter | Second Letter | DVLA Office |
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Anglia | A | A B C D E F G H J K L M N | Peterborough |
O P R S T U | Norwich | ||
V W X Y | Ipswich | ||
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Birmingham | B | A-Y | Birmingham |
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Cymru (Wales) | C | A B C D E F G H J K L M N O | Cardiff |
P R S T U V | Swansea | ||
W X Y | Bangor | ||
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Deeside to Shrewsbury | D | A B C D E F G H J K | Chester |
L M N O P R S T U V W X Y | Shrewsbury | ||
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Essex | E | A-Y | Chelmsford |
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Forest and Fens | F | A B C D E F G H J K L M N P | Nottingham |
R S T V W X Y | Lincoln | ||
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Garden of England | G | A B C D E F G H J K L M N O | Maidstone |
P R S T U V W X Y | Brighton | ||
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Hampshire & Dorset | H | A B C D E F G H J | Bournemouth |
K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y | Portsmouth | ||
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– | K | A B C D E F G H J K L | Luton |
M N O P R S T Y V W X Y | Northampton | ||
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London | L | A B C D E F G H J | Wimbledon |
K L M N O P R S T | Stanmore | ||
U V W X Y | Sidcup | ||
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Manchester & Merseyside | M | A-Y | Manchester |
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North | N | A B C D E F G H J K L M N O | Newcastle |
P R S T U V W X Y | Stockton | ||
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Oxford | O | A-Y | Oxford |
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Preston | P | A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T | Preston |
U V W X Y | Carlisle | ||
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Reading | R | A-Y | Reading |
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Scotland | S | A B C D E F G H J | Glasgow |
K L M N O | Edinburgh | ||
P R S T | Dundee | ||
U V W | Aberdeen | ||
X Y | Inverness | ||
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Severn Valley | V | A-Y | Worcester |
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West of England | W | A B C D E F G H J | Exeter |
K L | Truro | ||
M N O P R S T U V W X Y | Bristol | ||
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Yorkshire | Y | A B C D E F G H J K | Leeds |
L M N O P R S T U | Sheffield | ||
V W X Y | Beverley |
Front | Rear | ||
A123 BCD |
A123 BCD |
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From 1983 until 2001 a different style of registration plate operated. It consisted of a single-letter age identifier followed by one, two or three numbers and then a three-letter combination, two of which gave an indication to the vehicle’s origin. Prefixes Q, U, I, Z and O were not released, although Q is issued to cars that have been greatly modified from their original specification. From S registration onwards letters were issued twice-yearly. Because the age identifying letter is at the front, this type of registration is known as ‘prefix’ style.
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The numbers and the first of the three letters are assigned ‘at random’.The last two letters give the location of where the vehicle was registered. These are shown in the table below in alphabetical order. Where an index mark is followed by an asterisk (*) this means the office has now closed and the series of marks may have been allocated to another near-by office. |
AA | Bournemouth | BA | Manchester | CA | Chester | DA | Birmingham | EA* | Dudley |
AB | Worcester | BB | Newscastle | CB | Manchester | DB | Manchester | EB | Peterborough |
AC* | Coventry | BC* | Leicester | CC | Bangor | DC* | Middlesborough | EC | Preston |
AD | Gloucester | BD | Northampton | CD | Brighton | DD | Gloucester | ED* | Liverpool |
AE | Bristol | BE | Lincoln | CE | Peterborough | DE* | Haverfordwest | EE | Lincoln |
