Number Plates

Current Style Number Plates

The current style number plate was introduced in September 2001, and are issued twice a year. They follow the format AA51 AAA, i.e. 2 letters, then 2 digits, then 3 more letters.

The 2 digits indicate when the registration number was issued. Below is a list of vehicle registration dates indicating when each registration was issued.

 

Year Identifiers

02: March 2002 - August 2002

52: September 2002 - February 2003

03: March 2003 - August 2003

53: September 2003 - February 2004

04: March 2004 - August 2004

54: September 2004 - February 2005

05: March 2005 - August 2005

55: September 2005 - February 2006

06: March 2006 - August 2006

56: September 2006 - February 2007

07: March 2007 - August 2007

57: September 2007 - February 2008

08: March 2008 - August 2008

58: September 2008 - February 2008

09: March 2009 - August 2009

59: September 2009 - February 2010

10: March 2010 - August 2010

 

Region Identifiers

The first 2 letters of the current style number plate give an indication of where the registration number was issued. Each area in the UK has been allocated 2-letter ranges.

Below is a list of the registrations, and the area it was allocated to:

 

A

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

B

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

C

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

D

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

E

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

F

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

G

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

H

HA, HB, HC, HD, HE, HF, HG, HH, HJ

Hampshire and Dorset

Bournemouth

 

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

Hampshire and Dorset

Portsmouth

 

HW

Hampshire and Dorset

Portsmouth (exclusive to IoW)

 

HX, HY

Hampshire and Dorset

Portsmouth

K

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

L

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

M

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

Manchester & Merseyside

Manchester

N

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

O

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

P

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

R

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

S

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

V

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

W

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

Y

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