UK number plate years and area codes

Plates 26, 76, 75, 25, 74 and 73

Each identifier lasts for six months. From 1 March 2026 the 26 plate is in use, and from 1 September 2026 the 76 plate takes over. A car carrying 76 is newer than one carrying 26 in that year. In sequence you find the 25 plate, then the 75 plate, then the 26 plate, while the 73 plate comes after the 23 plate.

When do 27 plates come out?

The 76 plate lasts until 28 February 2027, and the 27 plate then starts on 1 March 2027. In DVLA's INF104 table, 27 covers March to August 2027, and 77 follows from September 2027. This pattern continues until every combination has been used.

Area codes for number plates

On a current plate, the first two letters form the memory tag. DVLA states that these letters refer to the region in which the vehicle was first registered, while the first letter sets the region. Type in a current registration above to see which region it is from, or find its first letter lower down. HW is reserved for Isle of Wight residents only, and DVLA leaves I, Q or Z out of local memory tags.

Year letters in the prefix and suffix systems

Before 2001, a single letter showed car registration years. Under the suffix system the year letter came last, as in ABC 123A. A covered February 1963 through 31 December 1963, and once F arrived in August 1967 the letter moved on each August until Y, which ended on 31 July 1983.

With the prefix system the letter was placed at the front of the plate, as in A123 ABC. A began on 1 August 1983, and after that each letter ran for a year starting in August. The letter began changing in March and September, twice a year, from S in August 1998, and that pattern carried on until Y ended on 31 August 2001. Each system skips I, O, Q, U and Z.

Look through plates in each style on prefix plates and suffix plates, or choose dateless plates, which carry no year and suit a car of any age.