The Complete Guide To Car Registration Years | Suffix, Prefix & New Style (2024)

In the UK, car registration numbers have gone through three different styles over the years, which includes suffix, prefix and the “new style”. Each style represents a specific period and provides valuable information about a vehicle’s age. To help you determine the car registration years for each style, we have provided tables below of each.

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Understanding a vehicle’s age can be useful for various purposes. For example, if you are buying or selling a car, determining its historical significance or simply satisfying curiosity, its age is an important factor.

The UK’s registration number system has evolved over time, reflecting changes in regulations and design trends. By decoding the registration number, you can unlock valuable information about when the vehicle was first registered.

It also helps when it comes to putting a private registration on your vehicle because you can’t put a private plate on your car that makes it look newer than it is (i.e. 2010 plate registration on a 1992 vehicle).

In this article, we delve into the three main styles of UK car registration numbers, which are suffix, prefix and the “new style”. To make it even easier, we’ve also compiled tables that outline the specific years covered by each style. If you would like to skip and view the car registration year tables, please click on the “jump” links below:

  • Suffix number plate years
  • Prefix number plate years
  • “New” style number plate years

What Is A Suffix Number Plate?

Suffix registrations were a style of car registration numbers used in the United Kingdom from 1963 to 1982. They were called “suffix” because the letter indicating the year of registration appeared as a suffix at the end of the registration plate. This style introduced a systematic approach to denote the age of vehicles, making it easier to identify when a car was first registered.

What Do The Suffix Number & Letters Mean?

The suffix registration format consisted of three parts: the age identifier, the local memory tag and the random letters sequence. The age identifier was a single letter that represented the year of registration. It started with the letter “A” in 1963 and progressed sequentially through the alphabet, excluding certain letters. The reason for omitting some letters, such as “I”, “O”, “Q”, “U” and “Z” was to avoid confusion with numbers or other designations.

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For example, a suffix registration plate from 1963 might appear as “ABC 123A” where “A” indicates the year of registration. As the years passed, the age identifier would change accordingly, so a plate from 1964 might read “ABC 123B” and one from 1965 would be “ABC 123C” and so on.

To create a comprehensive system, the letters in the age identifier followed a specific pattern. The letters “I” and “Q” were omitted because they resembled the numbers “1” and “0” respectively. The letter “O” was not used to prevent confusion with the number “0.” “U” was excluded due to its similarity to the letter “V” in certain fonts and “Z” was left out to avoid any resemblance to “2” in some typefaces.

How To Decode A Suffix Number Plate

Decoding a suffix number plate involves deciphering the age and location information embedded within the registration.

Lets consider the suffix registration plate “ABC 123A.” By breaking down the elements, we can extract the age and location information:

  1. Age Identifier: The age identifier is the final letter in the registration, which in this case is “A”. To determine the registration year, we refer to a decoding table below specific to the suffix style. For this example, “A” corresponds to the year 1963. Subsequently, the following year would be denoted by the letter “B” and so on.
  2. Location Memory Tag: The first part of the registration, “ABC” serves as the location memory tag. It provides information about the area where the vehicle was first registered. Decoding location memory tags can be complex because they are not standardized across the UK. Each local authority was allocated a specific code, resulting in a wide range of possible combinations.

To decode the location memory tag, you can refer to resources like historical registration books, local authority records or online databases that provide comprehensive information on the various location codes. For example, “ABC” might correspond to a specific city or district.

By combining the age identifier and the location memory tag, we can determine that the vehicle with the suffix number plate “ABC 123A” was likely registered in the year 1963 in a location corresponding to the code “ABC.”

Suffix Car Registration Years

Below is a table that displays all of the suffix style number plates from 1963 to 1983:

PlateYear FromYear To
AAugust 1963July 1964
BAugust 1964July 1965
CAugust 1965July 1966
DAugust 1966July 1967
EAugust 1967July 1968
FAugust 1967July 1968
GAugust 1968July 1969
HAugust 1969July 1970
JAugust 1970July 1971
KAugust 1971July 1972
LAugust 1972July 1973
MAugust 1973July 1974
NAugust 1974July 1975
PAugust 1975July 1976
RAugust 1976July 1977
SAugust 1977July 1978
TAugust 1978July 1979
VAugust 1979July 1980
WAugust 1980July 1981
XAugust 1981July 1982
YAugust 1982July 1983

Prefix Number Plates

Prefix number plates were another style of car registration numbers used in the United Kingdom from 1983 to 2001. Unlike suffix plates, the year letter indicating the age of the vehicle appeared as a prefix at the beginning of the registration plate. This change in format allowed for a more logical progression in representing the registration years.

What Do The Prefix Number & Letters Mean?

A prefix registration plate comprised three parts: the age identifier, the random letters sequence and the local memory tag. The age identifier was a single letter at the beginning of the registration and denoted the year of registration. It started with the letter “A” in 1983 and advanced through the alphabet until 2000, excluding certain letters that could be easily confused with numbers or other characters.

For example, a prefix registration plate from 1983 might appear as “A123 ABC” where “A” represents the year of registration. Subsequent years would follow a similar pattern, such as “B123 ABC” for 1984 and “C123 ABC” for 1985.

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The local memory tag, placed at the end of the registration provided information about the area where the vehicle was originally registered. Similar to suffix plates, the interpretation of the local memory tag requires consulting historical records, local authority data or reliable online resources that provide comprehensive information on the location codes.

