Vehicle registration plates of the United Kingdom

Standard requirements

Motorcycles

Great Britain

Current system

Characters

• A local memory tag, or area code, consisting of two letters which together indicate the local registration office. By December 2013, all local offices had been closed, but the letters still represent a region. The letters I, Q and Z are not used as local office identifiers, though O is used for Oxford; Z can be used only as a random letter.
• * The first of these two letters is a mnemonic, standing for the name of the broad area where the registration office was located. This is intended to make the registration more memorable than an arbitrary code. For example, A is used as the first character in all registrations issued by the three offices located in the vicinity of East Anglia;
• A two-digit age identifier, which changes twice a year, on 1 March and 1 September. The code is either the last two digits of the year itself, if issued between March and August, or else has fifty added to that value if issued between September and February the following year, ;
• A three-letter sequence which uniquely distinguishes each of the vehicles displaying the same initial four-character area and age sequence. The letters I and Q are excluded from the three-letter sequence, as are combinations that may appear offensive. Due to batch allocation of new registration marks to dealers, it is common for cars with "neighbouring" letter sequences to be of the same manufacturer.

• A buyer of a second-hand vehicle can in theory determine the year of first registration of the vehicle without having to look it up. However, a vehicle is permitted to display a number plate where the age identifier is older than the vehicle. The wide awareness of how the "age identifier" works has led to it being used in advertising by used car showrooms instead of simply stating a year.
• In the case of a police investigation of an accident or vehicle-related crime, witnesses usually remember the initial area code letters – it is then quite simple to narrow down suspect vehicles to a much smaller number by checking the authority's database without having to know the full number.
• The scheme should have sufficient numbers to run until 28 February 2051, assuming there are enough three-letter random sequences for every combination of area code and age identifier.

Local memory tags

National identifier and emblems

• "UK" in black or blue.
• The Union flag in landscape in specific colours
• A background that is the same colour as the number plate except for green flash plates, where the background area behind the flag can be the same as set out on green number plates.

Flag of Europe When the UK was a member state of the European Union, it was permissible to display number plates conforming to the common EU format introduced by Council Regulation No 2411/98, with a blue strip on the left side of the plate with the Flag of Europe above the international vehicle registration code of the member state. This format cannot be issued after the transition period ended. EU member states that require foreign vehicles to display a distinguishing sign of the country of origin are obliged by Article 3 of EU Regulation No. 2411/98 to accept this standard design as a distinguishing sign when displayed on a vehicle registered in another member state, making a separate sign unnecessary for vehicles registered in the EU. After Brexit, other EU countries are no longer required to accept GB "Europlates", as the regulation only requires member states to accept the standard design as a distinguishing sign when displayed on a vehicle registered in another member state. After this, GB Europlates must be replaced by a number plate that features the UK sign in order to be valid as a national identifier. Typography The standard typeface is set out in the Road Vehicles Regulations 2001. An alternative font is provided for motorcycles. The standard font, Mandatory, unofficially known as Charles Wright 2001, is a subtly redrawn version of Charles Wright's original 1935 font. The width of the previous font was condensed from 57 mm to 50 mm to allow space for the extra letter and the optional blue EU strip. The letter O and the digit 0 are intentionally identical, as are the letter I and digit 1. But the typeface accentuates the differences between characters such as 8 and B, or D and 0, with slab serifs to improve the legibility of a plate from a distance. This is especially useful for the automatic number plate recognition software of speed cameras and CCTV. This accentuation also discourages the tampering that is sometimes practised with the use of black insulating tape or paint to change letter forms, or with the inclusion of carefully positioned black "fixing screw" dots that alter the appearance of letters on some vanity plates. The design has similarities with the FE-Schrift number-plate font which was introduced in Germany in 1994 and which has been mandatory there since 2000. However, the UK design remains more conventional in its character shapes. Special plates Registrations having a combination of characters that are particularly appealing are auctioned each year. The first of these auctions was in 1989. For the 07 registration period, a higher-than-usual number of Scottish 07 codes were retained as Select registrations for sale, and an additional allocation of Tx letter pairs were released for use by the local offices in Scotland with the same allocation as the Sx letter pairs. Green band plates From 8 December 2020, vehicles with a Zero Emission value are allowed to display a green band on the left hand side of the plate, where the country identifier would usually sit. This is optional, and may be blank, or combined with the existing national flag options. Older plates Vehicles registered under previous numbering systems continue to retain their original number plates but the area identifier in the previous number system is not the same area as the post-2001 area identifier, e.g. AA pre-2001 is Bournemouth whereas AA post-2001 is Peterborough. Subject to certain