United Kingdom Registration Formats
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The first registration marks were made up of one letter with one number, the first (A1) being issued by London County Council in 1903.
Later formats were comprised of two letters and four numbers. These series were replaced as and when they were exhausted. So, whilst the Liverpool series KA lasted for only two years between 1925 and 1927, the series SJ was still being issued by Bute Council in 1963.
By the mid 1930s, the two letter/four number series of registration marks were exhausted in some areas, and new three letter/three number series were introduced. AAA 1 was issued (by Hampshire County Council) in 1934 through to AAA 999 and the commencement of the BAA series in 1936. This process continued until the mid 1950s when marks were reversed to three numbers/three letters.
Between 1963 and 1965 councils began to issue "suffix" registration marks - three letter/three numbers and a year suffix. The registration year ran from 1 January - 31 December until 1967, when the suffix change was moved to 1 August.
Note: 'Q' plates are issued to vehicles of indeterminable age, e.g. kit conversion vehicles which are built of major components from more than one donor vehicle, or imported vehicles where the date of first registration cannot be established.
New Style Prefix Letters (2001 to Date)
Local Memory Tag
The first two letters of the current registration mark format form a local memory tag showing the region where a vehicle is first registered. These local memory tags are designed to help with the recall of number plates and the identification of vehicles. The letters I, Q and Z are not used in the Local Memory Tag. The first letter represents the region, the second letter relates to a DVLA Local Office. In the example above 'AB' shows that the vehicle was first registered in Anglia (A) at the Peterborough office (B).
Age Identifier
The two numbers indicate the age of the vehicle (see table below). In the example above '51' represents the 6 month period from September 2001 to February 2002.
Random Letters
The last three letters give a unique identity to a vehicle. Letters 'I' and 'Q' along with letter combinations that may be considered offensive, are not used. However the letter 'Z' is used in this element of the number plate.
Vcheck" for buyers of used cars, vans and motorbikes.
"Vcheck", matches registration number and VIN number of a vehicle by checking the DVLA information. It then checks that it's not stolen or written off by accessing the data from Association of British Insurers (ABI) and official Police (PITO) vehicle data across the UK.
Last year 497,630 were written off (source Vcheck ABI Category 1-4 insurance write-offs) and over 350,000 were stolen (source Vcheck PITO). Figures show that every 20 minutes an unsuspecting car buyer drives off having bought a stolen vehicle.
Before you buy it, Vcheck it! Vcheck costs only £19.95!
Later formats were comprised of two letters and four numbers. These series were replaced as and when they were exhausted. So, whilst the Liverpool series KA lasted for only two years between 1925 and 1927, the series SJ was still being issued by Bute Council in 1963.
By the mid 1930s, the two letter/four number series of registration marks were exhausted in some areas, and new three letter/three number series were introduced. AAA 1 was issued (by Hampshire County Council) in 1934 through to AAA 999 and the commencement of the BAA series in 1936. This process continued until the mid 1950s when marks were reversed to three numbers/three letters.
Between 1963 and 1965 councils began to issue "suffix" registration marks - three letter/three numbers and a year suffix. The registration year ran from 1 January - 31 December until 1967, when the suffix change was moved to 1 August.
| Suffix Letters (1963-1983) | |
| A | February 1963 to December 1963 |
| B | January 1964 to December 1964 |
| C | January 1965 to December 1965 |
| D | January 1966 to December 1966 |
| E | January 1967 to July 1967 |
| F | August 1967 to July 1968 |
| G | August 1968 to July 1969 |
| H | August 1969 to July 1970 |
| J | August 1970 to July 1971 |
| K | August 1971 to July 1972 |
| L | August 1972 to July 1973 |
| M | August 1973 to July 1974 |
| N | August 1974 to July 1975 |
| P | August 1975 to July 1976 |
| R | August 1976 to July 1977 |
| S | August 1977 to July 1978 |
| T | August 1978 to July 1979 |
| V | August 1979 to July 1980 |
| W | August 1980 to July 1981 |
| X | August 1981 to July 1982 |
| Y | August 1982 to July 1983 |
| Old Style Prefix Letters (1983 to 2001) | |
| A | August 1983 to July 1984 |
| B | August 1984 to July 1985 |
| C | August 1985 to July 1986 |
| D | August 1986 to July 1987 |
| E | August 1987 to July 1988 |
| F | August 1988 to July 1989 |
| G | August 1989 to July 1990 |
| H | August 1990 to July 1991 |
| J | August 1991 to July 1992 |
| K | August 1992 to July 1993 |
| L | August 1993 to July 1994 |
| M | August 1994 to July 1995 |
| N | August 1995 to July 1996 |
| P | August 1996 to July 1997 |
| R | August 1997 to July 1998 |
| S | August 1998 to February 1999 |
| T | March 1999 to August 1999 |
| V | September 1999 to February 2000 |
| W | March 2000 to August 2000 |
| X | September 2000 to February 2001 |
| Y | March 2001 to August 2001 |
Note: 'Q' plates are issued to vehicles of indeterminable age, e.g. kit conversion vehicles which are built of major components from more than one donor vehicle, or imported vehicles where the date of first registration cannot be established.
New Style Prefix Letters (2001 to Date)
Local Memory Tag
The first two letters of the current registration mark format form a local memory tag showing the region where a vehicle is first registered. These local memory tags are designed to help with the recall of number plates and the identification of vehicles. The letters I, Q and Z are not used in the Local Memory Tag. The first letter represents the region, the second letter relates to a DVLA Local Office. In the example above 'AB' shows that the vehicle was first registered in Anglia (A) at the Peterborough office (B).
Age Identifier
The two numbers indicate the age of the vehicle (see table below). In the example above '51' represents the 6 month period from September 2001 to February 2002.
Random Letters
The last three letters give a unique identity to a vehicle. Letters 'I' and 'Q' along with letter combinations that may be considered offensive, are not used. However the letter 'Z' is used in this element of the number plate.
| 51 | September 2001 to February 2002 |
| 02 | March 2002 to August 2002 |
| 52 | September 2002 to February 2003 |
| 03 | March 2003 to August 2003 |
| 53 | September 2003 to February 2004 |
| 04 | March 2004 to August 2004 |
| 54 | September 2004 to February 2005 |
| 05 | March 2005 to August 2005 |
| 55 | September 2005 to February 2006 |
| 06 | March 2006 to August 2006 |
Vcheck" for buyers of used cars, vans and motorbikes.
"Vcheck", matches registration number and VIN number of a vehicle by checking the DVLA information. It then checks that it's not stolen or written off by accessing the data from Association of British Insurers (ABI) and official Police (PITO) vehicle data across the UK.
Last year 497,630 were written off (source Vcheck ABI Category 1-4 insurance write-offs) and over 350,000 were stolen (source Vcheck PITO). Figures show that every 20 minutes an unsuspecting car buyer drives off having bought a stolen vehicle.
Before you buy it, Vcheck it! Vcheck costs only £19.95!
1 Comments: Please Post a Comment
Wow, this is really interesting. I knew some of this before, but I didn't know how the earlier ones were organised.
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