Characters

The current system for Great Britain was introduced on 1 September 2001. Each registration index consists of seven characters with a defined format.^[11]

From left to right, the characters consist of:

• A local memory tag, or area code, consisting of two letters which together indicate the local registration office. By December 2013, all local offices had been closed,^[20] but the letters still represent a region. The letters I, Q and Z are not used as local office identifiers, though O is used for Oxford; Z can be used only as a random letter.
  • The first of these two letters is a mnemonic, standing for the name of the broad area where the registration office was located. This is intended to make the registration more memorable than an arbitrary code.^[21][22] For example, A is used as the first character in all registrations issued by the three offices located in the vicinity of East Anglia;
• A two-digit age identifier, which changes twice a year, on 1 March and 1 September. The code is either the last two digits of the year itself, if issued between March and August (e.g. "18" for registrations issued between 1 March and 31 August 2018), or else has 50 added to that value if issued between September and February the following year, (e.g. "68" for registrations issued between 1 September 2018 and 28 February 2019);
• A three-letter sequence which uniquely distinguishes each of the vehicles displaying the same initial four-character area and age sequence. The letters I and Q are excluded from the three-letter sequence, as are combinations that may appear offensive (including those in foreign languages). Due to batch allocation of new registration marks to dealers, it is common for cars with "neighbouring" letter sequences to be of the same manufacturer.

This scheme has three particular advantages:-

• A buyer of a second-hand vehicle can in theory determine the year of first registration of the vehicle without having to look it up. However, a vehicle is permitted to display a number plate where the age identifier is older (but not newer) than the vehicle. The wide awareness of how the "age identifier" works has led to it being used in advertising by used-car showrooms instead of simply stating a year.
• In the case of a police investigation of an accident or vehicle-related crime, witnesses usually remember the initial area code letters – it is then quite simple to narrow down suspect vehicles to a much smaller number by checking the authority's database without having to know the full number.^[23]
• The scheme should have sufficient numbers to run until 28 February 2051, assuming there are enough 3 letter random sequences for every combination of area code and age identifier.^[24]

Local memory tags

^{[25] [26] [27]}

Age identifiers

^cLast year identifier from previous system

National identifier and emblems

Number plates with a "UK" identifier displayed on its own or with a Union Flag satisfy Vienna Convention on Road Traffic and are valid in countries party to the Convention. Before 28 September 2021 the UK's identifier was "GB". Since then, according to the default design,^[4] the left side colour band should be omitted (blue was previously used to construct the colours of the EU flag), with a green band reserved for zero-emissions vehicles. The “UK” text can be black (matching the main text on the plate) or royal blue (matching the blue in the Union Flag).

Vehicles registered in Great Britain are authorised by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency^[31] to use number plates featuring the national flag of England, Wales, Scotland, or the Union flag, plus lettering. Either the full wording or the abbreviation is used ("ENG", "Eng", "ENGLAND" or "England" for the English flag, "CYM", "Cym", "CYMRU" , "Cymru", "WALES" or "Wales" for the Welsh flag, "SCO", "Sco", "SCOTLAND" or "Scotland" for the Scottish flag, "GB", "GREAT BRITAIN", "Great Britain", "UK" ,"UNITED KINGDOM" or "United Kingdom” for the Union flag respectively).^[32]

Only number plates with the distinguishing code "UK" on its own, or together with the Union flag are valid as a distinguishing sign when driving in countries party to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic, as such number plate displays a distinguishing code for the country of registration incorporated into the vehicle registration plate, and is supplemented with a flag or emblem of the national state, and hence satisfies the requirements set out in the convention.^[3] A “UK" black on white sticker must be affixed at the rear of the vehicle when driving abroad if said vehicle has number plates with the national flag of England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland.^[33]

From October 2021 if an owner of a vehicle wishes to avoid attaching a separate black on white “UK” sticker, it is necessary for the number plates to display “UK” on the left side together with, optionally, a Union flag (NOT a national flag of England, Wales, Northern Ireland or Scotland). If the vehicle is driven in a country not a party to the Vienna Convention, a separate sign (black on white “UK” sticker) also has to be displayed at the rear of the vehicle.^[34] Of the EU countries, a separate identifier is only needed when travelling in Cyprus, Malta, and Spain, as they are not party to the convention.^{[notes 1]}

The specification of plates incorporating the UK code was created by the British Number Plate Manufacturers Association, and is seen as the default design by the Department for Transport:^[4]

• "UK" in black (matching the main text on the plate) or blue (matching the blue in the Union flag).
• The Union flag in landscape in specific colours (the flag must be positioned to the far-left side of the number plate)
• A background that is the same colour as the number plate (white for front, yellow for rear) except for green flash plates, where the background area behind the flag can be the same as set out on green number plates.