conditions, number plates can be transferred between vehicles by the vehicle owner; some of these transfers involve tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds changing hands, because of the desirability of a specific letter/number combination. History Before 1932 The first series of number plates was issued in 1903 and ran until 1932, consisting of a one- or two-letter code followed by a sequence number from 1 to 9999. The code indicated the local authority in whose area the vehicle was registered. In England and Wales, these were initially allocated in order of population size – thus A indicated London, B indicated Lancashire, C indicated the West Riding of Yorkshire and so on to Y indicating Somerset, then AA indicated Hampshire, AB indicated Worcestershire and so on to FP indicating Rutland. The letters G, S and V were initially restricted to Scotland, and the letters I and Z to the whole of Ireland. In both cases, allocations of codes were made in alphabetical order of counties, followed by county boroughs – thus in Scotland, Aberdeenshire was allocated SA, Argyll received SB and so on, while in Ireland Antrim was allocated IA, Armagh received IB, and so on. When a licensing authority reached 9999, it was allocated another two-letter code, but there was no pattern to these subsequent allocations as they were allocated on a first come first served basis. London and Middlesex quickly took most codes with L and M as the first letter respectively, while Surrey, initially allocated P, took many codes beginning with that letter. The first mark to be issued in London was A 1. This was registered to Earl Russell. It is often stated he queued all night to obtain the registration, or he made his butler queue all night. However, the registrations were issued by the London County Council, and Russell served on that council as an Alderman from 1895 to 1904, and was the chairman of the council's highways committee. It is also often erroneously stated that A 1 was the very first UK registration issued, but London County Council did not start issuing registrations until January 1904, whilst several licensing authorities have records of issuing registrations the previous November – Buckinghamshire, Roxburghshire, Somerset, and the County Boroughs of Bath and Hastings A zero has been issued by several issuing authorities for the official car of the council head, in cases where plate number "1" had already been issued by the time the councils decided to give priority to its first citizen. Example include the Lord Mayor of London and the Lord Provosts of Edinburgh, of Glasgow and of Aberdeen. 1932 to 1963 By 1932, the available codes were running out, and an extended scheme was introduced. This scheme placed a serial letter before an existing two-letter code, and had the sequence number run only to 999, thus restricting the number of characters in a registration to six. The first area to issue such marks was Staffordshire in July 1932 with ARF 1 etc., and all other areas in England and Wales, plus most areas in Scotland, followed suit once they had issued all their two-letter registrations. I, Q, and Z were not used as serial letters, as the use of I and Z continued to be restricted to Ireland and Q was reserved for temporary imports, while the single-letter codes were left out of this scheme as a serial letter would have created a duplicate of an existing two-letter code. In some areas, the available marks within this scheme started to run out in the 1950s, and in those areas, what became known as "reversed" registrations – the letters coming after the numbers – were introduced. Staffordshire was again the first area to issue such registrations, starting with 1000 E in 1953. In most cases, the three-letter combinations would be issued first, while in later years some areas started with the one- and two-letter combinations and others issued all three at the same time. The ever-increasing prevalence of the car meant that by the beginning of the 1960s, these registrations were also running out. Some three-letter combinations were not authorised for licensing use as they were deemed offensive. These included ARS, BUM, GOD, JEW, SEX, and SOD, sod being a mild British profanity derived from "sodomite." DUW was issued in London for several months in 1934 before it was realised it was the Welsh for God, and withdrawn. 1963 to 1982 In August 1962, an attempt was made to create a national scheme to alleviate the problem of registrations running out. This used the scheme introduced in 1932, of a three-letter combination followed by a sequence number from 1 to 999, but also added a letter suffix, which initially changed on 1 January each year. An "A" suffix was thus used for 1963, "B" for 1964, etc. Middlesex was the first authority to adopt this scheme when it issued AHX 1A in February 1963. Most other areas followed suit during 1964, but some chose to stick to their own schemes up until 1 January 1965, when the letter suffix was made compulsory. As well as yielding many more available numbers, it was a way for vehicle buyers to know the age of the vehicle immediately. However, the year letter changing on 1 January each year meant that car retailers soon started to notice that buyers would tend to wait until the New Year for the new letter to be issued, so that they could get a "newer" car. This led to major peaks and troughs in sales over the year, and to help flatten this out somewhat the industry lobbied to get the scheme changed, so that the change of year letter occurred on 1 August rather than 1 January. This was done in 1967, when "E" suffixes ran only from 1 January to 31 July, before "F" suffixes commenced on 1 August. All number plates were originally black with white, grey or silver characters, until retroreflective plates were specified in British Standard BS AU 145 in 1967. These were white on the front and yellow on the rear of the vehicle, with black characters. White/yellow retro-reflective plates became a legal requirement for most newly registered vehicles on 1 January 1973. In October 1974, responsibility for issuing registrations was transferred from local and regional authorities to specialist Local Vehicle Licensing Offices or Vehicle Registration Offices run by the DVLA. Most of the two-letter area codes allocated during the first scheme continued in their respective areas, albeit now indicating the nearest LVLO/VRO rather than the local or regional authority. However, the decision to streamline the allocations of these codes meant that some were transferred to new areas. For instance, the former Suffolk code CF was transferred to Reading, while the former Edinburgh code WS was re-allocated to Bristol. 