Prefix number plates retained a similar format to suffix plates (we won’t decode prefix as it’s pretty much the same), featuring a combination of letters and numbers typically arranged over two lines. The age identifier, appearing as a letter at the beginning was often slightly larger and set apart to emphasize its significance. The font style used on these plates was typically bold and sans-serif, ensuring legibility and clarity.

Prefix Car Registration Years

Below is a table that displays all of the prefix style number plates from 1984 to 2001:

PlateYear FromYear To
AAugust 1983July 1984
BAugust 1984July 1985
CAugust 1985July 1986
DAugust 1986July 1987
EAugust 1987July 1988
FAugust 1988July 1989
GAugust 1989July 1990
HAugust 1990July 1991
JAugust 1991July 1992
KAugust 1992July 1993
LAugust 1993July 1994
MAugust 1994July 1995
NAugust 1995July 1996
PAugust 1996July 1997
RAugust 1997July 1998
SAugust 1998February 1999
TMarch 1999August 1999
VSeptember 1999February 2000
WMarch 2000August 2000
XSeptember 2000February 2001
YMarch 2001August 2001

New Style Number Plates

The new style number plates were introduced in the United Kingdom in 2001 and are still in use today. This style brought significant changes in the format and representation of car registrations, offering a fresh and modern look.

What Do The New Style Number & Letters Mean?

The new style number plates consist of two parts: the age identifier and the random letters and numbers sequence. Unlike the suffix and prefix styles, the age identifier in the new style number plates is represented by a two-digit number that denotes the year of registration. The format follows a specific pattern with the first letter indicating the six-month period in which the vehicle was registered. For example, “51” represents vehicles registered from September 2001 to February 2002, while “03” represents vehicles registered from March 2003 to August 2003.

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The random letters and numbers sequence that follows the age identifier allows for a wide range of possible combinations. However, certain letter combinations that may be deemed offensive or inappropriate are excluded.

The new style number plates feature a modern and sleek design. The font style used is usually a modified version of the Charles Wright font, characterized by rounded and clear lettering. The letters and numbers are also narrower with a standardized size and spacing, contributing to enhanced legibility and aesthetics.

How To Decode A New Style Number Plate

Decoding the age identifier of a new style number plate is relatively straightforward once you understand the format and pattern. By referring to the specific six-month periods associated with each two-digit number, it becomes possible to determine the registration period of a vehicle. However, unlike the previous styles, the new style number plates do not provide direct information about the location of registration.

New Style Car Registration Years

Below is a table that displays all of the new style number plates from 2001 to 2025:

PlateYear FromYear To
51September 2001February 2002
02March 2002August 2002
52September 2002February 2003
03March 2003August 2003
53September 2003February 2004
04March 2004August 2004
54September 2004February 2005
05March 2005August 2005
55September 2005February 2006
06March 2006August 2006
56September 2006February 2007
07March 2007August 2007
57September 2007February 2008
08March 2008August 2008
58September 2008February 2009
09March 2009August 2009
59September 2009February 2010
10March 2010August 2010
60September 2010February 2011
11March 2011August 2011
61September 2011February 2012
12March 2012August 2012
62September 2012February 2013
13March 2013August 2013
63September 2013February 2014
14March 2014August 2014
64September 2014February 2015
15March 2015August 2015
65September 2015February 2016
16March 2016August 2016
66September 2016February 2017
17March 2017August 2017
67September 2017February 2018
18March 2018August 2018
68September 2018February 2019
19March 2019August 2019
69September 2019February 2020
20March 2020August 2020
70September 2020February 2021
21March 2021August 2021
71September 2021February 2022
22March 2022August 2022
72September 2022February 2023
23March 2023August 2023
73September 2023February 2024
24March 2024August 2024
74September 2024February 2025

What About Dateless Number Plates?

Dateless number plates, as the name suggests, are car registration plates that do not contain any specific indication of the vehicle’s age. Unlike suffix, prefix or new style number plates, dateless plates do not feature a distinctive code or format that directly correlates to a particular year of registration. Instead, they consist of a combination of letters and numbers that are not tied to a specific timeframe.

Dateless number plates were used in the United Kingdom before the introduction of systematic age identifiers. They were typically issued from the early 1900s up until 1963 when the suffix style registration system was introduced. These plates have a timeless and classic appeal, making them highly sought after by collectors and enthusiasts.

The format of dateless number plates varied but they typically featured a shorter combination of letters and numbers compared to the later registration styles. These plates were often handcrafted with individual registrations issued by local licensing authorities or vehicle registration offices. Due to their unique and customized nature, dateless number plates could often be transferred from one vehicle to another without indicating the age of the car.

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One common format for dateless plates consisted of a pattern where letters and numbers were combined in a sequence. For example, a plate might read “ABC 123” or “1 ABD.” The arrangement of the letters and numbers did not follow any specific pattern related to the vehicle’s age or location.

Dateless number plates have a classic charm and are highly desirable among collectors and car enthusiasts due to their unique and often rare combinations. They offer a sense of personalization and individuality as each plate was issued separately without adhering to a standardized system.

Many dateless plates have historical significance and can be associated with iconic vehicles or notable figures. Therefore, if you ever come to selling a private plate, you may be quite shocked of their values.

Conclusion

Figuring out car registration years can be a difficult task if you are new to decoding them but once you’ve learnt how to do it, you’ll understand how clever each system is. The new style is deemed much easier to decode but when it comes to private number plates, dateless, prefix and suffix are the most desirable in the marketplace.

Hopefully our comprehensive guide to car registration years has answered all your questions. However, if not, feel free to get in touch and we will try to provide our assistance where possible.

The Complete Guide To Car Registration Years | Suffix, Prefix & New Style (2024)
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