Up until 28 September 2021 the distinguishing sign was GB. On 30 June 2021, the United Nations published a notification stating that the United Kingdom has given three months' notification that it intended to change its distinguishing sign from GB to UK.^[3]

• 
  The default post-September 2021 UK National Identifier plate^[4] (text can also be black)
• 
  An example of a number plate with the new UK identifying badge

Examples of British registration plates with national emblems displayed

UK – UNITED KINGDOM – United Kingdom – GB – GREAT BRITAIN – Great Britain	ENG – Eng – ENGLAND – England	SCO – Sco – SCOTLAND – Scotland	CYM – Cym – CYMRU – Cymru – WALES – Wales

Flag of Europe

The optional GB identification band pre-Brexit

When the UK was a member state of the European Union, it was permissible (but never mandatory) to display number plates conforming to the common EU format introduced by Council Regulation (EC) No 2411/98, with a blue strip (in order to construct the background colour of the EU / Council flag) on the left side of the plate with the Flag of Europe (yellow or gold circle of stars) above the international vehicle registration code of the member state (GB).^[35] This format cannot be issued after the transition period ended.^[36]

EU member states that require foreign vehicles to display a distinguishing sign of the country of origin (e.g. 'UK’ for the United Kingdom) are obliged by Article 3 of EU Regulation No. 2411/98 to accept this standard design as a distinguishing sign when displayed on a vehicle registered in another member state, making a separate sign unnecessary for vehicles registered in the EU.

After Brexit, other EU countries are no longer required to accept GB "Europlates", as the regulation only requires member states to accept the standard design as a distinguishing sign when displayed on a vehicle registered in another member state. After this, GB Euro-plates must be replaced by a number plate that features the UK sign in order to be valid as a national identifier.^[37][38]

• 
  The British version of the EU standard number plate issued until the transition ended after the UK withdrew from the EU; this was optional in the UK.
• 
  This format is used for motorcycles and other vehicles where a narrower plate is required (showing optional EU symbol).

Typography

The standard (79 mm height) typeface is set out in the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001.^[39] An alternative (64 mm) font is provided for motorcycles (schedule 4 part 2, p. 24).

The standard font, unofficially known as Charles Wright 2001, is a subtly redrawn version of Charles Wright's original 1935 font. The width of the previous font was condensed from 57 mm to 50 mm to allow space for the extra letter and the optional blue EU strip. The letter O and the digit 0 are intentionally identical, as are the letter I and digit 1. But the typeface accentuates the differences between characters such as 8 and B, or D and 0, with slab serifs to improve the legibility of a plate from a distance. This is especially useful for the automatic number plate recognition software of speed cameras and CCTV. This accentuation also discourages the tampering that is sometimes practised with the use of black insulating tape or paint to change letter forms (such as P to R, or 9 to 8), or with the inclusion of carefully positioned black "fixing screw" dots that alter the appearance of letters on some vanity plates.

The design has similarities with the FE-Schrift number-plate font which was introduced in Germany in 1994 and which has been mandatory there since 2000. However, the UK design remains more conventional in its character shapes.

Special plates

A licence plate in the British Virgin Islands commemorating the 90th birthday of Queen Elizabeth II

Registrations having a combination of characters that are particularly appealing (resembling a name, for example) are auctioned each year. The first of these auctions was in 1989.^[40][41]

For the 07 registration period a higher than usual number of Scottish 07 codes were retained as Select registrations for sale and an additional allocation of Tx letter pairs were released for use by the local offices in Scotland with the same allocation as the Sx letter pairs (for example Edinburgh with SK to SN allocated had TK to TN added)^[a].^[42]

Green band plates

UK zero-emission vehicles front (top) and rear (bottom) number plates.
The national identifier on British number plates is optional. A "UK" code has replaced the "GB" code from 28 September 2021 and is valid in countries party to the Vienna Convention on Road Traffic if displayed on its own or together with the Union flag.