1983 to 2001 By 1982, the year suffixes had reached Y and so from 1983 onwards the sequence was reversed again, so that the year letter – starting again at "A" — preceded the numbers then the letters of the registration. The available range was then A21 AAA to Y999 YYY, the numbers 1–20 being held back for the government's proposed, and later implemented, DVLA select registration sales scheme. Towards the mid-1990s there was some discussion about introducing a unified scheme for Europe, which would also incorporate the country code of origin of the vehicle, but after much debate such a scheme was not adopted because of lack of countries willing to participate. Q plates The changes in 1983 also brought the letter Q into use – although on a very small and limited scale. It is issued for vehicles of indeterminate age, such as those assembled from kits, substantial rebuilds, or imported vehicles where the documentation is insufficient to determine the age, and this use continues for new registrations under the post-2001 system. There was a marked increase in the use of Q registrations in the late 1980s and early 1990s, fuelled by car crime. Many stolen vehicles had false identities given to them, and when this was discovered and the original identity could not be determined, a Q registration would be issued. It was seen as an aid to consumer protection. Due to the indeterminate age, origin and specification of Q registration vehicles, most motor insurers are reluctant to offer coverage for these 'Q-plate' vehicles. End of the prefix system By the late 1990s, the range of available numbers was once again starting to run out, made worse by a move to biannual changes in registration letters in 1999 to smooth out the bulge in registrations every August, so a new scheme needed to be adopted. It was decided to research a system that would be easier for crash or vehicle related crime witnesses to remember and clearer to read, yet still fit within a normal standard plate size. Year identifiers In order to avoid any confusion, the letters I, O, Q, U and Z have never been issued as year identifiers: I because of its similarity to the numeral 1; O and Q because of similarity to a zero; U because of similarity to the letter V; and Z because of similarity to the numeral 2. Pre-2001 codes Normally the last two letters would indicate where the car was initially registered. The letters I and Z are reserved for Ireland. The office code can be seen in bold letters next to the examples. The first two letters of the post-2001 system are not the same as the last two letters, which indicate the original district of registration for pre-2001 number plates; so, for example, pre-2001 AB is Worcester, whereas post-2001 AB is Peterborough. For the list of Northern Ireland codes, see the Northern Ireland section of this article. For a full list of Irish codes, see Vehicle registration plates of the Republic of Ireland. First letter Code County or city Code County or city Code County or city A A London AA Hampshire Salisbury Bournemouth AB Worcestershire Worcester A AC Warwickshire Coventry AD Gloucestershire Gloucester AE Bristol A AF Cornwall Truro AG Ayrshire Hull AH Norfolk Norwich A AJ Yorkshire Middlesbrough AK Bradford Sheffield AL Nottinghamshire Nottingham A AM Wiltshire Swindon Bristol AN West Ham Greater London Reading AO Cumberland Carlisle A AP East Sussex Brighton AR Hertfordshire Chelmsford AS Nairnshire Inverness A AT Hull AU Nottingham AV Aberdeenshire Peterborough A AW Shropshire Shrewsbury AX Monmouthshire Cardiff AY Leicestershire Leicester Nottingham B B Lancashire BA Salford Manchester BB Newcastle upon Tyne B BC Leicester Nottingham BD Northamptonshire Northampton BE Lincolnshire Grimsby Lincoln B BF Dorset Staffordshire Stoke-on-Trent Nottingham BG Birkenhead Liverpool BH Buckinghamshire Luton B BJ East Suffolk Ipswich BK Portsmouth BL Berkshire Reading B BM Bedfordshire Luton BN Bolton Manchester BO Cardiff B BP West Sussex Portsmouth BR Sunderland Durham Newcastle upon Tyne BS Orkney Kirkwall Inverness B BT Yorkshire York Leeds BU Oldham Manchester BV Blackburn Preston B BW Oxfordshire Oxford BX Carmarthenshire Haverfordwest Swansea BY Croydon Greater London London North-West C C Yorkshire CA Denbighshire Chester CB Blackburn Bolton Manchester C CC Caernarfonshire Bangor CD Brighton CE Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely Cambridge Peterborough C CF West Suffolk Reading CG Hampshire Salisbury Bournemouth CH Derby Nottingham C CJ Herefordshire Hereford Gloucester CK Preston CL Norwich C CM Birkenhead Liverpool CN Gateshead Newcastle upon Tyne CO Plymouth unused after 1980 C CP Halifax Huddersfield CR Southampton Portsmouth CS Ayrshire Ayr Glasgow C CT Lincolnshire Boston Lincoln CU South Shields Newcastle upon Tyne CV Cornwall Truro C CW Burnley Preston CX Huddersfield CY Swansea D D Kent DA Wolverhampton Birmingham DB Stockport Manchester D DC Middlesbrough Teesside Middlesbrough DD Gloucestershire Gloucester DE Pembrokeshire Haverfordwest Swansea D DF Northampton Gloucestershire Gloucester DG Gloucestershire Gloucester DH Walsall Dudley D DJ St Helens Warrington Liverpool DK Rochdale Bolton Manchester DL Isle of Wight Newport Portsmouth D DM Flintshire Chester DN York Leeds DO Lincolnshire Boston Lincoln D DP Reading DR Devonport Plymouth unused after 1980 DS Peeblesshire Glasgow D DT Doncaster Sheffield DU Coventry DV Devon Exeter D DW Newport Cardiff DX Ipswich DY Hastings Brighton E E Staffordshire EA West Bromwich Dudley EB Isle of