New Number Plates
DISCLAIMER: The information in these documents are a collection from experience (friends or myself), magazine articles, mailing lists and Internet web sites etc. So don't take these as 100% correct gospel, hence I don't take any responsibility for any of these guides.
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From the 1st September 2001, the Government and DVLA will issue a new number plate format. This affects the governing design, display type face and design of the new number plates. The regulations introduced make it easier for number plates to be read, so no more fancy number plates anymore (not even the current legal ones). This will end the use of italic, multiple stoke, ghost image and "other difficult to read" number plates.

So what do they look like?

AL53 CLK
Standard Style
O
AL53 CLK
GB
Euro Plate Style

There are two 'styles' available, either with or without the blue euro plate on the left hand side. This is a optional feature, but it will enable drivers to dispense with the separate GB stickers when travelling abroad. The spacing of the lettering remain the same on both designs. Note that the type face (font) shown is NOT the same type face that will be used on the number plates (its just a representation). The type face that will be used will be mandatory, so no more unique lettering is possible, only for show plates.

What do the letters and numbers mean?

The number plate characters are split into 3 main sections. The first section are the first two characters ('AL' in this case). These are the local memory tags. These show the DVLA Local Office in each county where the vehicle was registered when purchased.

The second section are the two numbers ('53' in this case). These are the age identifiers. These change every six months (March and September). The number format will alternate from 53 to 04, to 54, to 05 etc. every six months, this gives 50 years worth of combinations.

Finally the last section are the last three characters ('CLK' in this case). These are random letters (never numbers) picked out when the number plate is issued to your vehicle.

Are all the letters used in the alphabet?

No not all, I and Q are not used on the new numbers plates. The letter Q does appear on the old style number and will continue to be used as 'Q marks'. Z will only be used within the random section of the new format.

For more information, visit the DVLA website at http://www.dvla.gov.uk or e-mail them at vehicles.dvla@gtnet.gov.uk

Download Registration Marking Regulations 1999 Download (150K)
 You can download the "The Road Vehicles (Registration Marks) Regulations 1999" document on the number plate format, spacing and rules. Please note that this is a "Consultation Draft" which may have been updated by now. The document is in the PDF format.

  Local Memory Tags: To the top
Letter Area Local Offices DVLA Local Office Identifier
A Angila

Peterborough
Norwich
Ipswich

AA, AB, AC, AD, AE, AF, AG, AH, AJ, AK, AL, AM, AN, AO, AP, AR, AS, AT, AU, AV, AW, AX, AY
B Birmingham Birmingham BA, BB, BC, BD, BE, BF, BG, BH, BJ, BK, BL, BM, BN, BO, BP, BR, BS, BT, BU, BV, BW, BX, BY
C Cymru Cardiff
Swansea
Bangor 		CA, CB, CC, CD, CE, CF, CG, CH, CJ, CK, CL, CM, CN, CO, CP, CR, CS, CT, CU, CV, CW, CX, CY
D Deeside to Shrewsbury Chester
Shrewsbury 		DA, DB, DC, DD, DE, DF, DG, DH, DJ, DK, DL, DM, DN, DO, DP, DR, DS, DT, DU, DV, DW, DX, DY
E Essex Chelmsford EA, EB, EC, ED, EE, EF, EG, EH, EJ, EK, EL, EM, EN, EO, EP, ER, ES, ET, EU, EV, EW, EX, EY
F Forest and Fens Nottingham
Lincoln 		FA, FB, FC, FD, FE, FF, FG, FH, FJ, FK, FL, FM, FN, FP, FR, FS, FT, FV, FW, FX, FY
G Carden of England Maidstone
Brighton 		GA, GB, GC, GD, GE, GF, GG, GH, GJ, GK, GL, GM, GN, GO, GP, GR, GS, GT, GU, GV, GW, GX, GY
H Hampshire & Dorset Bournemouth
Portsmouth 		HA, HB, HC, HD, HE, HF, HG, HH, HJ, HK, HL, HM, HN, HO, HP, HR, HS, HT, HU, HV, HW, HX, HY
(HW will be used exclusively for Isle of Wight residents)
K n/a Luton
Northampton 		KA, KB, KC, KD, KE, KF, KG, KH, KJ, KK, KL, KM, KN, KO, KP, KR, KS, KT, KU, KV, KW, KX, KY
L London Wimbledon
Stanmore
Sidcup 		LA, LB, LC, LD, LE, LF, LG, LH, LJ, LK, LL, LM, LN, LO, LP, LR, LS, LT, LU, LV, LW, LX, LY
M Manchester & Merseyside Manchester MA, MB, MC, MD, ME, MF, MG, MH, MJ, MK, ML, MM, MN, MO, MP, MR, MS, MT, MU, MV, MW, MX, MY
N North Newcastle
Stockton		 NA, NB, NC, ND, NE, NG, NH, NJ, NK, NL, NM, NN, NO, NP, NR, NS, NT, NU, NV, NW, NX, NY
O Oxford Oxford OA, OB, OC, OD, OE, OF, OG, OH, OJ, OK, OL, OM, ON, OO, OP, OR, OS, OT, OU, OV, OW, OX, OY
P Preston Preston
Carlisle 		PA, PB, PC, PD, PE, PF, PG, PH, PJ, PK, PL, PM, PN, PO, PP, PR, PS, PT, PU, PV, PW, PX, PY
R Reading Reading RA, RB, RC, RD, RE, RF, RG, RH, RJ, RK, RL, RM, RN, RO, RP, RR, RS, RT, RU, RV, RW, RX, RY
S Scotland Glasgow
Edinburgh
Dundee
Aberdeen
Inverness 		SA, SB, SC, SD, SE, SF, SG, SH, SJ, SK, SL, SM, SN, SO, SP, SR, SS, ST, SU, SV, SW, SX, SY
V Severn Valley Worcester VA, VB, VC, VD, VE, VF, VG, VH, VJ, VK, VL, VM, VN, VO, VP, VR, VS, VT, VU, VV, VW, VX, VY
W West of England Exeter
Truro
Bristol 		WA, WB, WC, WD, WE, WF, WG, WH, WJ, WK, WL, WM, WN, WO, WP, WR, WS, WT, WU, WV, WW, WX, WY
Y Yorkshire Leeds
Sheffield
Beverley 		YA, YB, YC, YD, YE, YF, YG, YH, YJ, YK, YL, YM, YN, YO, YP, YR, YS, YT, YU, YV, YW, YX, YY

