Number plate formats explained; UK car registrations 2001 Example of a prefix plate: K50 WTB The last three characters would originally have been able to identify the area of the country in which the registration was issued (in the above example the WTB indicates that this registration would have been released in Liverpool). And the number is simply a way of uniquely identifying one registration from the possible 999 alternatives with the same prefix and suffix combinations that could be out there. As these registrations have an age identifier (the prefix), you can only assign them to vehicles of the same age as the registration or younger. As with all registrations that carry a year identifier you can make your vehicle look as old as you want, but not one day newer. So, for example, the above registration - K50 WTB - could be assigned to any vehicle first manufactured after 01/08/1992, but you'd be unable to put it on a vehicle that was manufactured before that date as you would be giving the impression that the vehicle was newer than it is. We presently have around 8 million unique prefix registrations on our database which you can search through. New Style Registrations Explained (E.G.

SK54 MPK) New Style registrations are those which follow the format of a two letter prefix (in the above example the SK), followed by a two digit year identifier (the 54 above) and finally three more letters (MPK). The New Style reg became the current standard for vehicles from the second half of 2000 - and replaced the exhausted prefix format. For the first time in UK mainland registrations the letter Z was allowed as a character in the last three letters - but not in the prefix. The two digit number in the registration would originally have been used to to determine the age of the vehicle it was being displayed on - as shown in the below table. Year 30 80 The two prefix letters of this registration would originally have been used to identify the area of the country in which the registration was issued (in the above example the SK indicates that this registration would have been released in Scotland, most likely from the Edinburgh DVLA Vehicle Registration Office.). As these registrations have an age identifier (the two digits), you can only assign them to vehicles of the same age as the registration or younger.

As with all registrations that carry a year identifier you can make your vehicle look as old as you want, but not one day newer. So, for example, the above registration - SK54 MPK - could be assigned to any vehicle first manufactured after 01/09/2004, but you'd be unable to put it on a vehicle that was manufactured before that date as you would be giving the impression that the vehicle was newer than it is. We presently have around 49 million unique new style registrations on our database which you can search. Suffix Registrations Explained (E.G. FVL 144M) Suffix registrations are those which follow the format of three letters (in the above example FVL) a number which can be 1, 2 or 3 digits in length (The above is an example of a three digit suffix with the number 144) and finally a single year identifying letter (in this case M). The final letter (or suffix hence the name of this style of registration), would originally have been used to determine the age of the vehicle it was being displayed on - as shown in the below table.

SUFFIX Y 1982 The first three characters would originally have been able to identify the area of the country in which the registration was issued (in the above example the FVL indicates that this registration would have been released in Lincoln). And the number is simply a way of uniquely identifying one registration from the possible 999 alternatives with the same prefix and suffix combinations that could be out there. As these registrations have an age identifier (the suffix), you can only assign them to vehicles of the same age as the registration or younger. As with all registrations that carry a year identifier you can make your vehicle look as old as you want, but not one day newer. So, for example, the above registration - FVL 144M - could be assigned to any vehicle first manufactured after 01/08/1973, but you'd be unable to put it on a vehicle that was manufactured before that date as you would be giving the impression that the vehicle was more modern than it is. Have you spotted that the I, O, Q, U and Z are not included?

The 'I' and 'Z' were always registered for Northern Ireland registrations (where the 'Z' stated to be used in 2000 - see "New Style"). 'Q' is always reserved to register vehicles whose date of manufacture is unknown. A 'Q' mark is non-transferable. 'O' and 'U' are not used as they are easily confused with 'Q' and 'V'. Dateless Registrations Explained (E.G. TOA 123) When registrations were introduced in 1903, and before the suffix format came into effect in 1963, they had no discernable year identifying numbers or digits on them. With a registration like this it's impossible to tell (without insider knowledge) how old the vehicle displaying it is. Prefix registrations are so called because their initial letter (prefix) identifies the age of a vehicle, suffix registrations because their trailing (suffix) letter identifies the age of the vehicle and the new style reg can identify a vehicle age from the two digit number they contain. All of these styles of registration follow the rule that they cannot be assigned to vehicles that were manufactured before their date of issue.

But because dateless registrations are considered dateless (hence their name), these registrations can be assigned and displayed on vehicles of any age. Because these format registrations date back to pre-1963, they're considered the cream of the crop in the numberplate world. They're often very difficult to come by, simply because vehicles they were originally on will have long since been scrapped. They do, however, come with a history attached to them and you can be sure that the reg you're buying will be one of only a small number of similar reg still on the roads. Dateless reg come in various configurations, either with 1, 2, 3 or 4 digits followed by 1, 2 or 3 letters, or the reverse with 1, 2 or 3 letters followed by 1, 2, 3 or 4 digits. The single or consecutive letters in the registration would originally have been able to identify the area of the country in which the registration was issued (in the above example the TOA indicates that this registration would have been released in Birmingham). Certain 3 letters/3 numbers dateless combinations are reserved as replacement marks for pre-1963 vehicles.