Ely Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely Cambridge Peterborough E EC Westmorland Kendal Preston ED Liverpool EE Grimsby Lincoln E EF West Hartlepool Hartlepool Middlesbrough EG Soke of Peterborough Huntingdon and Peterborough Peterborough EH Stoke-on-Trent Nottingham E EJ Haverfordwest EK Wigan Warrington Liverpool EL Bournemouth E EM Bootle Liverpool EN Bury Bolton Manchester EO Barrow-in-Furness Preston E EP Montgomeryshire Swansea ER Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely Cambridge Peterborough ES Perthshire Dundee E ET Rotherham Sheffield EU Breconshire Bristol EV Essex Chelmsford E EW Huntingdonshire Huntingdon and Peterborough Peterborough EX Great Yarmouth Norwich EY Anglesey Bangor F F Essex FA Burton upon Trent Stoke-on-Trent Nottingham FB Bath Bristol F FC Oxford FD Dudley FE Lincoln F FF Bangor FG Fife Brighton FH Gloucester F FJ Exeter FK Worcester Dudley FL Soke of Peterborough Huntingdon and Peterborough Peterborough F FM Chester FN Canterbury unused after 1981 FO Gloucester F FP Rutland Leicester Nottingham FR Blackpool Preston FS Edinburgh F FT Tynemouth Newcastle upon Tyne FU Lincolnshire Grimsby Lincoln FV Blackpool Preston F FW Lincolnshire Lincoln FX Dorset Bournemouth FY Southport Liverpool G G Glasgow GA Glasgow GB Glasgow G GC London London South-West GD Glasgow GE Glasgow G GF London London South-West GG Glasgow GH London London South-West G GJ London London South-West GK London London South-West GL Bath Truro G GM Motherwell and Wishaw Reading GN London London South-West GO London London South-West G GP London London South-West GR Sunderland Durham Newcastle upon Tyne GS Perthshire Luton G GT London London South-West GU London London South-East GV West Suffolk Ipswich G GW London London South-East GX London London South-East GY London London South-East H H Middlesex HA Smethwick Warley Dudley HB Merthyr Tydfil Cardiff H HC Eastbourne Hastings Brighton HD Dewsbury Huddersfield HE Barnsley Sheffield H HF Wallasey Liverpool HG Burnley Preston HH Carlisle H HJ Southend-on-Sea Chelmsford HK Essex Chelmsford HL Wakefield Sheffield H HM East Ham Greater London London Central HN Darlington Middlesbrough HO Hampshire Salisbury Bournemouth H HP Coventry HR Wiltshire Swindon Bristol HS Renfrewshire Glasgow H HT Bristol HU Bristol HV East Ham Greater London London Central H HW Bristol HX Middlesex Greater London London Central HY Bristol J J Durham JA Stockport Manchester JB Berkshire Reading J JC Caernarfonshire Bangor JD West Ham Greater London London Central JE Isle of Ely Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely Cambridge Peterborough J JF Leicester Nottingham JG Canterbury unused after 1981 JH Hertfordshire Reading J JJ London Canterbury unused after 1981 JK Eastbourne Hastings Brighton JL Lincolnshire Boston Lincoln J JM Westmorland Reading JN Southend-on-Sea Chelmsford JO Oxford J JP Wigan Warrington Liverpool JR Northumberland Newcastle upon Tyne JS Ross and Cromarty Stornoway Inverness J JT Dorset Bournemouth JU Leicestershire Leicester Nottingham JV Grimsby Lincoln J JW Wolverhampton Birmingham JX Halifax Huddersfield JY Plymouth unused after 1980 K K Liverpool KA Liverpool KB Liverpool K KC Liverpool KD Liverpool KE Kent Maidstone K KF Liverpool KG Cardiff KH Hull K KJ Kent Maidstone KK Kent Maidstone KL Kent Maidstone K KM Kent Maidstone KN Kent Maidstone KO Kent Maidstone K KP Kent Maidstone KR Kent Maidstone KS Roxburghshire Selkirk Edinburgh K KT Kent Canterbury unused after 1981 KU Bradford Sheffield KV Coventry K KW Bradford Sheffield KX Buckinghamshire Luton KY Bradford Sheffield L L Glamorgan LA London London North-West LB London London North-West L LC London London North-West LD London London North-West LE London London North-West L LF London London North-West LG Cheshire Chester LH London London North-West L LJ Bournemouth LK London London North-West LL London London North-West L LM London London North-West LN London London North-West LO London London North-West L LP London London North-West LR London London North-West LS Selkirkshire Stirling Edinburgh L LT London London North-West LU London London North-West LV Liverpool L LW London London North-West LX London London North-West LY London London North-West M M Cheshire MA Cheshire Chester MB Cheshire Chester M MC Middlesex Greater London London North-East MD Middlesex Greater London London North-East ME Middlesex Greater London London North-East M MF Middlesex Greater London London North-East MG Middlesex Greater London London North-East MH Middlesex Greater London London North-East M MJ Bedfordshire Luton MK Middlesex Greater London London North-East ML Middlesex Greater London London North-East M MM Middlesex Greater London London North-East MN Isle of Man MO Berkshire Reading M MP Middlesex Greater London London North-East MR Wiltshire Swindon Bristol MS Stirlingshire Stirling Edinburgh M MT Middlesex Greater London London North-East MU Middlesex Greater London London North-East MV Middlesex Greater London London South-East M MW Wiltshire Swindon Bristol MX Middlesex Greater London London South-East MY Middlesex London London South-East N N Manchester NA Manchester NB Manchester N NC Manchester ND Manchester NE Manchester N NF Manchester NG Norfolk Norwich NH Northampton N NJ East Sussex Brighton NK Hertfordshire Luton NL Northumberland Newcastle upon Tyne N NM Bedfordshire Luton NN Nottinghamshire Nottingham NO Essex Chelmsford N NP Worcestershire Worcester NR Leicestershire Leicester Nottingham NS Sutherland Glasgow N NT Shropshire Shrewsbury NU Derbyshire Nottingham NV Northamptonshire Northampton N NW Leeds NX Warwickshire Dudley NY Glamorgan Cardiff O O Birmingham OA Birmingham OB Birmingham O OC Birmingham OD Devon Exeter OE Birmingham O OF Birmingham OG Birmingham OH Birmingham O OJ Birmingham OK Birmingham OL Birmingham O OM Birmingham ON Birmingham OO Essex Chelmsford O OP Birmingham OR Hampshire Portsmouth OS Wigtownshire Stranraer Glasgow O OT Hampshire Portsmouth OU Hampshire Bristol OV Birmingham O OW Southampton Portsmouth OX Birmingham OY Croydon Greater London London North-West P P Surrey