AF | Truro | BF | Stoke on Trent | CF | Reading | DF* | Gloucester | EF* | Middlesborough |
AG | Hull | BG* | Liverpool | CG | Bournemouth | DG* | Gloucester | EG | Peterborough |
AH | Norwich | BH | Luton | CH | Nottingham | DH* | Dudley | EH* | Stoke on Trent |
AJ* | Middlesborough | BJ | Ipswich | CJ* | Gloucester | DJ* | Liverpool | EJ* | Haverfordwest |
AK | Sheffield | BK | Portsmouth | CK | Preston | DK | Manchester | EK* | Liverpool |
AL | Nottingham | BL | Reading | CL | Norwich | DL | Portsmouth | EL | Bournemouth |
AM* | Swindon | BM | Luton | CM | Liverpool | DM | Chester | EM* | Liverpool |
AN | Reading | BN | Manchester | CN | Newcastle | DN | Leeds | EN | Manchester |
AO | Carlisle | BO | Cardiff | CO | Exeter | DO | Lincoln | EO | Preston |
AP | Brighton | BP | Portsmouth | CP* | Huddersfield | DP | Reading | EP | Swansea |
AR | Chelmsford | BR | Newscastle | CR | Portsmouth | DR | Exeter | ER | Peterborough |
AS | Inverness | BS | Aberdeen | CS | Glasgow | DS | Glasgow | ES | Dundee |
AT | Hull | BT | Leeds | CT | Lincoln | DT | Sheffield | ET | Sheffield |
AU | Nottingham | BU | Manchester | CU | Newcastle | DU* | Coventry | EU | Bristol |
AV | Petersborough | BV | Preston | CV | Truro | DV | Exeter | EV | Chelmsford |
AW | Shrewsbury | BW | Oxford | CW | Preston | DW | Cardiff | EW | Peterborough |
AX | Cardiff | BX* | Haverfordwest | CX* | Huddersfield | DX | Ipswich | EX | Norwich |
AY* | Leicester | BY | Stanmore | CY | Swansea | DY | Brighton | EY | Bangor |
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FA* | Stoke on Trent | GA | Glasgow | HA* | Dudley | JA | Manchester | KA* | Liverpool |
FB | Bristol | GB | Glasgow | HB | Cardiff | JB | Reading | KB* | Liverpool |
FC | Oxford | GC* | Croydon | HC | Brighton | JC | Bangor | KC* | Liverpool |
FD* | Dudley | GD | Glasgow | HD* | Huddersfield | JD | Wimbledon | KD* | Liverpool |
FE | Lincoln | GE | GLasgow | HE | Sheffield | JE | Peterborough | KE | Maidstone |
FF | Bangor | GF* | Croydon | HF* | Liverpool | JF* | Leicester | KF* | Liverpool |
FG | Brighton | GG | Glasgow | HG | Preston | JG | Maidstone | KG | Cardiff |
FH* | Gloucester | GH* | Croydon | HH | Carlisle | JH | Reading | KH | Beverley |
FJ | Exeter | GJ* | Croydon | HJ | Chelmsford | JJ | Maidstone | KJ | Maidstone |
FK* | Dudley | GK* | Croydon | HK | Chelmsford | JK | Brighton | KK | Maidstone |
FL | Peterborough | GL | Truro | HL | Sheffield | JL | Lincoln | KL | Maidstone |
FM | Chester | GM | Reading | HM | Wimbledon | JM | Reading | KM | Maidstone |
FN | Maidstone | GN* | Croydon | HN* | Middlesborough | JN | Chelmsford | KN | Maidstone |
FO* | Gloucester | GO* | Croydon | HO | Bournemouth | JO | Oxford | KO | Maidstone |
FP* | Leicester | GP* | Croydon | HP* | Coventry | JP* | Liverpool | KP | Maidstone |
FR | Preston | GR | Newcastle | HR* | Swindon | JR | Newcastle | KR | Maidstone |
FS | Edinburgh | GS | Luton | HS | Glasgow | JS | Inverness | KS | Edinburgh |
FT | Newcastle | GT* | Croydon | HT | Bristol | JT | Bournemouth | KT | Maidstone |
FU | Lincoln | GU | Sidcup | HU | Bristol | JU* | Leicester | KU | Sheffield |
FV | Preston | GV | Ipswich | HV | Wimbledon | JV | Lincoln | KV* | Coventry |
FW | Lincoln | GW | Sidcup | HW | Bristol | JW | Birmingham | KW | Sheffield |
FX | Bounremouth | GX | Sidcup | HX | Wimbledon | JX* | Huddersfield | KX | Luton |
FY* | Liverpool | GY | Sidcup | HY | Bristol | JY | Exeter | KY | Sheffield |
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LA | Stanmore | MA | Chester | NA | Manchester | OA | Birmingham | PA* | Guildford |
LB | Stanmore | MB | Chester | NB | Manchester | OB | Birmingham | PB* | Guildford |
LC | Stanmore | MC* | London NE | NC | Manchester | OC | Birmingham | PC* | Guildford |
LD | Stanmore | MD* | London NE | ND | Manchester | OD | Exeter | PD* | Guildford |
LE | Stanmore | ME* | London NE | NE | Manchester | OE | Birmingham | PE* | Guildford |
LF | Stanmore | MF* | London NE | NF | Manchester | OF | Birmingham | PF* | Guildford |
LG | Chester | MG* | London NE | NG | Norwich | OG | Birmingham | PG* | Guildford |
LH | Stanmore | MH* | London NE | NH | Northampton | OH | Birmingham | PH* | Guildford |