They are usually allocated following the transfer or retention of the original cherished mark, thus helping to preserve the authenticity of the vehicle. However, as a fraud prevention precaution, such marks are "non-transferable". Typical replacement marks are some of the LSV and GSK series. The "non-transferable" marker appears on the notes on the registration document (V5/C) History of Number Plates | Registration and Car Number Plate History Login/Register History of Number Plates This article focuses on the history of GB Mainland number plates. Interested in the History of Irish Number Plates ? At the beginning of the century, with mechanically propelled vehicles increasing in number, and accidents occurring more frequently, it became apparent that a means of identifying cars had become necessary. The solution was The Motor Car Act 1903. From 1st January 1904 it become compulsory for every motorcar to be registered with a number plate. This came about 5 years after Dutch authorities first introduced the idea to the world. The first mark to be issued in London was the simple, bold, A1 and this was registered to Earl Russell.

He wanted the mark so badly he camped out all night to secure it, making him not only the first registrant but also the inventor of the idea of having a distinctive, personalised or cherished plate on a vehicle. Since then, the registration system has changed 4 times to accommodate the ever-growing demand for vehicle registrations. Interesting fact: Our Director Des currently has O 11 on his vehicle, which dates back to 1903 and was originally issued in Birmingham Let's take a look at the different number plate systems that have come into play over the years... Dateless 1903-1963 The first plates issued were dateless, that is, there was nothing to denote the year of issue. This system lasted for an incredible 60 years. Initially, the marks were made up of a local council identifier code of up to 3 letters, followed by a random number, e.g. ABC 123. In the early 1950s, as numbers started to run out, the components were reversed, giving rise to registrations in the format 123 ABC. In 1920 The Roads Act was passed that made a few minor changes to the number plate system.

Up until this time, there was nothing to stop authorities having two registers, one for cars and one for motorcycles. This meant that it was possible for a car and a motorcycle in the same area to have the same plate. The 1920 act put a stop to this and ensured that all authorities had one single register for all vehicles. Also, up until 1920, if a vehicle moved from one area to another, it would lose the plate and receive a new one in the new area, the old plate being reassigned to another vehicle. It was decided that this was simply too confusing and inconvenient, so this practice was stopped by the 1920 Roads Act. Not surprisingly, all the dateless registrations are now in high demand, especially short combinations such as O 11 which is worth in excess of £95,000. The high price tag is due to the single letter and the fact that it only has 3 characters in total. Suffix 1963 - 1983 By 1963, a number of local councils had run out of registrations, even by adding extra digits and reversing them.

As a result of this, the Suffix system was introduced, a letter indicating the year of registration being added at the end of the plate, which until then had comprised only 3 letters followed by 3 numbers. Thus, 1963 plates had the format AAA 111A, 1964 plates AAA 111B and so on. This was the first change to a system that had been set up in 1903 when there were far fewer cars on the roads. Since then the administration of the system has turned into a massive task. Everything was done manually and locally. Police checks on vehicle records were time consuming and labour intensive. There were also delays with registrations and the public were not happy with having to wait. So in 1963, as well as a revamp of the system, thought started to be given to utilising some modern technology, namely, computers to create a centralised system. This system would be nine years in the planning!

Since 1903 the design of the physical plates had gone through a few changes but the most significant was in 1973 when all newly registered vehicles were required to have reflective style number plates, with black letters on a white background at the front, and on a yellow background at the rear. Older style plates, with white or silver letters on a black background, remained legal for vehicles already registered. Eventually, in 1974, the centralised DVLC system was up and running, no longer were local councils responsible for vehicle-registration. Prefix 1983 - 2001 The Prefix system started in August 1983. This saw the letter indicating the year moved to the beginning of the registration mark, thus doubling the lifespan of the number plate system. Prefix registrations can be broken down in three sections: First Letter: The year the car was registered and put on the road, hence its age. A for 1983, B for 1984 and so on Last two letters: An area code that indicates where the plate was registered. The three numbers and the first of the three letters at the end have no meaning, only providing a variation for identification.

This system continued until the end of August 2001, and a large number of these registrations were held back for later release or for personalised registrations. The letters I, O, U and Z were not issued at all as Prefix letters, and Q was used only where the age or origin of the vehicle could not be identified. Of course the lifespan of this system could be guessed at. It had taken just 20 years to exhaust the suffix system, souring the 1990s a lot of thought was given as to what to do when the prefix system had also run out of combinations. Current Style 2001 - Now The current style started in 2001. Police evidence suggested that witnesses, particularly in hit and run incidents, remember the letters of a registration mark much more easily than the numbers. As people read from left to right it made sense to put this information, the local code, at the beginning rather than at the end of the number plate. As the result the current system for registrations is made up of 3 parts, as shown below: Local Region: This represents the place where the car was first registered.

Vehicles registered in Birmingham, for example, begin with the letters BA - BY; those registered in Chelmsford begin EA – EY. Date ID: This indicates the date of registration of the vehicle, and changes every 6 months, in March and September. The system started with the use of 51 to denote the 6 months from September 2001, with 02 replacing it in March 2002. 52 then denotes September 2002, 03 denotes March 2003 and so on. This continued until March 2010 when 10 and 60 had been reached and so it goes on. Random: The last three letters are random and can now include Z. This current system is far more future-proof that than the previous plate styles were. This system can cater for up to 12.6 million new registrations each year. It is believed this system will run smoothly until at least 2049, when it can simply be reversed. Islands The Isle of Wight For many years the Isle of Wight, with county council status, used the areas letters DL within the general system for all vehicle registrations.