PA Surrey Guildford Reading PB Surrey Guildford Reading P PC Surrey Guildford Reading PD Surrey Guildford Reading PE Surrey Guildford Reading P PF Surrey Guildford Reading PG Surrey Guildford Reading PH Surrey Guildford Reading P PJ Surrey Guildford Reading PK Surrey Guildford Reading PL Surrey Guildford Reading P PM East Sussex Guildford Reading PN East Sussex Brighton PO West Sussex Portsmouth P PP Buckinghamshire Luton PR Dorset Bournemouth PS Shetland Lerwick Aberdeen P PT Durham Newcastle upon Tyne PU Essex Chelmsford PV Ipswich P PW Norfolk Norwich PX West Sussex Portsmouth PY Yorkshire Middlesbrough R R Derbyshire RA Derbyshire Nottingham RB Derbyshire Nottingham R RC Derby Nottingham RD Reading RE Staffordshire Stoke-on-Trent Nottingham R RF Staffordshire Stoke-on-Trent Nottingham RG Aberdeen Newcastle upon Tyne RH Hull R RJ Salford Manchester RK Croydon Greater London London North-West RL Cornwall Truro R RM Cumberland Carlisle RN Preston RO Hertfordshire Luton R RP Northamptonshire Northampton RR Nottinghamshire Nottingham RS Aberdeen R RT East Suffolk Ipswich RU Bournemouth RV Portsmouth R RW Coventry RX Berkshire Reading RY Leicester Nottingham S S Edinburgh SA Aberdeenshire Aberdeen SB Argyll Oban Glasgow S SC Edinburgh SD Ayrshire Ayr Glasgow SE Banffshire Keith Aberdeen S SF Edinburgh SG Edinburgh SH Berwickshire Selkirk Edinburgh S SJ Bute Ayr Glasgow SK Caithness Wick Inverness SL Clackmannanshire Dundee S SM Dumfriesshire Dumfries Carlisle SN Dunbartonshire Dundee SO Moray Aberdeen S SP Fife Dundee SR Angus Dundee SS East Lothian Aberdeen S ST Inverness-shire Inverness SU Kincardineshire Glasgow SV Kinross-shire unused after 1974 S SW Kirkcudbrightshire Dumfries Carlisle SX West Lothian Edinburgh SY Midlothian unused after 1974 T T Devon TA Devon Exeter TB Lancashire Warrington Liverpool T TC Lancashire Bristol TD Lancashire Bolton Manchester TE Lancashire Bolton Manchester T TF Lancashire Reading TG Glamorgan Cardiff TH Carmarthenshire Swansea T TJ Lancashire Liverpool TK Dorset Plymouth unused after 1980 TL Lincolnshire Lincoln T TM Bedfordshire Luton TN Newcastle upon Tyne TO Nottingham T TP Portsmouth TR Southampton Portsmouth TS Dundee T TT Devon Exeter TU Cheshire Chester TV Nottingham T TW Essex Chelmsford TX Glamorgan Cardiff TY Northumberland Newcastle upon Tyne U U Leeds UA Leeds UB Leeds U UC London London Central UD Oxfordshire Oxford UE Warwickshire Dudley U UF Brighton UG Leeds UH Cardiff U UJ Shropshire Shrewsbury UK Wolverhampton Birmingham UL London London Central U UM Leeds UN Denbighshire Barnstaple Exeter UO Devon Barnstaple Exeter U UP Durham Newcastle upon Tyne UR Hertfordshire Luton US Govan Glasgow U UT Leicestershire Leicester Nottingham UU London London Central UV London London Central U UW London London Central UX Shropshire Shrewsbury UY Worcestershire Worcester V V Lanarkshire VA Lanarkshire Cambridge Peterborough VB Croydon Greater London Canterbury unused after 1981 V VC Coventry VD Lanarkshire Luton unused after 1977 VE Cambridgeshire Cambridgeshire and Isle of Ely Cambridge Peterborough V VF Norfolk Norwich VG Norwich VH Huddersfield V VJ Herefordshire Hereford Gloucester VK Newcastle upon Tyne VL Lincoln V VM Manchester VN Yorkshire Middlesbrough VO Nottinghamshire Nottingham V VP Birmingham VR Manchester VS Greenock Luton V VT Stoke-on-Trent Nottingham VU Manchester VV Northampton V VW Essex Chelmsford VX Essex Chelmsford VY York Leeds W W Sheffield WA Sheffield WB Sheffield W WC Essex Chelmsford WD Warwickshire Dudley WE Sheffield W WF Yorkshire Sheffield WG Stirlingshire Sheffield WH Bolton Manchester W WJ Sheffield WK Coventry WL Oxford W WM Southport Liverpool WN Swansea WO Monmouthshire Cardiff W WP Worcestershire Worcester WR Yorkshire Leeds WS Leith Edinburgh Bristol W WT Yorkshire Leeds WU Yorkshire Leeds WV Wiltshire Brighton W WW Yorkshire Leeds WX Yorkshire Leeds WY Yorkshire Leeds X X Northumberland XA London Kirkcaldy unused after 1974 XB London Coatbridge unused after 1974 X XC London Solihull unused after 1974 XD London Luton unused after 1974 XE London Luton unused after 1974 X XF London Torbay unused after 1974 XG Middlesbrough Teesside unused after 1974 XH London unused after 1964 X XJ Manchester unused after 1974 XK London unused after 1964 XL London unused after 1964 X XM London unused after 1964 XN London unused after 1964 XO London unused after 1964 X XP London later temporary plates for vehicles being exported to Europe XR London unused after 1964 XS Paisley unused after 1974 X XT London unused after 1964 XU London unused after 1964 XV London unused after 1964 X XW London unused after 1964 XX London unused after 1964 XY London unused after 1964 Y Y Somerset YA Somerset Taunton Exeter YB Somerset Taunton Exeter Y YC Somerset Taunton Exeter YD Somerset Taunton Exeter YE London London Central Y YF London London Central YG Yorkshire Leeds YH London London Central Y YJ Dundee Brighton YK London London Central YL London London Central Y YM London London Central YN London London Central YO London London Central Y YP London London Central YR London London Central YS Partick Glasgow Y YT London London Central YU London London Central YV London London Central Y YW London London Central YX London London Central YY London London Central Northern Ireland Northern Ireland uses a modified version of the national system initiated for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1903, with two-letter county and city codes featuring the letters I or Z representing Ireland. As in Great Britain, each code originally ran from 1 to 9999, and when one was completed, another was allocated. All possible codes had been allocated by 1957, following which reversed sequences were introduced, the first county to do so being Antrim in January 1958 with 1 IA. These reversed sequences were completed quickly, leading to the introduction of the current "AXX 1234" format in January 1966, where "XX" is the county code and "A" is a serial letter. This format allowed capacity to be increased. Each county adopted it once they had completed their reversed sequences, the last one to do so