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UK NUMBER PLATE AREA CODE12-Feb-2025

 

Current number plate area codes

Take a glance at a current number plate and it might just look like a series of random letters and numbers – but it’s actually only the final three letters that are randomly generated.

The numbers give you an indication of that year (and the part of the year) the car was registered – and the first two letters actually tell you where in the UK the vehicle first hit the road.

For example – the ‘AB01 ABC’ example we’ve just used would be a car that was registered in 2001 in the Anglia region. What’s more, the area code also tells you which DVLA Office first registered the car too.

These two letters are referred to as a ‘memory tag’ by the DVLA

 

A full list of car registration areas

Take a look at the codes for all of the UK’s regions and DVLA offices that issued them before 2013:

Regional Identifiers

Region

DVLA Office

AA, AB, AC, AD, AE, AF, AG, AH, AJ, AK, AL, AM, AN 

Anglia 

Peterborough 

AO, AP, AR, AS, AT, AU 

Anglia 

Norwich 

AV, AW, AX, AY 

Anglia 

Ipswich 

BA, BB, BC, BD, BE, BF, BG, BH, BJ, BK, BL, BM, BN, BO, BP, BR, BS, BT, BU, BV, BW, BX, BY 

Birmingham 

Birmingham 

CA, CB, CC, CD, CE, CF, CG, CH, CJ, CK, CL, CM, CN, CO 

Cymru 

Cardiff 

CP, CR, CS, CT, CU, CV 

Cymru 

Swansea 

CW, CX, CY 

Cymru 

Bangor 

DA, DB, DC, DD, DE, DF, DG, DH, DJ, DK 

Deeside to Shrewsbury 

Chester 

DL, DM, DN, DO, DP, DR, DS, DT, DU, DV, DW, DX, DY 

Deeside to Shrewsbury 

Shrewsbury 

EA, EB, EC, ED, EE, EF, EG, EH, EJ, EK, EL, EM, EN, EO, EP, ER, ES, ET, EU, EV, EW, EX, EY 

Essex 

Chelmsford 

FA, FB, FC, FD, FE, FF, FG, FH, FJ, FK, FL, FM, FN, FP 

Forest and Fens 

Nottingham 

FR, FS, FT, FV, FW, FX, FY 

Forest and Fens 

Lincoln 

GA, GB, GC, GD, GE, GF, GG, GH, GJ, GK, GL, GM, GN, GO 

Garden of England 

Maidstone 

GP, GR, GS, GT, GU, GV, GX, GY 

Garden of England 

Brighton 

HA, HB, HC, HD, HE, HF, HG, HH, HJ 

Hampshire and Dorset 

Bournemouth 

HK, HL, HM, HN, HO, HP, HR, HS, HT, HU, HV, HX, HY 

Hampshire and Dorset 

Portsmouth 

HW 

Hampshire and Dorset 

Portsmouth (Used exclusively for the Isle of Wight) 

KA, KB, KC, KD, KE, KF, KG, KH, KJ, KK, KL 

- 

Luton 

KM, KN, KO, KP, KR, KS, KT, KU, KV, KW, KX, KY 

- 

Northampton 

LA, LB, LC, LD, LE, LF, LG, LH, LJ 

London 

Wimbledon 

LK, LL, LM, LN, LO, LP, LR, LS, LT 

London 

Stanmore 

LU, LV, LW, LX, LY 

London 

Sidcup 

MA, MB, MC, MD, ME, MF, MG, MH, MJ, MK, ML, MM, MN, MO, MP, MR, MS, MT, MU, MV, MW, MX, MY 

Manchester and Merseyside 

Manchester 

NA, NB, NC, ND, NE, NF, NG, NH, NJ, NK, NL, NM, NN, NO 

North 

Newcastle 

NP, NR, NS, NT, NU, NV, NW, NX, NY 

North 

Stockton 

OA, OB, OC, OD, OE, OF, OG, OH, OJ, OK, OL, OM, ON, OO, OP, OR, OS, OT, OU, OV, OW, OX, OY 

Oxford 

Oxford 

PA, PB, PC, PD, PE, PF, PG, PH, PJ, PK, PL, PM, PN, PO, PP, PR, PS, PT 

Preston 

Preston 

PU, PV, PW, PX, PY 

Preston 

Carlisle 

RA, RB, RC, RD, RE, RF, RG, RH, RJ, RK, RL, RM, RN, RO, RP, RR, RS, RT, RU, RV, RW, RX, RY 

Reading 

Reading 

SA, SB, SC, SD, SE, SF, SG, SH, SJ 

Scotland 

Glasgow 

SK, SL, SM, SN, SO 

Scotland 

Edinburgh 

SP, SR, SS, ST 

Scotland 

Dundee 

SU, SV, SW 

Scotland 

Aberdeen 

SX, SY 

Scotland 

Inverness 

VA, VB, VC, VD, VE, VF, VG, VH, VJ, VK, VL, VM, VN, VO, VP, VR, VS, VT, VU, VV, VW, VX, VY

Severn Valley

Worcester 

WA, WB, WC, WD, WE, WF, WG, WH, WJ 

West of England 

Exeter 

WK, WL 

West of England 

Truro 

WM, WN, WO, WP, WR, WS, WT, WU, WV, WW, WX, WY 

West of England 

Bristol 

YA, YB, YC, YD, YE, YF, YG, YH, YJ, YK 

Yorkshire

Leeds 

YL, YM, YN, YO, YP, YR, YS, YT, YU 

Yorkshire 

Sheffield 

YV, YW, YX, YY 

Yorkshire 

Beverley

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