Following gradual rationalisation of DVLA local offices. DL identifiers were issued by Portsmouth Vehicle Registration Office. Under the system that started on 1st September 2001, the island falls within the Hampshire and Dorset region, and HW is used exclusively for residents of the island. The Isle of Man The Isle of Man introduced vehicle registration in 1906, in the same format as the mainland Britain system, with the first MN registrations having up to four digits. This series endured for some time, before the island moved on to a three letter, three digit sequence commencing with AMN. The MAN series was also used, diverted from West Ham Borough Council, where it was made unavailable. The letters MAN followed by four digits have also been used. All these series have also been issued in reverse. The island did not follow the British year identifier system introduced in 1963, though since then its plates have utilized both suffix and prefix letters as integral parts of the registration, on a seven character plate of British appearance. Guernsey and Jersey Vehicles here have carried mandatory registrations marks since before 1915, with each island having a unique arrangement unrelated to the British registration system.

Guernsey vehicles carry straightforward numerical plates with no letters and in 2003 up to five figures. Jersey also uses a five-figure series, preceded by the single letter J. Interestingly, J, was also allocated by the mainland county Durham, between 1903 and 1922. The Isles of Scilly The registration mark SCY was made available for use on these islands in 1971, and simultaneously withdrawn from use by Swansea, which had previously issued that combination. Because there are relatively few vehicles on the Isles of Scilly, any plate carrying the registration SCY is a rare sight in the mainland. Why Choose Speedy? Suffix Style Number Plates e.g. Initials, Names, Car Makes, Football Clubs, Bithdays, Hobbies, Sports… INFO Suffix Style Number Plates What are suffix style number plates? First introduced in 1963, suffix style number plates revealed the age of a vehicle as the last letter of the plate acted as the “suffix” or “age identifier” - as opposed to dateless number plates, which do not carry this age identifier and therefore hide the true age of a vehicle.

The last suffix letter used was “Y” and was issued on 1st August 1982, when the registration system had to be changed yet again to accommodate more vehicle users – the suffix system had simply run out of letters in the alphabet and had to be replaced by the prefix system. The structure of suffix number plates never changed and typically they displayed this type of sequence: WXY 123 F (or Letter, Letter, Letter), (space) followed by up to 3 numbers, followed by another Letter, the age identifier. This particular number shows a suffix from 1967 (F) and the first 3 letters show the car was first registered in Bangor in Wales. The first of these two letters is a mnemonic signifying the name of the overall region where the vehicle’s registration office is located. For example, the letter “A” is used as the first letter to stand for all registrations that were issued by the three vehicle offices situated in the region of East Anglia. The suffix later gained a two-digit age identifier, which changed twice per year, namely in March and September.

This code represents either the last two digits of the year of registration itself if issued between the months of March and August (for example "10" for vehicle registrations that were issued between 1st March and 31st August 2010), or they have 50 added to that code if they were issued between the months of September and February the following year (for example "60" stands for registrations issued between 1st September 2010 and 28th February 2011). Therefore, suffix number plates typically display a sequence of three letters followed by one, two, or three letters, which in turn are followed by a one, two, or three digit number code with a year-letter age identifier at the very end. Another example of suffix number plate registrations would be CGO ***X which was issued in London in 1981. Suffix number plate registration legislation was passed because suffix number plates provided far greater protection to vehicle owners, since the age of a vehicle is shown on the number plate it carries, thus telling a prospective buyer for example, if a vehicle car is new, second hand or has passed through many more hands in a long life.

With the introduction of new age identifier legislation pertaining to registration the procedure of transfers changed for good. Dealers offering new number plates must adhere to current legislation and therefore the age of the vehicle must be shown correctly by the appropriate suffix or age identifier. While it is perfectly legal to display a number plate with a suffix that represents an older age identifier than the vehicle, it is not permitted to display a suffix that is newer than the vehicle. In theory, a buyer looking at a vehicle in a showroom or in a private sale should be able to determine the first year of registration from the age identifier without having to do further investigation into the age of the vehicle. It is also possible to get online valuations for suffix number plates and typically such valuations should come with certification. Obtaining a certificate of valuation for a suffix or indeed any other number plate is a good idea for a variety of purposes, such as insurance or divorce where the value of assets needs to be determined, for probate and for private sales of vehicles, especially, if the number plate is a cherished, private or personalised number plate and worth a great deal of money. Suffix number plates can represent a great alternative to dateless, cherished or private number plates.

Not all letters of the alphabet were used though: the suffix registration system excluded the letters I, O, Q, U and Z. Letters 'I' and 'Z' were only used for Northern Ireland, while the letter 'O' was deemed to resemble zero too closely. The letter 'Q' was reserved for vehicle registrations where the date of manufacture of the vehicle was in doubt. The letter 'U' resembled the letter 'V' far too much and was therefore not issued. Thanks to the format of suffix number plates which are fronted by three letters, these number plates can offer some sought after varieties, such as number plates that spell short names like TOM or PAT for example. Dealers know that suffix number plates offer good opportunities for investment as well as customer enjoyment and can provide a large number of great options at often far cheaper prices than private or cherished number plates would fetch. Useful Links Car Registrations A Brief History of Car Registration Plates in the UK The first registration plates in Britain came into use over one hundred years ago. The introduction of the Motor Car Act in 1904 made number plates compulsory. London County Council issued the number plate "A1" in 1903.

