Car registration years – the complete number plate guide

Unlike in some countrie, you can identify the age of the vehicle just by looking at the registration plate in the UK. That is because registration plates in the United Kingdom follow a specific format and set of rules.

For example, Standard UK car number plates consist of a combination of letters and numbers, typically in the format of two letters, followed by two numbers, a space, and then three more letters or numbers (for example, AB12 CD3).

Also, the first two letters on the plate represent the region where the vehicle was originally registered and are assigned by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA).

However, it is the ‘age identifier’ that most people are aware of. These are the two numbers in the middle that represent the age of the vehicle from 2001-onwards.

The second number indicates the year of registration, and the first number indicates the specific six-month period within that year (usually March to August or September to February).

For registration plates older than 2001, the first letter indicates the car's age - instead, it was a twelve-month period between two years (usually August to the end of July).

The last three letters on the plate are generally random and do not carry any specific information.

It is a legal requirement for vehicles to display front and rear number plates.

Some vehicles will have personalised number plates that don’t follow any of these rules. It's a popular (and perfectly legal) tactic to hide the age of a car. 

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From 1983 until 2001, the letters used to date a number plate we used as prefixes before the rest of the letters and numbers.

Before 1983, they used the letters as a suffix. this started in 1963 with the letter A, and ended in 1983 with Y.

The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) released the 2025 car registration plates on the 1st March.

The release date for new registration plates happens every March.

Typically, the DVLA will release the information through their website, and if you purchase a new vehicle, they will appear fixed on the front and rear bumpers.

This guide will be updated every six months to reflect the latest developments.