being County Londonderry in October 1973 with AIW 1. From November 1985, the first 100 numbers of each series were withheld for use as cherished registrations. From April 1989, the numbers 101-999 were also withheld in this way. Even multiples of 1000 and 1111 are deemed cherished by the DVLA and thus withheld. Each series ends at 9998 and follows on to the next letter/number combination in the series. When the administrative counties of Northern Ireland were dissolved in 1972, the responsibility for issuing registrations was transferred to the NI Ministry of Home Affairs, and later the Department of the Environment NI. From 21 July 2014, vehicle registration in Northern Ireland became the responsibility of the DVLA in Swansea. The pre-1972 format of Northern Ireland registration plates continues unchanged. Most expensive plates As popularity grows, the prices reached for the most expensive plates have increased with many motorists attracted by the investment potential as well as vanity. In the UK, sales of private plates via the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency exceeded £100 million per annum for the first time in 2016. Since 1989, the DVLA has made a total of £2 billion from selling private plates. While the wealthy may spend more on a private plate than on their personal vehicle, not all car owners are attracted to private plates. This has not affected number plates from appreciating thousands in value each year. On 7 July 2006, the registration M 1 sold for £331,500 by Bonhams at the Goodwood Festival of Speed. On 25 January 2008, the registration F 1 sold for £440,625 to Bradford Car design entrepreneur Afzal Kahn. The plate was previously owned and sold by Essex County Council and was sold to raise money for training young drivers. Originally the plate was affixed in 1904 to the Panhard et Levassor of the then County Surveyor. In September 2008, the registration S 1, believed to be Edinburgh's first number plate, issued in 1903, sold for £397,500 at an auction to an anonymous buyer. It was originally owned by Sir John MacDonald, the Lord Kingsburgh. The registration 1 D sold for £352,000 in March 2009. In November 2014, the registration 25 O broke a new record for most expensive UK registration plate sold at public auction when it was purchased for £518,440 by Ferrari dealer John Collins at a DVLA personalised plate auction. Over a decade later, in July 2025, the registration JB 1 then shattered this record, selling for £608,600 to an internet bidder at a Bonhams auction during the Goodwood Festival of Speed. VIP 1, 51 NGH, K1 NGS and 1 O are also marked as considerably expensive plates that have sold publicly in excess of six figures. Other formats Armed forces vehicles In the Second World War, vehicles of the British Army had number plates such as A12104 and those of the Royal Air Force RAF 208343. Since 1949, British military vehicle registration numbers are mostly either in the form of two digits, two letters, two digits, or from 1995 onwards, two letters, two digits, two letters. Until the mid-1980s, the central two letters signified the armed service, or the branch or category of vehicle. For example, Chief of Fleet Support's staff car in 1983–85 was 00 RN 04, and First Sea Lord's car 00 RN 01 and Second Sea Lord's 00 RN 02, normal civilian plates replacing them when security required; and, in 1970, one of 's Land Rovers was 25 RN 97 and 's ship's minibus was 04 RN 84. Royal Air Force vehicles had numbers such as 55 AA 89, with the first of the two letters typically being A, Military number plates are still often in the silver/white on black scheme used for civilian plates before 1973, and can be presented in one, two or three rows of characters. From before 1960 until around 1990, in West Germany, private vehicles owned by members of British Forces Germany and their families were issued registration numbers in a unique format. This was discontinued for security reasons, as it made them vulnerable to Provisional IRA attacks. Private vehicles driven by British military personnel are now issued with either standard UK number plates or German ones, although the vehicle is not actually registered with the DVLA. Trade plates Trade licences are issued to motor dealers and vehicle testers, and permit the use of untaxed vehicles on the public highway with certain restrictions. Associated with trade licences are "trade plates" which identify the holder of the trade licence rather than the vehicle they are displayed on, and can be attached temporarily to vehicles in their possession. Until 1970, two types of trade plate were used. General trade plates had white letters and numbers on a red background and could be used for all purposes, while limited trade plates used red numbers and letters on a white background and were restricted in their use. Since 1970, all trade plates have used the red-on-white format. According to the traders, the police followed a little rhyme about trade plates: The format of trade plate numbers consists of either three digits followed by one, two or three letters or four digits, followed by a single letter denoting the area of issue using pre-2001 format codes. In 2015, a new system was introduced with a number-only format. This is a five-digit number in red on white, with a DVLA authentication at the right. This is centrally issued, and there is no regional indicator. Subsequently, due to the number of issued trade plates in the UK, the five-digit numerical only format was replaced before reaching its maximum limit of ‘99999’, with a leading letter in place of the first digit. e.g. A1234. Once the combinations of A0000 to A9999 were issued, it would roll onto the next letter of the alphabet: B0000 to B9999 and so on. Not all number combinations are issued and one cannot request specific numbers. This format is still in use and still issued centrally by the DVLA. The preceding letter does not align with a year of release or region and as a result no age or location identifier is possible. To estimate the age of a trade plate in circulation in this format; C#### plates were being issued