The earliest formats used one or two letters followed by the numbers 1 to 9999. The Automobile Association are known to own "AA1" and "AA2". Different parts of the country replaced these letter combinations as they became exhausted. By the mid-1930s number plates began to have three letters of the alphabet followed by a number from 1 to 999. Hampshire County Council issued "AAA 1" in 1934. The lack of number and letter combinations led to registration plates being issued in the mid 1950s using the three number/three letters format (e.g. "123 ABC"). During 1963 and 1965 councils adopted the format of three letters/three numbers and a year suffix (i.e. year number at the end). Initially the year registration ran from 1st January to 31st December. In 1967 the year registration was changed from 1st August to 31st March, allowing the new year suffix to be introduced in August.

The new system introduced in 1963 ran for 20 years, and finished with the year suffix "Y" in March 1983. In August 1983 prefix registrations were introduced. This was a swap of the year registration letter from the end to the front of the registration format. 1999 saw the introduction of prefix plates issued twice per annum. The six month registration period ran from the 1st March to the 31st August and then from the 1st September to the end of February. Prefix registration year plates finished at the end of August 2001. In September 2001, new plates were introduced commencing with a two-letter area code, followed by a two-number age code and ending with a three-letter random group at the end. Some letter combinations such as "SEX" have been banned for the last three characters. Other Points of Interest The letters not used to denote the year are I, O, Q, U and Z. In 1983, the Q letter was designated as an indicator of cars of indeterminate age.

This covered vehicles built from one or more existing vehicles, cars constructed from kit and imported cars where the first registration date cannot be established. The physical appearance of car registration plates was changed on the 1st January 1973. All vehicles were now required to have reflective plates. The front plates had to be black letters on white, and the rear plates black on yellow. New rules were also introduced for the size, shape and character of registration plates. However the typeface or style of text (e.g. Times Roman or Courier) appears to have been initially overlooked, as is evidenced by the number of vehicles with italic or bolded different typefaces. From March 2001 onwards, UK plates on new cars had to conform to a standard typeface and size (Charles Wright character font). This is to ensure that number plates can be better read by speed cameras. Checking the registration plate is now part of the MOT test. The rules state that letters and numbers must be of equal width along their entire length, the gap between the two series of characters must be at least double the gap between adjacent characters, and digits and letters should measure 79mm x 50 mm.

Information on the central Driver and Vehicle Licencing Centre in Swansea and the supporting Vehicle Registration Offices can be found at Number Plate Information - History of Number Plates Number Plate Information You are currently viewing: Home ›Number Plate Information page We're here to help you. So if you have any problems contact us using: Why don't we show our phone number? Our aim is to offer the lowest possible prices and by doing so we don't have an expensive call centre meaning we can pass these savings directly to you - making our personal numbers even more affordable and incredibly good value! Thanks to PN I won my ultimate plate at Auction! J. Beveridge... L1 OPR As soon as I saw it I just had to have it! Mr. Roberts... 2 JAG Number Plate Information - History of Number Plates An Outline of the UK Vehicle Registration History Ever since the petrol engine began to replace the steam engine in the mid 1890’s the popularity of the motor car has been explosive. By the early 1900’s there was already a reputed 5000 cars on the road.

With this rapid rise in car ownership came an equally rapid rise in car accidents and car crime and it soon became apparent that the government would have to devise a method of identifying vehicles and their owners. The British vehicle registration system began in 1903 with the passing of the ‘Motor Car Act’ though it didn’t actually come into force until 1/1/1904.The Act stated that each Local Council was to set up its own ‘Registration and Licensing Authority’ and that all vehicles within their catchment area would have to be registered with it at a cost of 20 shillings each. As the number of cars on the road continued to grow it was becoming clear that transport in general needed its own Government Department so in 1919 the ‘Ministry of Transport’ was created to deal with motoring legislation. The ‘Roads Act of 1920’ was subsequently passed which, again, required all vehicles to be registered with their regional ‘Registration and Licensing Authority’ but also required car manufacturers, vehicle repair shops and car dealers to apply for a ‘General Licence’ which was the forerunner to the ‘Trade Plates’ of today.

Hackney carriages were also required to display a separate plate stating how many people the vehicle was legally allowed to carry. Registrations from 1903 to 1932 The first system of ‘Dateless’ registration numbers were issued from 1903 and ran until 1932 using the series ‘A1’ to ‘YY 9999’. The single letter or pair of letters at the beginning of the registration, known as the ‘Tag’, indicated the local authority to which the vehicle was registered, (A= London, B = Lancashire, C = Yorkshire). In England and Wales the tags were initially allocated in preference to population size of given areas, whilst Scotland and Ireland had sequences using the letters ‘S’ and ‘I’ respectively, which were allocated in alphabetical order (IA = Antrim, IB = Armagh, etc). When a licensing authority reached 9999 it was allocated another tag but there was no pattern to these subsequent allocations, they were given out on a first come first served basis.

Registrations from 1932 to 1963 By 1932, registrations in the first ‘Dateless’ system of number plates were beginning to run out so a new system had to be introduced. This consisted of three letters followed by, up to three numbers, taken from the series ‘AAA 1’ to ‘YYY 999’. In this system the regional tags were the second and third letters in the set of three. The single letter tags were now dropped as prefixing them would have created duplicates of previous two-letter tags. The letters ‘I’ and ‘Z’ were not used on main land Briton as they were reserved for use in Irish registrations. The current Northern Irish system is similar to this dateless system but uses 4 numbers instead of 3. Q registration was only used for imports at this point. View the tables of Dateless Number Plates regional tags Read history of Northern Irish Registrations systems and a table of their regional tags By the 1950’s, the available number plates within this second dateless registration system had, again, started to run out so a reversed sequence was introduced, (1 AAA to 999 YYY).

