United Kingdom

Current plate formats

• StandardSince 2001
  AB51 ABC

  Great Britain. Two-letter memory tag (region and former local office), two-digit age identifier, then three random letters. The age identifier is the year (March to August) or the year plus 50 (September to February), so 24 means March to August 2024 and 74 means September 2024 to February 2025. Rear plates are yellow.

  black on white

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• StandardSince 1966
  AIW 1234

  Northern Ireland. A serial letter, then a two-letter county or city code containing I or Z, then up to four digits.

  black on white

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• SpecialSince 1983
  Q123 ABC

  Q plates for vehicles of unknown age, such as kit cars, heavy rebuilds and imports without documents.

  black on white

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• DiplomaticSince 1979
  101 D 101

  The first three digits identify the country or organisation. D for diplomats, X for staff of international organisations and others.

  black on white

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Memory tag areas (20)

• Anglia
• Birmingham
• Cymru
• Deeside to Shrewsbury
• Essex
• Forest and Fens
• Garden of England
• Hampshire and Dorset
• Luton and Northampton
• London
• Manchester and Merseyside
• North
• Oxford
• Preston
• Reading
• Scotland
• Severn Valley
• West of England
• Yorkshire
• Northern Ireland

Telling a car's age

These plates show when the vehicle was first registered.

• AB51 ABC

  Since 2001

  The two digits after the first two letters are the age identifier. Vehicles registered from March to August get the last two digits of the year (25 = 2025); from September to February the year plus 50 (75 = September 2025 to February 2026). The series started with 51 in September 2001.

  Examples

  • AB25 CDE → March – August 2025
  • AB75 CDE → September 2025 – February 2026
• A123 BCD

  1983–2001

  The first letter is the year letter. A was issued from August 1983 to July 1984, B the year after, and so on to R (1997–98). S ran from August 1998 to February 1999; after that the letter changed every March and September (T, V, W, X, Y). I, O, Q, U and Z were not used.

  Examples

  • A123 BCD → August 1983 – July 1984
  • T123 BCD → March – August 1999
• ABC 123D

  1963–1983

  The last letter is the year letter. A to D stand for the calendar years 1963 to 1966 and E for January to July 1967; from F (August 1967) each letter ran from August to July, up to Y (1982–83). Some areas only started using it in 1964 or 1965.

  Examples

  • ABC 123A → January – December 1963
  • ABC 123F → August 1967 – July 1968

Older formats

No longer issued, but some may still be on the road.

• Standard1983–2001
  A123 BCD

  Great Britain. The first letter is the year identifier, the last two letters the original registration office. I, O, Q, U and Z were never used as year letters.

  black on white

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• Standard1963–1983
  ABC 123D

  Great Britain. The final letter is the year identifier. Vehicles made before 1973 (since April 2020 before 1980, if in the historic tax class) may have white, silver or grey characters on black.

  black on white

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• Standard1903–1963
  ARF 1

  Great Britain. One or two letters (later three) and a serial number. Many of these "dateless" marks now appear on newer cars as personalised plates.

  white on black

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History

1. 1904

   The Motor Car Act 1903 comes into force. One or two letters for the local authority and a number up to 9999.

2. 1932

   A serial letter is added in front of the two-letter code (for example ARF 1).

3. 1963

   A year suffix letter is added (A for 1963).

4. 1966

   Northern Ireland adopts its current AXX 1234 format.

5. 1973

   Reflective plates, white at the front and yellow at the rear, become mandatory on new vehicles.

6. 1983

   The year letter moves to the front (prefix system, A123 BCD).

7. 1999

   The year identifier starts changing twice a year, in March and September.

8. 2001

   The current Great Britain format (AB51 ABC) is introduced on 1 September.

9. 2020

   Optional green band for zero-emission vehicles from 8 December.

10. 2021

    The international distinguishing sign changes from GB to UK on 28 September.