New UK Number Plate System
Much has already been
written about the new number plate system which will be applicable to all new
UK vehicles sold from 1 September 2001 onwards. The purpose of this page is not
to debate the pros and cons of the new system but to give a very brief overview
of the new plates and to further explain how the area code section of the plate
works.
As you can see the plate
is split into three sections: The first part is the area code (which I will
confusingly cover last); the numbers show the age of the vehicle; and the last
three letters are random.
The dating section of
the plate appears not to be immediately clear but once you recognise the
sequence of numbers it makes sense. Perhaps with a bit of juggling with the
figures it could have started 01 rather than 51 and less confusion would have
ensued. Anyway, the numbers follow the pattern shown in the table below.
|
Number |
Date |
|
51 |
1 September 2001 to 28 February 2002 |
|
02 |
1 March 2002 to 31 August 2002 |
|
52 |
1 September 2002 to 28 February 2003 |
|
03 |
1 March 2003 to 31 August 2003 |
|
53 |
1 September 2003 to 29 February 2004 |
|
04 |
1 March 2004 to 31 August 2004 |
|
54 |
1 September 2004 to 28 February 2005 |
|
05 |
1 March 2005 to 31 August 2005 |
|
55 |
1 September 2005 to 28 February 2006 |
|
06 |
1 March 2006 to 31 August 2006 |
|
56 |
1 September 2006 to 28 February 2007 |
|
07 |
1 March 2007 to 31 August 2007 |
|
57 |
1 September 2007 to 29 February 2008 |
|
08 |
1 March 2008 to 31 August 2008 |
|
58 |
1 September 2008 to 28 February 2009 |
|
09 |
1 March 2009 to 31 August 2009 |
|
59 |
1 September 2009 to 28 February 2010 |
|
10 |
1 March 2010 to 31 August 2010 |
|
60 |
1 September 2010 to 28 February 2011 |
|
11 |
1 March 2011 to 31 August 2011 |
|
61 |
1 September 2011 to 29 February 2012 |
|
etc |
etc |
The three letters at the
end are chosen at random but the DVLA will keep the lucrative business of
selling off desirable combinations which will presumably be removed from the
lists of random combinations.
Now, the bit most reports
tend to ignore is the section right at the start of the plate, showing where
the vehicle was registered. This is split into two sections also: the first
letter shows which of the regional DVLA centres the plate was produced by; the
second which city within that centre. Obviously this isn't as easy to memorise
as the numbers but the table below will act as a useful guide to identifying a
vehicle's geographical origins.
|
Local Area Code |
DVLA Centre |
Local Identifier |
|
A Anglia |
Peterborough |
A B C D E F G H J K L M N |
|
Norwich |
O P R S T U |
|
|
Ipswich |
V W X Y |
|
|
B Birmingham |
Birmingham |
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y |
|
C Cymru |
Cardiff |
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O |
|
Swansea |
P R S T U V |
|
|
Bangor |
W X Y |
|
|
D Deeside to Shrewsbury |
Chester |
A B C D E F G H J K |
|
Shrewsbury |
L M N O P R S T U V W X Y |
|
|
E Essex |
Chelmsford |
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y |
|
F Forest & Fens |
Nottingham |
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P |
|
Lincoln |
R S T U V W X Y |
|
|
G Garden of England |
Maidstone |
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O |
|
Brighton |
P R S T U V W X Y |
|
|
H Hampshire & Dorset |
Bournemouth |
A B C D E F G H J |
|
Portsmouth |
K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y |
|
|
K no link |
Luton |
A B C D E F G H J K L |
|
Northampton |
M N O P R S T U V W X Y |
|
|
L London |
London - Wimbledon |
A B C D E F G H J |
|
London - Stanmore |
K L M N O P R S T |
|
|
London - Sidcup |
U V W X Y |
|
|
M Manchester & Merseyside |
Manchester |
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y |
|
N North |
Newcastle |
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O |
|
Stockton |
P R S T U V W X Y |
|
|
O Oxford |
Oxford |
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y |
|
P Preston |
Preston |
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T |
|
Carlisle |
T U V W X Y |
|
|
R Reading |
Reading |
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y |
|
S Scotland |
Glasgow |
A B C D E F G H J |
|
Edinburgh |
K L M N O |
|
|
Dundee |
P R S T |
|
|
Aberdeen |
U V W |
|
|
Inverness |
X Y |
|
|
V Severn Valley |
Worcester |
A B C D E F G H J K L M N O P R S T U V W X Y |
|
W West of England |
Exeter |
A B C D E F G H J |
|
Truro |
K L |
|
|
Bristol |
M N O P R S T U V W X Y |
|
|
Y Yorkshire |
Leeds |
A B C D E F G H J K |
|
Sheffield |
L M N O P R S T U |
|
|
Beverley |
V W X Y |