The ever-increasing popularity of the car can be gauged by the fact that this reverse sequence began to run out within ten years of introduction, so by the beginning of the 1960s, a further, short term, system had to be introduced in some of the more densely populated parts of the country. This took the form of a four number sequence with the one and two letter regional tags on the end (1A to 9999 YY), in effect, a reversal of the very first dateless system. Registrations from 1963 to 1982 The ‘Suffix’ system of registration was introduced in 1963 in an attempt to create a national system that would alleviate the recurring problem of number plate sequences running out. The previous, - three letters followed by up to three numbers - system was kept, with a single letter added at the end, which changed every year. In this system, numbers were drawn from the range ‘AAA 1A’ to ‘YYY 999A’ for the first year, then ‘AAA 1B’ to ‘YYY 999B’ for the second year, and so on.

Some regions didn’t take up the suffix letter immediately, preferring to stick to their old system until it ran out, but in 1965 the suffix letter became compulsory. This new system had two advantages over earlier ones. Firstly; yielding many more available registrations than previous systems because the identifying sequence of letters and numbers could be reused every year and secondly it was a handy way for vehicle purchasers to know the age of the vehicle at a glance. View a table of Suffix Number Plates issue dates By now, though, the system was beginning to struggle with millions of documents passing through the Registration and Licensing Authority offices within local Councils so in 1965 the Government decided that the new suffix number plate system should be administered centrally. It was decided that the ‘Driver and Vehicle Licensing Centre’ - or DVLC - would be set up in Swansea and be supported by 81 ‘Local Vehicle Licensing Offices’ dotted around the county. For the first two years of the suffix registration system the ‘year’ letter changed on the 1st January, but car retailers began to notice that motorists, towards the end of each year, were waiting for the new letter to be issued before buying so that their car would stay looking newer for longer.

In an attempt to flatten out sales, the industry lobbied the government to get the month of new registration releases changed from January to August. This was done in 1967 which meant that in that year there were two letter changes: ‘E’ on the 1st January and ‘F’ on the 1st August. From the 1st January 1973 a new legislation came into effect which stated all vehicles were required to have reflective number plates - black on white at the front and black on yellow at the back. These new plates were introduced so that unlit vehicles could be seen more easily at night. The regulations also made law the uniform size, shape and characters of registration plates. Registrations from 1983 to 2001 The ‘Suffix’ system of registration didn’t use I, O, Q, U or Z as year letters which meant that by 1982 it had reached ‘Y’ and so had run its course. From 1983 onwards the sequence was reversed so that the year letter - starting at ‘A’ - preceded the numbers and then the letters of the registration.

This new system of vehicle registration was known as ‘Prefix’ and the available range was from A21 AAA to Y999 YYY. As with Suffix registration numbers, the Prefix system didn’t use I, O, Q, U or Z as year letters. View a table of Prefix Number Plates issue dates The changes in 1983 brought the letter Q more widely into use for vehicles of indeterminate age, such as kit cars, rebuilt write offs, or in cases of imported vehicles with insufficient documentation. The Q registration was also used in the late 1980s and through the 1990s due to car crime. Many recovered, stolen vehicles had been given false identities and in cases where it was not possible to determine a vehicles true identity, a Q registration would be issued. In 1984 a new computer system was installed at the DVLC, providing much more efficient communication between Swansea and the newly renamed ‘Local Department of Transport Offices’ – formally the ‘Local Vehicle Licensing Offices’ - which had, by this time, been reduced from 81 offices to 53.

Then in 1988, it was recommended that all the executive functions of government should be carried out by executive agencies in the interests of efficiency. Subsequently, DVLC became an agency and was re-named DVLA (Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency). Since 1997 there have been just 40 ‘Local Department of Transport Offices’ in operation. DVLA Registration Sales By the time the ‘Prefix Style Registration System’ was launched in ‘83, the government had become aware of the resale value of after market vanity number plates and so decided to withhold the numbers 1 to 20 from all the registration sequences (A1 AAA to A20 YYY) for the government's proposed ‘DVLA Select Registration Sales Scheme’, known today as ‘DVLA Personalised Registrations’. They continued to do this until August 1991 (‘J’ reg) when it was decided to withhold a few more sequences. View table of withheld Number Plate Sequences They continued to withhold these numbers from ‘J’ to ‘Y’ registration (2001) when the range of ‘Prefix Style’ number plates became exhausted.

‘DVLA Personalised Registrations’ first started selling cherished number plates in around 1990 but it was almost a short lived thing. Towards the mid-1990s there was some discussion about introducing a unified European registration system which would incorporate a country’s code of origin. This idea was dropped due to the lack of countries willing to participate. ‘DVLA Personalised Registrations’ was then free to continue adding the withheld number plate ranges to its sales pages as they became available each year. Registrations from 2001 to Present Day By the late 1990s, the range of ‘Prefix Style’ registrations was coming to an end. A process accelerated in 1999 by a move from annual to biannual registration issue dates (1st March and 1st September) as car dealers, once again, began to struggle with the ever increasing amount of orders every August. In September 2001 the ‘Current Style’ registration system was introduced. Vehicle registration numbers now have a format composing of 2 letters followed by 2 numbers and ending with 3 letters (AA51 AAA).