LJ | Bournemouth | MJ | Luton | NJ | Brighton | OJ | Birmingham | PJ* | Guildford |
LK | Stanmore | MK* | London NE | NK | Luton | OK | Birmingham | PK* | Guildford |
LL | Stanmore | ML* | London NE | NL | Newcastle | OL | Birmingham | PL* | Guildford |
LM | Stanmore | MM* | London NE | NM | Luton | OM | Birmingham | PM* | Guildford |
LN | Stanmore | MN | not used | NN | Nottingham | ON | Birmingham | PN | Brighton |
LO | Stanmore | MO | Reading | NO | Chelmsford | OO | Chelmsford | PO | Portsmouth |
LP | Stanmore | MP* | London NE | NP | Worcester | OP | Birmingham | PP | Luton |
LR | Stanmore | MR* | Swindon | NR* | Leicester | OR | Portsmouth | PR | Bournemouth |
LS | Edinburgh | MS | Edinburgh | NS | Glasgow | OS | Glasgow | PS | Aberdeen |
LT | Stanmore | MT* | London NE | NT | Shrewsbury | OT | Portsmouth | PT | Newcastle |
LU | Stanmore | MU* | London NE | NU | Nottingham | OU | Bristol | PU | Chelmsford |
LV* | Liverpool | MV | Sidcup | NV | Northampton | OV | Birmingham | PV | Ipswich |
LW | Stanmore | MW* | Swindon | NW | Leeds | OW | Portsmouth | PW | Norwich |
LX | Stanmore | MX | Sidcup | NX* | Dudley | OX | Birmingham | PX | Portsmouth |
LY | Stanmore | MY | Sidcup | NY | Cardiff | OY | London NW | PY* | Middlesborough |
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RA | Nottingham | SA | Aberdeen | TA | Exeter | UA | Leeds | VA | Peterborough |
RB | Nottingham | SB | Glasgow | TB* | Liverpool | UB | Leeds | VB | Maidstone |
RC | Nottingham | SC | Edinburgh | TC | Bristol | UC* | Wimbledon | VC* | Coventry |
RD | Reading | SD | Glasgow | TD | Manchester | UD | Oxford | VD | withdrawn |
RE* | Stoke on Trent | SE | Aberdeen | TE | Manchester | UE* | Dudley | VE | Peterborough |
RF* | Stoke on Trent | SF | Edinburgh | TF | Reading | UF | Brighton | VF | Norwich |
RG | Newcastle | SG | Edinburgh | TG | Cardiff | UG | Leeds | VG | Norwich |
RH* | Hull | SH | Edinburgh | TH | Swansea | UH | Cardiff | VH* | Huddersfield |
RJ | Manchester | SJ | Glasgow | TJ* | Liverpool | UJ | Shrewsbury | VJ* | Gloucester |
RK | London NW | SK | Inverness | TK | Exeter | UK | Birmingham | VK | Newcastle |
RL | Truro | SL | Dundee | TL | Lincoln | UL | Wimbledon | VL | Lincoln |
RM | Carlisle | SM | Carlisle | TM | Luton | UM | Leeds | VM | Manchester |
RN | Preston | SN | Dundee | TN | Newcastle | UN | Exeter | VN* | Middlesborough |
RO | Luton | SO | Aberdeen | TO | Nottingham | UO | Exeter | VO | Nottingham |
RP | Northampton | SP | Dundee | TP | Portsmouth | UP | Newcastle | VP | Birmingham |
RR | Nottingham | SR | Dundee | TR | Portsmouth | UR | Luton | VR | Manchester |
RS | Aberdeen | SS | Aberdeen | TS | Dundee | US | Glasgow | VS | Luton |
RT | Ipswich | ST | Inverness | TT | Exeter | UT | Leicester | VT* | Stoke on Trent |
RU | Bournemouth | SU | Glasgow | TU | Chester | UU | Wimbledon | VU | Manchester |
RV | Portsmouth | SV | not used | TV | Nottingham | UV | Wimbledon | VV | Northampton |
RW | Coventry | SW | Carlisle | TW | Chelmsford | UW | Wimbledon | VW | Chelmsford |
RX* | Reading | SX | Edinburgh | TX | Cardiff | UX | Shrewsbury | VX | Chelmsford |
RY* | Leicester | SY | not used | TY | Newcastle | UY | Worcester | VY | Leeds |
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WA | Sheffield | XA | not used | YA* | Taunton | I_ | not used | ||
WB | Sheffield | XB | not used | YB* | Taunton | Q_ | not used | ||
WC | Chelmsford | XC | not used | YC* | Taunton | Z_ | not used | ||
WD | Birmingham | XD | not used | YD* | Taunton | ||||
WE | Sheffield | XE | not used | YE | Wimbledon | ||||
WF | Sheffield | XF | not used | YF | Wimbledon | ||||
WG | Sheffield | XG | not used | YG | Leeds | ||||
WH | Manchester | XH | not used | YH | Wimbledon | ||||
WJ | Sheffield | XJ | not used | YJ | Brighton | ||||
WK* | Coventry | XK | not used | YK | Wimbledon | ||||
WL | Oxford | XL | not used | YL | Wimbledon | ||||
WM | Liverpool | XM | not used | YM | Wimbledon | ||||
WN | Swansea | XN | not used | YN | Wimbledon | ||||
WO | Cardiff | XO | not used | YO | Wimbledon | ||||
WP | Worcester | XP | Birmingham | YP | Wimbledon | ||||