From 8 December 2020, vehicles with a Zero Emission value are allowed to display a green band on the left hand side of the plate, where the country identifier would usually sit. This is optional, and may be blank, or combined with the existing national flag options.^{[43][44][45][46]}

• 
  Zero Emission Vehicle Number Plate with GB Identifier
• 
  An example of the green band - on a Tesla - signifying the vehicle has zero emissions.

Older plates

Vehicles registered under previous numbering systems continue to retain their original number plates but the area identifier in the previous number system is not the same area as the post-2001 area identifier, e.g. AA pre-2001 is Bournemouth whereas AA post-2001 is Peterborough. Subject to certain conditions, number plates can be transferred between vehicles by the vehicle owner; some of these transfers involve tens or even hundreds of thousands of pounds changing hands, because of the desirability of a specific letter/number combination.

Before 1932

Number plate displaying a vehicle registration mark created between 1903 and 1932

The first series of number plates was issued in 1903 and ran until 1932, consisting of a one- or two-letter code followed by a sequence number from 1 to 9999.^[47] The code indicated the local authority in whose area the vehicle was registered. In England and Wales, these were initially allocated in order of population size (by the 1901 census) – thus A indicated London, B indicated Lancashire, C indicated the West Riding of Yorkshire and so on to Y indicating Somerset, then AA indicated Hampshire, AB indicated Worcestershire and so on to FP indicating Rutland.

The letters G, S and V were initially restricted to Scotland, and the letters I and Z to the whole of Ireland. In both cases, allocations of codes were made in alphabetical order of counties, followed by county boroughs^[48] – thus in Scotland, Aberdeenshire was allocated SA, Argyll received SB and so on, while in Ireland Antrim was allocated IA, Armagh received IB, and so on.

When a licensing authority reached 9999, it was allocated another two-letter code, but there was no pattern to these subsequent allocations as they were allocated on a first come first served basis. London and Middlesex quickly took most codes with L and M as the first letter respectively, while Surrey, initially allocated P, took many codes beginning with that letter.

The first mark to be issued in London was the simple, bold, A 1 and this was registered to Earl Russell. He wanted the mark so badly he camped out all night to secure it, making him not only the first registrant but also the inventor of the cherished plate.^[49]

A zero has been issued by several issuing authorities for the official car of the council head, in cases where plate number "1" had already been issued by the time the councils decided to give priority to its first citizen.^[50] Example include the Lord Mayor of London (LM 0^[50][51]) and the Lord Provosts of Edinburgh (S 0), of Glasgow (G 0) and of Aberdeen (RG 0).^[50]

1932 to 1963

By 1932, the available codes were running out, and an extended scheme was introduced. This scheme placed a serial letter before the code, and had the sequence number run only to 999, thus restricting the number of characters in a registration to six. The first area to issue such marks was Staffordshire in July 1932 with ARF 1 etc.,^[52] and all other areas in England and Wales, plus most areas in Scotland, followed suit once they had issued all their two-letter registrations.

I, Q, and Z were not used as serial letters, as the use of I and Z continued to be restricted to Ireland and Q was reserved for temporary imports, while the single-letter codes were left out of this scheme as a serial letter would have created a duplicate of an existing two-letter code. (The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland later adopted this scheme in their own ways, and the latter still uses it.)

In some areas, the available marks within this scheme started to run out in the 1950s, and in those areas, what became known as "reversed" registrations – the letters coming after the numbers – were introduced. Staffordshire was again the first area to issue such registrations, starting with 1000 E in 1953. In most cases, the three-letter combinations (e.g. 1 AHX for Middlesex) would be issued first, while in later years some areas started with the one- and two-letter combinations and others issued all three at the same time. The ever-increasing prevalence of the car meant that by the beginning of the 1960s, these registrations were also running out.

Some three-letter combinations were not authorised for licensing use as they were deemed offensive. These included ARS, BUM, GOD, JEW, SEX, and SOD, sod being a mild British profanity derived from "sodomite."^[53][54] DUW was issued in London for several months in 1934 before it was realised it was the Welsh for God, and withdrawn.^[42] Even then, there were some registrations which would now be called cherished plates. One was RAD10 (BBC) and another was IND1A (Indian High Commission).

1963 to 1982

The Lotus Esprit driven by James Bond in The Spy Who Loved Me bears the plates PPW 306R. This indicates a vehicle registered between August 1976 and July 1977 (the "R" suffix) in Norwich ("PW").

