Car Registration Years

Car Registration Years

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On cars and vehicles registered after the suffix number plate style came into play in 1963, the number plate used to always have a year identifier.
There may be restrictions on what registration plate you can have on your vehicle, depending on the age of it. Before choosing a registration plate please read the below information to ensure you will be able to display the plate on your vehicle.

Vehicles cannot use a registration plate that suggests that it is newer than it actually is. 

Where the personalised registration number has an age identifier (i.e. current style, prefix and suffix numbers), you can only display that plate on a vehicle of equal age or newer. For example, if you purchase a 60 current style registration, it can only go onto a vehicle that was first registered as new on or after 1st September 2010. 

Below is a table showing all the registrations over the years 

Suffix Number Plates (ABC 123 D)

Prefix Style (A 123 BCD)

Current/New Style (AB12 CDE)

 

From

To

 

From

To

 

From

To

A

1 Feb 1963

31 Dec 1963

A

1 Aug 1983

31 July 1984

51

1 Sep 2001

28 Feb 2002

B

1 Jan 1964

31 Dec 1964

B

1 Aug 1984

31 July 1985

02

1 Mar 2002

31 Aug 2002

C

1 Jan 1965

31 Dec 1965

C

1 Aug 1985

31 July 1986

52

1 Sep 2002

28 Feb 2003

D

1 Jan 1966

31 Dec 1966

D

1 Aug 1986

31 July 1987

03

1 Mar 2003

31 Aug 2003

E

1 Jan 1967

31 July 1967

E

1 Aug 1987

31 July 1988

53

1 Sep 2003

28 Feb 2004

F

1 Aug 1967

31 July 1968

F

1 Aug 1988

31 July 1989

04

1 Mar 2004

31 Aug 2004

G

1 Aug 1968

31 July 1969

G

1 Aug 1989

31 July 1990

54

1 Sep 2004

28 Feb 2005

H

1 Aug 1969

31 July 1970

H

1 Aug 1990

31 July 1991

05

1 Mar 2005

31 Aug 2005

J

1 Aug 1970

31 July 1971

J

1 Aug 1991

31 July 1992

55

1 Sep 2005

28 Feb 2006

K

1 Aug 1971

31 July 1972

K

1 Aug 1992

31 July 1993

06

1 Mar 2006

31 Aug 2006

L

1 Aug 1972

31 July 1973

L

1 Aug 1993

31 July 1994

56

1 Sep 2006

28 Feb 2007

M

1 Aug 1973

31 July 1974

M

1 Aug 1994

31 July 1995

07

1 Mar 2007

31 Aug 2007

N

1 Aug 1974

31 July 1975

N

1 Aug 1995

31 July 1996

57

1 Sep 2007

28 Feb 2008

P

1 Aug 1975

31 July 1976

P

1 Aug 1996

31 July 1997

08

1 Mar 2008

31 Aug 2008

R

1 Aug 1976

31 July 1977

R

1 Aug 1997

31 July 1998

58

1 Sep 2008

28 Feb 2009

S

1 Aug 1977

31 July 1978

S

1 Aug 1998

28 Feb 1999

09

1 Mar 2009

31 Aug 2009

T

1 Aug 1978

31 July 1979

T

1 Mar 1999

31 July 1999

59

1 Sep 2009

28 Feb 2010

V

1 Aug 1979

31 July 1980

V

1 Aug 1999

28 Feb 2000

10

1 Mar 2010

31 Aug 2010

W

1 Aug 1980

31 July 1981

W

1 Mar 2000

31 July 2000

60

1 Sep 2010

28 Feb 2011

X

1 Aug 1981

31 July 1982

X

1 Aug 2000

28 Feb 2001

11

1 Mar 2011

31 Aug 2011

Y

1 Aug 1982

31 July 1983

Y

1 Mar 2001

31 Aug 2001

61

1 Sep 2011

28 Feb 2012

 

 

Number Plate Styles Explained

 

Dateless plates

Prior to February 1963 these were the type of number plates issued to new vehicles in mainland Great Britain. They do not contain an age identifier and can consist of up to four numbers followed by up to three letters, or vice versa. The maximum number of characters is six. Examples include:

      

Registration numbers in Northern Ireland do not contain an age identifier and are also therefore dateless. They consist of three letters followed by up to four numbers. All Northern Ireland registrations contain either the letter I or Z. Platehunter.com has the cheapest Dateless Plates on the market starting from only £45 see here for you full list of Cheap Dateless Plates

For example:

         

 

 

Suffix number plates

The age identifier is at the end of the registration number on suffix registrations and were issued to new vehicles between February 1963 and July 1983. They consist of three letters, followed by one, two or three numbers, and a single letter at the end that helps identify the age of the vehicle. For example: 

Platehunter.com has the cheapest Suffix registrations starting from as little as £25 see a full list here of Bargain Plates

Below is a table showing the issue dates for car registrations bearing each of the suffix year codes.

 

 

Prefix registrations

The age identifier is at the beginning of the registration number on prefix registrations and were issued to new vehicles between August 1983 and August 2001. They consists of one letter that helps identify the age of the vehicle, followed by one, two or three numbers, and three letters at the end. For example: 

Below is a table showing the issue dates for car registrations bearing each of the prefix year codes

 

Current style registrations

 

These are currently issued to new vehicles in mainland Great Britain and have been issued since September 2001. The registrations consist of two letters, followed by two numbers that help identify the age of the vehicle, and three letters at the end. For example: 

CAR NUMBER PLATE

Below is a table showing the issue dates for car registrations bearing current style plates.
 

 

 

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