WR | Leeds | XP | Wimbledon | YR | Wimbledon | ||||
WS | Bristol | XP | Northampton | YS | Glasgow | ||||
WT | Leeds | XP | Oxford | YT | Wimbledon | ||||
WU | Leeds | XP | Chelmsford | YU | Wimbledon | ||||
WV | Brighton | XP | Leeds | YV | Wimbledon | ||||
WW | Leeds | XP | Luton | YW | Wimbledon | ||||
WX | Leeds | XP | Norwich | YX | Wimbledon | ||||
WY | Leeds | XP | Bristol | YY | Wimbledon | ||||
XP | Middlesborough | ||||||||
XR | Middlesborough | ||||||||
XS | Middlesborough | ||||||||
XT | Middlesborough | ||||||||
XU | Middlesborough | ||||||||
XV | Middlesborough | ||||||||
XW | Middlesborough | ||||||||
XX | Middlesborough | ||||||||
XY | Middlesborough |
Front | Rear | ||
ABC 123D |
ABC 123D | ||
From 1963 until 1983 registration plates were the reverse of the 1983 to 2001 system. This meant that they started with three letters (which give an indication of its origin) followed by up to three numbers and then one letter. The letter at the end indicates the year in which it was registered, hence the name ‘suffix registrations’.
The first two letters give the office where the registration was issued. This is exactly the same as the last two letters in the prefix system, so the large table above can be used. |
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While almost all vehicles in the UK have registration plates of the type shown above, there are various other types of registration plate in use. Before the introduction of yellow and white reflective plates, UK cars had silver or white letters on a black background (as shown in the picture above). Vehicles that were registered before 1963 had one to three letters and one to three numbers on their registrations. The most-prized registration ‘A1’ was issued in 1903. |
Some other registrations that are sometimes seen on UK roads include: |
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ABC 123 | Pre-1963 style of registration |
1 AB | Very old registration, often transferred to a modern vehicle |
ABC 1234 | Northern Ireland uses a system of three letters and four numbers |
J12345 | Jersey uses a J, followed by 5 numbers |
12345 | Guernsey uses only numbers |
G 12345 D | Gibraltar uses a G followed by numbers then a letter |
12 AB 34 | The military uses a 2-2-2 combination of letters and numbers |
AB 12 CD | This is another example of a military registration |
123 AB | This is a trade plate |
All photographs on UKev Ireland have the registration plate of the vehicle in the text where available. This page is designed to give a guide to what information you can find out about a vehicle from its plate.The system of vehicle registration plates in the Republic of Ireland is very simple compared to the UK. Here is an example plate:The first two numbers are the year. Issues start on 1 January and end on 31 December. In this example the “06” refers to 2006. Registrations in this format were first used in 1987, so range from 87 to 99 and then from 00 to the current year. The letter or pair of letters in the middle shows in which county or city the owner lived when the vehicle was registered. The following table shows all of the possibilities: |
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C | Cork | LS | Laois |
CE | Clare | MH | Meath |
CN | Cavan | MN | Monagham |
CW | Carlow | MO | Mayo |
D | Dublin | OY | Offaly |
DL | Donegal | RN | Roscommon |
G | Galway | SO | Sligo |
KE | Kildare | TN | North Tipperary |
KK | Kilkenny | TS | South Tipperary |
KY | Kerry | W | Waterford City |
L | Limerick City | WD | Waterford |
LD | Longford | WH | Westmeath |
LH | Louth | WW | Wicklow |
LK | Limerick | WX | Wexford |
LM | Leitrim | ||
The last number (between 1 and 99999) is the ‘random’ part to distinguish vehicles. Also appearing on the left of the registration plate is the EU flag and country identifier. This is required on all modern Irish vehicles, whereas it is optional in the UK. Lastly the county or city referred to by the letter identifier is written in full Gaelic at the top of the plate. Often Garda and other services’ vehicles carry a Dublin regsitration even though they are posted to other areas. |