in approx 2018 and as of 2023, H#### plates were in use. Trailer registration plates Since 2019, certain trailers that are being used internationally must be registered with the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency and display a unique registration number. This applies to: all commercial use trailers that weigh over 750 kg in gross weight all non-commercial use trailers that weigh over 3,500 kg in gross weight These trailers only need to be registered if they are travelling through a country abroad that has signed up to the 1968 Vienna Convention on Road Traffic. To date, the Republic of Ireland, Malta, Spain and Cyprus have not yet signed up to this convention. Once a trailer has been registered with the DVLA, it will be allocated a unique registration number that must be displayed on the trailer. These registration numbers are a way of identifying UK-registered trailers that are being driven internationally. This will help to ensure ease of travel while abroad. The format of the trailer registration number is one letter followed by seven numbers, which are set out over two lines. Trailer registration numbers must be correctly displayed on number plates as set out in the Trailer Registration Regulations 2018. These regulations govern how trailer registration number plates are designed and displayed. It is an offence for the registration number to be obscured in any way that makes it difficult to read. For example, one should not use fixing bolts to change the letter or any of the numbers. Anyone who has a number plate that does not display the registration number correctly could be fined up to £1,000. Diplomatic vehicle registration plates Since 1979, cars operated by foreign embassies, high commissions, consulates and international organisations are issued unique vehicle registration marks. Eligible officials are required to be accredited by the Foreign & Commonwealth Office who liaise with Specialist Registrations at the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency for issuance. Guidance document: INF267 has been produced by the DVLA for accredited officials. The distinguishing format is three digits, space, letter D or X, space and three digits. The first three-digit number identifies the country or international organisation. The second three-digit number is a serial number sequence starting at 101 for diplomats, 400 for non-diplomatic staff of international organisations, and 700 upwards for consular or other non-diplomatic staff. For example: 101 D 101 identifies the first registration allocated to the Afghanistan embassy and 900 X 400 is a registration allocated to the Commonwealth Secretariat. Honorary consuls are not entitled under UK law to diplomatic vehicle registrations and/or diplomatic driving permits. A limited number of "flag" registrations, bearing a similar format to earlier civilian registrations, have been issued to embassies and high commissions for use instead of a "D" or "X" registration on its vehicles. For example: United States' embassy is allowed to use the registration USA 1; Zimbabwe's embassy ZIM 1; Jamaica's high commission JAM 1 and South Korea's embassy ROK 1 – 'Republic of Korea'. The North Korean embassy, however, had to buy a vanity plate: PRK 1D. Diplomats are exempt from payment of vehicle tax. Cherished marks (personal, vanity or private number plates) By default, a UK registration plate will accompany a vehicle throughout the vehicle's lifetime. There is no requirement to re-register a vehicle when moving to a new part of the country and no requirement that the number be changed when ownership of the vehicle changes. It is, however, possible for another registration number to be transferred, replacing the one originally issued, where owners wish to have a "vanity plate" displaying, for instance, their initials. Registration numbers may also be replaced simply to disguise the actual age of the vehicle. According to information on the government DVLA website: "Just remember you can make your vehicle look as old as you wish but you can not make it look newer than it is. For example you cannot put a Y registration number on a T registered vehicle but you could choose any prefix range from an A to a T. Each registration has an issue date which is what you must check to ensure you don't make your vehicle appear newer than it is." However, one is able to put 1955 registered private number plates on a 1949 registered vehicle as there is no year indicator to determine the age of release. As many vehicles registered before 1963 have been scrapped, some of their "dateless" pre-1963 registration numbers have been transferred to other vehicles and used as personalised number plates. They can be valuable, and can also be used to conceal the age of an older vehicle. Many vintage and classic cars no longer bear their original index marks due to the owners being offered high premiums for the desirable registrations. In addition Northern Irish registrations are also regarded as "dateless" and are often transferred to vehicles outside Northern Ireland. Touring coaches often operate in other parts of the UK with registration numbers originally issued in Northern Ireland. The DVLA's Personalised and private Registrations service also allows the purchase and transfer of registration numbers directly from the DVLA. Many private dealers act as agents for DVLA issues ; however, dealers also hold their own private stock of dateless registrations and other cherished marks which are not available from the DVLA. The DVLA can only offer for sale registrations that have never previously been issued and thus have a limited offering and limited scope. The DVLA do not buy or sell previously issued registrations. Banned and withdrawn number plate combinations Over the years many combinations have been withdrawn from issue by the DVLA to avoid offence. KKK, ASS, GOD, BUM, SEX, BNP, ARS, DAM, and also COVID-19-related number plates such as 'CO22 ONA', 'CO22 RNA', and 'CO22 VD*' were all withdrawn. UK personalised and private number plate dealers There are many dealers that have emerged in the