The first 2 letters are, once again, a regional tag just as they were on the very first ‘Dateless Plates’ View a table of Current Style Number Plates regional tags The 2 numbers following the regional tag letters relate to the date of issue, the first number signifying the month and the second number signifying the year. View a table of Current Style Registrations issue dates The remaining 3 letters are randomised in order to make each registration unique. This system of registration also saw the introduction of the letter ‘Z’ to British mainland number plates for the first time but only for use in the last 3 random letters. It’s estimated that there are over 30 million vehicles on the road in the UK today so the ‘Current Style’ system needed to cope with this and any future growth in road vehicles. The DVLA can issue up to 7,312,896 registrations (give or take) on each new issue date and the sequence will run until 2049/50 before a rethink becomes necessary.

Suffix style number plates | The Plate Market Suffix style number plates Suffix style number plates UK suffix number plates issued 1963 to 1983 Not expensive if you're not concerned about the actual letters. Popular with classic car owners looking to restore some authenticity back to their car if the original registration number has been removed. What are suffix number plates? Suffix style number plates are car registration numbers issued in the UK, starting from 1963. When car number plates were first issued in 1903, they were given out as they were needed. But the number of cars on UK roads was growing fast, and we were running out of dateless number plates . So for the first time a number plates year identifier was introduced. The last letter indicated the year in which that registration number was issued. It meant that letter and number combinations could be re-used each year, but just changing the last letter. They are called suffix number plates because the year identifier is at the end of the registration number. Find suffix number plates for sale What do suffix number plates look like?

All suffix style number plates follow the same format: 3 letters, up to 3 numbers, and a final letter (the suffix) which identifies the year the registration number was issued. See some examples on this page. Because they have a year identifer, there is a DVLA rule that comes in here. You cannot put a number plate on a car if it would make it appear to be newer than it is. Here the letter W at the end tells us this registration number was issued sometime between 1st August 1980 and 31st July 1981. Are suffix number plates worth anything? Often, yes. Because suffix number plates are quite old, they have become more difficult to get hold of. Common initials and short 3-letter names will always be snapped up. More obscure letters still have some (limited) value because there's a market for classic car enthusiasts wishing to restore a registration number of the right age to a car. Got a suffix number plate you're thinking of selling? Ask us for a free number plate valuation. How much is a suffix number plate worth? Well this depends the letters and numbers. Short common names like JAS or BEN will fetch £1000's.

The exact amount will depend on the numbers that sit alongside. Common initials will have a lot of value too. Even obscure letter combinations can sometimes attract a few £'s. Other UK number plate styles and formats Washington, D.C. License Plate History Summary Timeline Motor vehicles operated in the District of Columbia were first required to be registered in August of 1903, but their owners were required to make or otherwise procure their own markers in order to display the registration number assigned by the city's Automobile Board. As they were in nearby states, these early homemade plates were often made of leather marked with aluminum house numbers, and mail-order, kit-type metal plates presumably also were used here because they were widely advertised in publications that appealed to automobilists. Motorist-provided markers were used until September 1907, when the city began to issue uniform porcelain enamel plates. These undated white-on-black plates were issued and used, with relatively minor design variations, through the end of 1917. Throughout this period license plates and registrations were considered permanent, thus there was no annual renewal process or fee.

Furthermore, until 1918 there was only a single motor vehicle registration classification (whereas now there are many: private passenger, commercial, trailer, etc.), but there were two types of license plate because the standard format was found to be unsuitable for use on motorcycles. Everything changed for 1918, when D.C. caught up to most of the states, which by that relatively late year had already switched from undated, multi-year plates (if indeed they ever used them ï¿½ several nearby states did not) to annual plates that were accompanied by annual registration fees. Dated, embossed steel plates were introduced for 1918 and were issued annually through early 1942. There is, however, no District of Columbia plate dated "1939" due to the shift, in that year, from a registration year that corresponded to the calendar year to one that began on March 1 and ended at the end of February (which in 1940 was February 29).

At that time, data shown on the plate to indicate its period of use was changed from the calendar year of validity ("1938" was the last) to the expiration date ("EX-2-29-40" was the first). Further information about this subject appears below . All 1918 and earlier District of Columbia plates were issued singly; pairs were not used until 1919. Most distinctive plates for non-passenger vehicles issued through 1934 were marked with a letter prefix, with motorcycle as the only exception, its status being evident in its small size. Motorcycle plates were introduced in 1908, the only non-passenger type issued through 1917. Dealer plates were introduced in 1919, and other types, if not introduced that year, soon followed. H-prefix plates for hire vehicles (taxis) and L-prefix plates for livery vehicles are examples of other early types. Distinctive plates for trucks and trailers came slightly later. As new plates were issued annually beginning in 1918, numbers were assigned sequentially starting at 1. Those with the lowest numbers were coveted, and in many cases assigned to the same individual year after year.

