Car Registration Years

What Private registration can I use?

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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.

 

The current number plate system we use in the UK was first introduced in September 2001. Registration plates are laid out to display two letters, followed by two numbers, then by another three more letters. An example of 2024 number plates might be AB24 CDE or AB74 CDE.

The number on the plate refers to the year and six-month period in which the vehicle was first registered; either March to August or September to February. The age identifier changes on 1st March and 1st September every year. The table below shows how the age identifier changes over the life of the current number plate format.

The March codes are easier to remember and identify because they follow the year of the registration. For example, a car that has been registered from March 2024 will have the number 24 as its age identifier. For cars registered between September and February, the code is the year (as of September) plus 50. Therefore, cars produced from September 2024 to February 2025 will have the number 74 as their age identifier. Similarly, 2025 number plates will feature 25 and 75 as their age identifiers.

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

  Plate registrations
Release year 1st March - 31st Aug 1st Sep - 28th Feb
2049/50 49 99
2048/49 48 98
2047/48 47 97
2046/47 46 96
2045/46 45 95
2044/45 44 94
2043/44 43 93
2042/43 42 92
2041/42 41 91
2040/41 40 90
2039/40 39 89
2038/39 38 88
2037/38 37 87
2036/37 36 86
2035/36 35 85
2034/35 34 84
2033/34 33 83
2032/33 32 82
2031/32 31 81
2030/31 30 80
2029/30 29 79
2028/29 28 78
2027/28 27 77
2026/27 26 76
2025/26 25 75
2024/25 24 74
2023/24 23 73
2022/23 22 72
2021/22 21 71
2020/21 20 70
2019/20 19 69
2018/19 18 68
2017/18 17 67
2016/17 16 66
2015/16 15 65
2014/15 14 64
2013/14 13 63
2012/13 12 62
2011/12 11 61
2010/11 10 60
2009/10 9 59
2008/09 8 58
2007/08 7 57
2006/07 6 56
2005/06 5 55
2004/05 4 54
2003/04 3 53
2002/03 2 52
2001/02 1 51
2001 Y Y
2000 X X
2000 W W
1999 T T
1999 V V
1998 S S
1997 R R
1996 P P
1995 N N
1994 M M
1993 L L
1992 K K
1991 J J
1990 H H
1989 G G
1988 F F
1987 E E
1986 D D
1985 C C
1983 B B
1983 A A