UK, buying and selling personalised/private number plates. In the days before the Internet, dealers would advertise lists of plates in publications such as The Sunday Times, Exchange and Mart and Auto Trader. Obviously space would be limited and costly. Nowadays dealers have websites which of course have huge databases and access to millions of personalised number plates. Some dealers hold their own stock, advertise DVLA stock and sell on behalf of the public via agency basis. There are trade associations/governing bodies such as the CNDA, MIRAD and the CNG. Most dealers are members of at least one association with an aim to enhance customer confidence. Members are advised of government and DVLA changes, sometimes members oppose changes. A brief definition of labels used: a "private number plate" would generally be one that is not personal to the user, an example would be XX11 or OO 11. A "personalised number plate" would be personal to the user or driver, the driver's name or initials, examples being S1 MON or SH 1. The term "cherished number plate" is less used than in previous years. State vehicles used by the reigning monarch Motor cars used by the reigning monarch on official business, which are all Rolls-Royces or Bentleys built to special specifications, do not carry number plates. The monarch's private vehicles carry number plates. Other registration plates Tax free export in 1970s had red borders around the plate. The Black and Silver plates had a yellow border. United Kingdom American Exchange plates had the prefix "UKAX". Some Republic of Ireland number plates have been registered in various motor tax offices in the UK. These plates dated from 1903 to 1986 and For example, VIP 1 was originally registered to a Jaguar in Co. Kilkenny Ireland in 1971 and then was on a Rolls-Royce Corniche owned by former Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich. Some UK embassy vehicles have I or Z in their number plates e.g. CZE 1, PHI 1, which have originated in the Irish system. Vehicles registered in Ireland under the new system and which are exported to the UK must de-register their new Irish county with the DVLA who will issue them with a new UK number. Fraudulent use Criminals sometimes use copies of number plates legitimately used on a vehicle of identical type and colour to the one used, known as "cloning", to avoid being identified. A routine police computer check shows the plate matching the type of vehicle and does not appear suspicious. The UK Government introduced on 1 August 2008 regulations requiring the production of personal identification and vehicle registration documents when having number plates made by a retailer. The organisation that makes the plate is required to display their name and postcode, usually in small print at bottom centre, to aid in tracing false plates and their purchaser. This requirement was introduced in 2001 when the new character style and two-digit year identifier came into force, and applies to all registration plates made after that date regardless of the year of the vehicle. Registration plate suppliers Number plates were initially made by the motor vehicle's original supplier, and replacement plates meeting standards could be made by anybody. Some people had street address numbers made up to motor-vehicle standards for their houses. From 2001, plates sold in England and Wales had to be provided by a supplier on the DVLA's Register of Number Plate Suppliers as specified in British Standard BSAU145d. The supplier needs to confirm that the customer is the registered keeper or other authorised person and verify their identity. The name and postcode of the supplier must be shown at the bottom of the plate. Number plates in the UK are usually flat and made of plastic; embossed aluminium plates are available from some suppliers. These rules are generally described as onerous, particularly to company car drivers who do not hold any of the required paperwork themselves. Registered number plate suppliers must keep records including the documents produced by their customers; these can be required to be shown to the police, although that has seldom happened. The Department for Transport holds a full list of suppliers. Some companies, particularly those based online, sell number plates described as "show plates" or "not for road use", which may not satisfy the requirements of BSAU145e. However, if so specified, these products can be identical to number plates sold by approved RNPS registered supplier. Many of these companies do not ask customers to prove ownership of the registration they are purchasing, and try to circumvent the law by placing disclaimers on their websites. Despite these disclaimers, it is still not legal to produce any registration plates without seeing proof of identity of the purchaser, and proof of their connection to the registration. Registration plate styles The British Standards BSAU145a through to BSAU145d did not necessarily state the type of materials which were needed to manufacture UK registration plates. Some manufacturers opted for metallic materials; however, as technology advanced, most switched to the use of plastics. In the earlier days, the characters of number plates were raised. Manufacturers would produce digits made from metal as well as plastic, and these would be fastened to the flat substrate using methods such as riveting. Metal press technology also improved, meaning that the plate could be made from a single sheet of aluminium, or an aluminium blend, on which dies would be used to press the shape of the characters. Material and equipment costs led to the development of the flat plastic plate which had a reflective backing. Transfers would then be lined up on to the reflective material, and then a plastic sheet would be laminated on top, encapsulating the characters in place. This was still a labour-intensive method, and required an artistic eye to ensure the digits were not misaligned. Further advances in the field saw modifications being made to thermal printers in order to print the registration mark directly on to the reflective backing sheet.