Passenger car registration numbers first exceeded 99-999 during 1923. Officials apparently quickly tired of the resultant six-number format, however, for 1926 was the last year in which all auto plates displayed only numbers. Although the lowest all-numeric combinations were retained for 1927 and thereafter, most plates assigned for 1927 have a letter prefix followed by up to four numbers. Plates issued for use on non-passenger vehicles except motorcycles continued to be marked with a letter prefix. Dealer plates, for example, began with D, as they had since 1919. Truck plates are prefixed by either B or C depending on the registration category, which was determined by the vehicle's weight. The District of Columbia became the first U.S. jurisdiction to issue a limited-use, short-term plate for a special event when it authorized a distinctive red, white, and blue plate to commemorate the 1933 presidential inauguration. This became a tradition, with the special plates being issued for every inauguration except that of 1945, although recent examples are souvenirs sold by the inaugural committee and in most cases cannot be used on vehicles.

A number of other special event plates have been issued, most notably a series of annual plates from 1962 through 1974 that commemorated the National Cherry Blossom Festival. As for regular plates assigned to rank-and-file Washingtonians, for the 1940 registration year the period of validity was shifted to April 1-March 30, where it remained until 1984. As occurred in most states, the use of license plates for multiple years was warranted during World War II in order to minimize the use of steel for non-military efforts. In fact, the scarcity of pre-war plates today is due in large part to scrap metal drives conducted during the war. Although many motorists had retained their old plates when mounting new ones in an annual chore, most gladly contributed their obsolete heavy steel markers to help the war effort. After World War II, Washington D.C. returned to issuing new plates annually, but not exclusively. The 1946 plate was used for two years, like the 1942 plate being revalidated with a small metal tab, and the 1953 plate, the first in D.C. to include a slogan, was also used for two years.

It was also for 1953 that D.C. plates were first made in the modern 6ï¿½x12ï¿½ format, which is still used today, and when plates returned to being marked with the expiration date. The five previous plates, those of the 1948-49 through 1952-53 registration years, were marked with the year of issue (as discussed below ). After the two-year 1953 (ï¿½3-31-54ï¿½) plate was replaced in early 1955, another 11 annual issues were used before the switch back to multi-year plates, now validated with stickers, was made for good. It was during this period, in early 1962, that the District's first reflectorized plate was issued.

D.C officials seemed to struggle with an appropriate general-issue numbering format during this period, using AB-12-34 for two years (1955 and 1956); AB-123 for the next seven (1957-1963); 1A234 (and 1A23 when they ran out of numbers) for 1964; and 1AB23 for 1965, finally settling on an all-number format, beginning at 100-000, for 1966. In April 1966 the first of seven successive multi-year plates, which have brought us through to the present day, was introduced. The plain black-on-white 1966 plate was used for two years, replaced in 1968 by a new plate surprisingly similar in appearance. It was replaced six years later by a relatively well-known plate with ï¿½1776 BICENTENNIAL 1976ï¿½ across the top, the first to use the basic design still used today, with blue figures on a white background accented by two horizontal red rules stretching across the plate.

This is one of the first two U.S. plates to be made with graphic reflective sheeting, which is now used throughout North America. (South Dakota also introduced a plate made with graphic sheeting for 1974.) All owners of private vehicles registered in Washington received new license plates for their cars during March of 1974, and again ten years later. The plate introduced in the interim, in 1978, was used only for new registrations. It was that 1984 plate, however, marked A Capital City , that was the last to be distributed to everyone. Those 1984 plates are still in use, and plates adorned with new slogans unveiled since then, such as Celebrate & Discover in 1991 and Taxation Without Representation in 2000, have been provided only to those purchasing a new registration (or that deliberately replaced their older plates with new ones). Contrary to the standard practice (in Washington and elsewhere) of using license plates for multiple years, one of several plate-related characteristics, past and present, that makes D.C. unique is that here there is still a portion of the motoring population that receives a new pair of plates annually.

Whereas this annual replacement used to occur in all of the states, annual plates were abandoned decades ago in favor of multi-year issues everywhere except for D.C., and specifically for individuals to whom the city's 1,250 lowest registration numbers are assigned. In recent years these special annual issues have been characterized by a variety of graphic treatments. A phenomenon that began during the U.S. bicentennial era of allowing motorists to pay extra for a plate with an alternative graphic design, some of which promote colleges and universities, not-for-profit organizations, and other causes, was introduced to D.C. residents in 1991 with a colorful design that promotes the city's bicentennial. While the number of optional plates made available here pales in comparison to many of the states, most notably neighbors Maryland and Virginia, there are presently several. Some are available to all motorists, others only to individuals affiliated with particular institutions or organizations. Washington's current plates, with their unusual TAXATION WITHOUT REPRESENTATION slogan, have kept up with the times.

The use of plate validation stickers was abandoned in 2002 in favor of a larger sticker displayed on the inside of the vehicle's windshield, and plates current being issued are completely flat, made with Digital License Plate technology. Here is one example of the many characteristics of D.C. plates that confuse observers today: the manner in which the period of use was marked on them from the late 1930s through (at least) the mid-1970s. Shown and explained are three sets of passenger plates issued for two consecutive registration periods. 1938 (top) and 1939 plates 1947 (top) and 1948 plates 1952 (top) and 1953 plates 1938 and 1939. The era of D.C. plates that is easiest to understand today is the 21-year period from 1918 through 1938, when plates were used for 12-month periods that corresponded to the calendar year marked on them.