In August 1962, an attempt was made to create a national scheme to alleviate the problem of registrations running out. This used the scheme introduced in 1932, of a three-letter combination followed by a sequence number from 1 to 999, but also added a letter suffix, which initially changed on 1 January each year. An "A" suffix was thus used for 1963, "B" for 1964, etc. Middlesex was the first authority to adopt this scheme when it issued AHX 1A in February 1963.^[55] Most other areas followed suit during 1964, but some chose to stick to their own schemes up until 1 January 1965, when the letter suffix was made compulsory.

As well as yielding many more available numbers, it was a way for vehicle buyers to know the age of the vehicle immediately. However, the year letter changing on 1 January each year meant that car retailers soon started to notice that buyers would tend to wait until the New Year for the new letter to be issued, so that they could get a "newer" car. This led to major peaks and troughs in sales over the year, and to help flatten this out somewhat the industry lobbied to get the scheme changed, so that the change of year letter occurred on 1 August rather than 1 January. This was done in 1967, when "E" suffixes ran only from 1 January to 31 July, before "F" suffixes commenced on 1 August.

All number plates were originally black with white, grey or silver characters, until retroreflective plates were specified in British Standard BS AU 145 in 1967. These were white on the front and yellow on the rear of the vehicle, with black characters. White/yellow retro-reflective plates became a legal requirement for most newly-registered vehicles on 1 January 1973.^[56]

In October 1974, responsibility for issuing registrations was transferred from local and regional authorities to specialist Local Vehicle Licensing Offices (LVLOs) or Vehicle Registration Offices (VROs) run by the DVLA. Most of the two-letter area codes allocated during the first scheme continued in their respective areas, albeit now indicating the nearest LVLO/VRO rather than the local or regional authority. However, the decision to streamline the allocations of these codes meant that some were transferred to new areas. For instance, the former Suffolk code CF was transferred to Reading, while the former Edinburgh code WS was re-allocated to Bristol.^[52]

1983 to 2001

By 1982, the year suffixes had reached Y and so from 1983 onwards the sequence was reversed again, so that the year letter – starting again at "A" — preceded the numbers then the letters of the registration. The available range was then A21 AAA to Y999 YYY, the numbers 1–20 being held back for the government's proposed, and later implemented, DVLA select registration sales scheme. Towards the mid-1990s there was some discussion about introducing a unified scheme for Europe, which would also incorporate the country code of origin of the vehicle, but after much debate such a scheme was not adopted because of lack of countries willing to participate.

A construction vehicle bearing a Q number plate, August 2016, UK

The changes in 1983 also brought the letter Q into use – although on a very small and limited scale. It was used on vehicles of indeterminate age, such as those assembled from kits, substantial rebuilds, or imported vehicles where the documentation is insufficient to determine the age. There was a marked increase in the use of Q registrations in the late 1980s and early 1990s, fuelled by car crime. Many stolen vehicles had false identities given to them, and when this was discovered and the original identity could not be determined, a Q registration would be issued to such vehicle. It was seen as an aid to consumer protection. Due to indeterminate age, origin and specification of Q registration vehicles, most motor insurers are reluctant to offer coverage for these 'Q-plate' vehicles.

By the late 1990s, the range of available numbers was once again starting to run out, exacerbated by a move to biannual changes in registration letters (March and September) in 1999 to smooth out the bulge in registrations every August, so a new scheme needed to be adopted. It was decided to research a system that would be easier for crash or vehicle related crime witnesses to remember and clearer to read, yet still fit within a normal standard plate size.

Year identifiers^[57]

In order to avoid any confusion, the letters I, O, Q, U and Z have never been issued as year identifiers: I because of its similarity to the numeral 1; O and Q because of similarity to a zero; U because of similarity to the letter V; and Z because of similarity to the numeral 2.

Pre-2001 codes

Normally the last two letters would indicate where the car was initially registered. The letters I and Z are reserved for Ireland.^[59][60] If you want to look for the office code (or council code until 1974) more easily, look at the bold letters next to the examples (ABC 123D; A123 BCD). Note that the first two letters of the post-2001 system are not the same as the last two letters which indicate the original district of registration for pre-2001 number plates; so, for example, pre-2001 AB is Worcester, whereas post-2001 AB is Peterborough.

For the list of Northern Ireland codes, see the Northern Ireland section of this article. For a full list of Irish codes, see Vehicle registration plates of the Republic of Ireland.