UK Car Registration Formats

If you were to design a registration system for UK Cars the obvious step would have been to have two numeric characters first, this system would have lasted for 100 years. The British civil service could never have dreamt up a system fiendishly simple so here is what they have done instead in the last 100 years.

The first registration marks were made up of one letter with one number, the first (A1) being issued by London Council in 1903.

Later formats were comprised of two letters and four numbers. These series were replaced as and when they were exhausted. So, whilst the
Liverpool series KA lasted for only two years between 1925 and 1927, the series SJ was still being issued by Bute Council in 1963.

By the mid 1930s, the two letter/four number series of registration marks were exhausted in some areas, and new three letter/three number
series were introduced. AAA 1 was issued (by Hampshire County Council) in 1934 through to AAA 999 and the commencement of the BAA
series in 1936. This process continued until the mid 1950s when marks were reversed to three numbers/three letters.

Between 1963 and 1965 councils began to issue "suffix" registration marks - three letter/three numbers and a year suffix. The registration
year ran from 1 January - 31 December until 1967, when the suffix change was moved to 1 August.

In 1973 the appearance of registration plates was changed for the first time since 1903. From 1 January, vehicles were required to have reflective number plates - black on white at the front and black on yellow at the back. Reflective plates were introduced so that unlit vehicles could be seen more easily at night. The regulations also provided for the size, shape and character of registration marks.

Prefix registrations - 1983 saw the completion of the suffix format of registration marks. and the beginning of the yearly PREFIX series

"Q" marks -Also in 1983 Q marks were introduced. These are issued to vehicles of indeterminable age, e.g. kit cars
which are built of major components from more than one donor vehicle, or imported vehicles where the date of first registration cannot be established.

1999 Prefix plates now run twice a year
UK Registration Plate Year Identifiers
Suffix Letters
A 01 February 1963 31 December 1963
B 01 January 1964 31 December 1964
C 01 January 1965 31 December 1965
D 01 January 1966 31 December 1966
E 01 January 1967 31 July 1967
F 01 August 1967 31 July 1968
G 01 August 1968 31 July 1969
H 01 August 1969 31 July 1970
J 01 August 1970 31 July 1971
K 01 August 1971 31 July 1972
L 01 August 1972 31 July 1973
M 01 August 1973 31 July 1974
N 01 August 1974 31 July 1975
P 01 August 1975 31 July 1976
R 01 August 1976 31 July 1977
S 01 August 1977 31 July 1978
T 01 August 1978 31 July 1979
V 01 August 1979 31 July 1980
W 01 August 1980 31 July 1981
X 01 August 1981 31 July 1982
Y 01 August 1982 31 July 1983
Prefix Letters
A 01 August 1983 31 July 1984
B 01 August 1984 31 July 1985
C 01 August 1985 31 July 1986
D 01 August 1986 31 July 1987
E 01 August 1987 31 July 1988
F 01 August 1988 31 July 1989
G 01 August 1989 31 July 1990
H 01 August 1990 31 July 1991
J 01 August 1991 31 July 1992
K 01 August 1992 31 July 1993
L 01 August 1993 31 July 1994
M 01 August 1994 31 July 1995
N 01 August 1995 31 July 1996
P 01 August 1996 31 July 1997
R 01 August 1997 31 July 1998
S 01 August 1998 28 February 1999
T 01 March 1999 31 July 1999
V 01 August 1999 28 February 2000
W 01 March 2000 31 July 2000
X 01 August 2000 28 February 2001
Y 01 March 2001 31 July 2001




A Quick Guide to UK Registration Letters
C Aug 85 - July 86

D Aug 86 - July 87
E Aug 87 - July 88

F Aug 88 - July 89
G Aug 89 - July 90

H Aug 90 - July 91
J Aug 91 - July 92

K Aug 92 - July 93
L Aug 93 - July 94

M Aug 94 - July 95
N Aug 95 - July 96

P Aug 96 - July 97
R Aug 97 - July 98

S Aug 98 - Feb 99
T Mar 99 - Aug 99

V Sep 99 - Feb 00
W Mar 00 - Aug 00

X Sep 00 - Feb 01
Y Mar 01 - Aug 01

51 Sep 01 - Feb 02
02 Mar 02 Aug 02

52 Sep 02 - Feb 03
03 Mar 03 Aug 03

53 Sep 03 - Feb 04
04 Mar 04 - Aug 04

54 Sep 04 - Feb 05
05 Mar 05 - Aug 05

55 Sep 05 - Feb 06
06 Mar 06 - Aug 06





Year March September
2001 51
2002 02 52
2003

03
53
2004 04 54
2005 05 55
2006 06 56
2007 07 57
2008 08 58
2009 09 59
2010 10 60
2011 11 61
2012 12 62
2013 13 63
2014 14 64
2015 15 65
2016 16 66
2017 17 67
2018 18 68
2019 19 69
2020 20 70
2021 21 71
2022 22 72
2023 23 73
2024 24 74
2025 25 75
2026 26 76
2027 27 77
2028 28 78
2029 29 79
2030 30 80
2031 31 81
2032 32 82
2033 33 83
2034 34 84
2035 35 85
2036 36 86
2037 37 87
2038 38 88
2039 39 89
2040 40 90
2041 41 91
2042 42 92
2043 43 93
2044 44 94
2045 45 95
2046 46 96
2047 47 97
2048 48 98
2049 49 99

Happy

[Edited on 7-4-06 by mangogrooveworkshop]

Mango

Thanks

What happened to A and B prefixes and and all the suffixes

ATB

Simon

bless him, he probably wasn't born then.

[Edited on 9/4/06 by jollygreengiant]

quote:

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Originally posted by jollygreengiant
bless him, he probanbly wasn't born then.

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quote:

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Originally posted by mangogrooveworkshop

quote:

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Originally posted by jollygreengiant
bless him, he probanbly wasn't born then.

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just what a young forty something needs.........

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