  Age Identifiers To the top
Code Date Code Date
n/a n/a 51 Sept 2001 - Feb 2002
02 March 2002 - Aug 2002 52 Sept 2002 - Feb 2003
03 March 2003 - Aug 2003 53 Sept 2003 - Feb 2004
04 March 2004 - Aug 2004 54 Sept 2004 - Feb 2005
05 March 2005 - Aug 2005 55 Sept 2005 - Feb 2006
06 March 2006 - Aug 2006 56 Sept 2006 - Feb 2007
07 March 2007 - Aug 2007 57 Sept 2007 - Feb 2008
08 March 2008 - Aug 2008 58 Sept 2008 - Feb 2009
09 March 2009 - Aug 2009 59 Sept 2009 - Feb 2010
10 March 2010 - Aug 2010 60 Sept 2010 - Feb 2011
11 March 2011 - Aug 2011 61 Sept 2011 - Feb 2012
12 March 2012 - Aug 2012 62 Sept 2012 - Feb 2013
13 March 2013 - Aug 2013 63 Sept 2013 - Feb 2014
14 March 2014 - Aug 2014 64 Sept 2014 - Feb 2015
15 March 2015 - Aug 2015 65 Sept 2015 - Feb 2016
16 March 2016 - Aug 2016 66 Sept 2016 - Feb 2017
17 March 2017 - Aug 2017 67 Sept 2017 - Feb 2018
18 March 2018 - Aug 2018 68 Sept 2018 - Feb 2019
19 March 2019 - Aug 2019 69 Sept 2019 - Feb 2020
20 March 2020 - Aug 2020 70 Sept 2020 - Feb 2021
21 March 2021 - Aug 2021 71 Sept 2021 - Feb 2022
22 March 2022 - Aug 2022 72 Sept 2022 - Feb 2023
23 March 2023 - Aug 2023 73 Sept 2023 - Feb 2024
24 March 2024 - Aug 2024 74 Sept 2024 - Feb 2025
25 March 2025 - Aug 2025 75 Sept 2025 - Feb 2026
26 March 2026 - Aug 2026 76 Sept 2026 - Feb 2027
27 March 2027 - Aug 2027 77 Sept 2027 - Feb 2028
28 March 2028 - Aug 2028 78 Sept 2028 - Feb 2029
29 March 2029 - Aug 2029 79 Sept 2029 - Feb 2030
30 March 2030 - Aug 2030 80 Sept 2030 - Feb 2031
31 March 2031 - Aug 2031 81 Sept 2031 - Feb 2032
32 March 2032 - Aug 2032 82 Sept 2032 - Feb 2033
33 March 2033 - Aug 2033 83 Sept 2033 - Feb 2034
34 March 2034 - Aug 2034 84 Sept 2034 - Feb 2035
35 March 2035 - Aug 2035 85 Sept 2035 - Feb 2036
36 March 2036 - Aug 2036 86 Sept 2036 - Feb 2037
37 March 2037 - Aug 2037 87 Sept 2037 - Feb 2038
38 March 2038 - Aug 2038 88 Sept 2038 - Feb 2039
39 March 2039 - Aug 2039 89 Sept 2039 - Feb 2040
40 March 2040 - Aug 2040 90 Sept 2040 - Feb 2041
41 March 2041 - Aug 2041 91 Sept 2041 - Feb 2042
42 March 2042 - Aug 2042 92 Sept 2042 - Feb 2043
43 March 2043 - Aug 2043 93 Sept 2043 - Feb 2044
44 March 2044 - Aug 2044 94 Sept 2044 - Feb 2045
45 March 2045 - Aug 2045 95 Sept 2045 - Feb 2046
46 March 2046 - Aug 2046 96 Sept 2046 - Feb 2047
47 March 2047 - Aug 2047 97 Sept 2047 - Feb 2048
48 March 2048 - Aug 2048 98 Sept 2048 - Feb 2049
49 March 2049 - Aug 2049 99 Sept 2049 - Feb 2050
50 March 2050 - Aug 2050 00 or 01 Sept 2050 - Feb 2051

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