A decision had apparently been made by early-to-mid 1938 (by which time production of plates for the following year would have had to have commenced) to change the registration year from the calendar year to a twelve-month period beginning March 1 and ending on the final day of February. In order to accomplish the transition, the plate that would have been marked "1939" under the old system is instead marked "EX-2-29-40," the decision having been made to display the date of expiration, not the year of issue, on plates issued for the new period. To further confuse matters, the March-February registration year was used for only one year. Thereafter (until 1984), an April 1-March 31 period was used. Therefore: The 1938 plate, marked "1938," was used for 12 months, Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 1938, The 1939 plate, marked "EX-2-29-40," was used for 14 months, from Jan. 1, 1939 to Feb.

29, 1940, The 1940 plate, marked "EX-3-31-41," was used for 13 months, from March 1, 1940 to March 31, 1941, and The 1941 plate, marked "EX-3-31-42," was used for 12 months, from April 1, 1941 to March 31, 1942. 1947 and 1948. For most of the 40+ years that the registration year remained unchanged (April 1 through March 31) a plate's period of validity was indicated with the expiration date. However, for a five-year period the year of issuance, not date of expiration, was shown. In order to accomplish the transition, upon the March 31, 1948, expiration of a plate marked (with a validation tab) "EX-3-31-48," a plate dated "1948" was issued and used until March 31, 1949.

Four additional plates dated in this manner were used, the last being marked "1952" and used until March 31, 1953. 1952 and 1953. At the end of the five year-period described immediately above during which plates were embossed with the year of issuance, the manner of marking plates reverted to the expiration date method. To accomplish this change, expiration of the dated "1952" plate on March 31, 1953, was followed by the issuance of plates marked "3-31-54." Timeline Sept. 1893 The first practical (by standards of the day) self-propelled vehicle made in the United States is operated in Springfield, Mass., by the Duryea brothers. Prefix Style Number Plates e.g.

Initials, Names, Car Makes, Football Clubs, Bithdays, Hobbies, Sports… INFO Prefix Style Number Plates Prefix style number plates issued between 1983 and 2001 are a very popular choice; they are widely available and often less costly than dateless (issued from 1903 to 1963) or suffix style number plates (issued from 1963 to 1983). A prefix number plate can be memorable, too – DI2 SAM for example can easily be remembered and if the vehicle owner is called Samuel or Samantha, so much the better! Prefix number plates came into use because the suffix style registration system had reached the letter “Y” by 1982. From the following year onwards, number plate sequences were reversed again starting once more with the letter “A” as the year letter as a prefix to the number code followed by the letters of the registration. The year identifier is therefore always the first letter of the registration. The number 1 to 20 were withheld for the DVLA’s select registration sales scheme, but otherwise the range available for sale included A21 AAA to Y999 YYY.

From 1983 onwards the letter “Q” came into usage, but only on a limited scale for vehicles on indeterminable age and origin, such as self-build kit cars or substantial rebuilds from parts. The letters “I”, “Z” and “O” were never used as year identifiers. The year letter “A” stands for a 1st August 1983 to 31st July 1984 registration, followed by letter “B” for a registration issued between 1st August 1984 and 31st July 1985 and so forth until the late 1990s, when the range of available numbers started to run out again and bi-annual changes in registration letters were introduced for March and September. Thus, the letter “S” signifies a registration issued between 1st August 1998 and 28th February 1999, the year letter “T” stands for registrations issued between 1st March 1999 and 31st August 1999 and so forth.

The final year letter issued in this sequence is the letter “Y”, signifying a registration issued between 1st March 2001 and 31st August 2001. Many online dealerships sell prefix number plates, including the DVLA’s own website, where the search from their 30 million-strong database can be extremely time-consuming. If not buying from the DVLA, buyers should be aware of certain pitfalls. Prefix number plates – or indeed any other style of number plates – that spell out names are very popular but often websites display number plates where the spacing is wrong, the incorrect typeface is used or where screw caps are shown in certain positions that present digits and letters as if they were spelling out a word. When in doubt, buyers should check on the DVLA’s own website what is legal and what is not. Hidden costs can be another pitfall. There might be hefty after-sales administration fees relating to the purchase of the certificate or dealers might force buyers to purchase more expensive acrylic plates, both practices flying in the face of the originally “cheap” price advertised online.

Prefix number plates are also easier to remember, as they do not display as many digits and letters as current style number plates – “A1 ABC” or “E13 BUG” are short and sweet – they will stay in the mind quite easily. Prices vary greatly. If prefix number plates spell out a word like “K44 BUG” for example, the price can be £1,000.00 plus VAT, as such number plates are very appealing and therefore popular. Something a little less obvious such as “V29 ARM” will cost around £300.00 plus VAT. Prices for an even more popular letter and digit combination such as “E3 MUM” for example can easily reach £1,500.00 and more, while the longer and therefore less popular version “G141 MUM” will cost considerably less at £600.00.

Just like suffix style number plates, prefix number plates do carry an age identifier, namely the above mentioned year letter, however, prefix number plates issued prior to 30th July 1998 cover an entire year, so the age of a vehicle is not shown as “accurately” as it would be under the bi-annual registration system. Thanks to a large number of prefix number plates being available, it is quite easy to find great value for money pre-used registrations that are not just appealing and personal in style but also relatively cheap when compared to actual “private” or “personalised” number plates. Useful Links

Question: Which prefix vehicle registration letter was the first to be introduced in a month other than August?
Answer: T.