UK Number Plate Area Codes

Every UK number plate tells you where a vehicle was registered and when. Use this guide to decode any plate — then check its full MOT history.

How UK number plates work

area

year

HJY

random

BD Area code — registered in Birmingham

08 Age identifier — first registered March–August 2008

HJY Random letters — unique identifier

Age identifiers: 02–25 = March–August of that year · 51–75 = September–February (add 50 to the year, e.g. 68 = Sept 2018–Feb 2019)

Enter a full registration number to see its MOT history

Vehicle registration data sourced from official DVLA records. MOT history from DVSA.