From 1 September 2001, UK number plates
took on a new format.
Vehicles registered as new from
1 September 2001 have number plates that include
- a two letter regional identifier
- a two figure age identifier
- three random letters
The DATE identifiers
| ..51 ... | September 2001 - February 2002 |
| ..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 |
The REGION two-letter identifiers
| Anglia | AA AB AC AD AE AF AG AH AJ AK AL AM AN | Peterborough |
| AO AP AR AS AT AU | Norwich | |
| AV AW AX AY | Ipswich | |
| Birmingham | BA - BY | Birmingham |
| Cymru (Wales) | CA CB CC CD CE CF CG CH CJ CKCL CM CN CO | Cardiff |
| CP CR CS CT CU CV | Swansea | |
| CW CX CY | Bangor | |
| Deeside | DA DB DC DD DE DF DG DH DJ DK | Chester |
| DL DM DN DO DP DR DS DT DU DV DW DX DY | Shrewsbury | |
| Essex | EA - EY | Chelmsford |
| Forest and Fens | FA FB FC FD FE FF FG FH FJ FK FL FM FN FP | Nottingham |
| FR FS FT FV FW FX FY | Lincoln | |
| Garden of England | GA GB GC GD GE GF GG GH GJ GK GL GM GN GO | Maidstone |
| GP GR GS GT GU GV GW GX GY | Brighton | |
| Hampshire and Dorset | HA HB HC HD HE HF HG HH HJ | Bournemouth |
| HK
HL HM HN HO HP HR HS HT HU HV HW HX HY (HW will be used only for Isle of Wight) |
Portsmouth | |
| not used | I | |
| not used | J | |
| Luton & Northants | 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 | |
| London | LA LB LC LD LE LF LG LH LJ | Wimbledon |
| LK LL LM LN LO LP LR LS LT | Stanmore | |
| LU LV LW LX LY | Sidcup | |
| Manchester & Merseyside | MA - MY | Manchester |
| North | NA NB NC ND NE NG NH NJ NK NL NM NN NO | Newcastle |
| NP NR NS NT NU NV NW NX NY | Stockton | |
| Oxford | OA - OY | Oxford |
| Preston | PA PB PC PD PE PF PG PH PJ PK PL PM PN PO PP PR PS PT | Preston |
| PU PV PW PX PY | Carlisle | |
| not used | Q | |
| Reading | RA - RY | Reading |
| Scotland | SA SB SC SD SE SF SG SH SJ | Glasgow |
| SK SL SM SN SO | Edinburgh | |
| SP SR SS ST | Dundee | |
| SU SV SW | Aberdeen | |
| SX SY | Inverness | |
| not used | T | |
| not used | U | |
| Severn Valley | VA - VY | Worcester |
| West | WA WB WC WD WE WF WG WH WJ | Exeter |
| WK WL | Truro | |
| WM WN WO WP WR WS WT WU WV WW WX WY | Bristol | |
| not used | X | |
| Yorkshire | YA YB YC YD YE YF YG YH YJ YK | Leeds |
| YL YM YN YO YP YR YS YT YU | Sheffield | |
| YV YW YX YY | Beverley | |
| not used | Z |
An
extract from a DVLA web page is shown below - © copyright in the content and graphics belong to
the DVLA (Driver
and Vehicle Licensing Agency) and are acknowledged.
Full details can be found at http://www.dvla-som.co.uk/general/newplates.html
The New Format
The first part of the new registration number are two letters, the first of which usually lets us know the part of the country in which the vehicle was first registered. For example the letter 'S' denotes a vehicle registered in Scotland and this is followed by a letter between 'A' and 'Y' (excluded are 'I' and 'Q').
The next part of the registration number will consist of two figures that will indicate the six month period in which the vehicle is first registered. The six-month period starting on 1 September 2001 is '51' and the one after that starting on 1 March 2002 is '02', the one after that '52' then '03' and so on.
The registration number is completed by a random combination of three-letters excluding the letters 'I' and 'Q'. Yes, the letter 'Z' is in!
The New Font Style
From 1 March 2001, a new number plate font style is to be introduced. This will make it illegal for any vehicle being used on the public highway to have a number plate which does not conform to the new style. Motorists whose vehicles bear number plates which have been customised by means of stylised letters and figures such as italics or the placement of number plate fixing bolts must replace them or risk prosecution.
The new mandatory font style is based on the 'Charles Wright' font as shown below:
The overall width of characters will be reduced from 57mm to 50mm.
GB Euro symbol
From 1 March 2001, motorists may if they wish, incorporate the GB Euro symbol onto their number plates. The display of national emblems on number plates will be prohibited. If desired they may be displayed, as now, on other parts of the vehicle.
Questions & Answers
Visit the Driver & Vehicle Licensing Agency web site