Car registration years chart
Since September 2001, the two digits in the middle of a UK number plate tell you when the vehicle was first registered. A new identifier is issued twice a year: in March it matches the year, and in September it is the year plus 50.
So a 24 plate was registered between March and August 2024, and a 74 plate between September 2024 and February 2025. The current identifier is 26.
| Identifier | Registered from | Registered until | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 51 | September 2001 | February 2002 | AB51 |
| 02 | March 2002 | August 2002 | AB02 |
| 52 | September 2002 | February 2003 | AB52 |
| 03 | March 2003 | August 2003 | AB03 |
| 53 | September 2003 | February 2004 | AB53 |
| 04 | March 2004 | August 2004 | AB04 |
| 54 | September 2004 | February 2005 | AB54 |
| 05 | March 2005 | August 2005 | AB05 |
| 55 | September 2005 | February 2006 | AB55 |
| 06 | March 2006 | August 2006 | AB06 |
| 56 | September 2006 | February 2007 | AB56 |
| 07 | March 2007 | August 2007 | AB07 |
| 57 | September 2007 | February 2008 | AB57 |
| 08 | March 2008 | August 2008 | AB08 |
| 58 | September 2008 | February 2009 | AB58 |
| 09 | March 2009 | August 2009 | AB09 |
| 59 | September 2009 | February 2010 | AB59 |
| 10 | March 2010 | August 2010 | AB10 |
| 60 | September 2010 | February 2011 | AB60 |
| 11 | March 2011 | August 2011 | AB11 |
| 61 | September 2011 | February 2012 | AB61 |
| 12 | March 2012 | August 2012 | AB12 |
| 62 | September 2012 | February 2013 | AB62 |
| 13 | March 2013 | August 2013 | AB13 |
| 63 | September 2013 | February 2014 | AB63 |
| 14 | March 2014 | August 2014 | AB14 |
| 64 | September 2014 | February 2015 | AB64 |
| 15 | March 2015 | August 2015 | AB15 |
| 65 | September 2015 | February 2016 | AB65 |
| 16 | March 2016 | August 2016 | AB16 |
| 66 | September 2016 | February 2017 | AB66 |
| 17 | March 2017 | August 2017 | AB17 |
| 67 | September 2017 | February 2018 | AB67 |
| 18 | March 2018 | August 2018 | AB18 |
| 68 | September 2018 | February 2019 | AB68 |
| 19 | March 2019 | August 2019 | AB19 |
| 69 | September 2019 | February 2020 | AB69 |
| 20 | March 2020 | August 2020 | AB20 |
| 70 | September 2020 | February 2021 | AB70 |
| 21 | March 2021 | August 2021 | AB21 |
| 71 | September 2021 | February 2022 | AB71 |
| 22 | March 2022 | August 2022 | AB22 |
| 72 | September 2022 | February 2023 | AB72 |
| 23 | March 2023 | August 2023 | AB23 |
| 73 | September 2023 | February 2024 | AB73 |
| 24 | March 2024 | August 2024 | AB24 |
| 74 | September 2024 | February 2025 | AB74 |
| 25 | March 2025 | August 2025 | AB25 |
| 75 | September 2025 | February 2026 | AB75 |
| 26 | March 2026 | August 2026 | AB26 |
Check any registration
Before 2001
Plates issued before September 2001 used a single letter for the year, either at the end of the registration (a suffix, from 1963) or at the start (a prefix, from 1983). The current three-part format — two letters for the area, two digits for the period, then three random letters — has been in use ever since.
The first two letters tell you where a vehicle was registered. See the full area code list.