What Year Is My Registration?

UK Number Plate Years: What Year Is My Registration?

Want to know what year a UK number plate is? The age of most British registrations can be identified from either the numbers in the middle of the plate or a letter at the beginning or end.

For example, a 72 plate was issued between September 2022 and February 2023, while a 14 plate was issued between March and August 2014.

Use the tables below to find the year of any current, prefix or suffix UK registration.

Current UK number plate years

Current style number plates have been used since September 2001 and follow the format AB12 CDE.

The two numbers in the middle identify when the registration was issued.

• Plates released in March use the last two digits of the year – for example, 26 for March 2026.
• Plates released in September add 50 – for example, 76 for September 2026.

Plate	Registration period
76	September 2026 – February 2027
26	March 2026 – August 2026
75	September 2025 – February 2026
25	March 2025 – August 2025
74	September 2024 – February 2025
24	March 2024 – August 2024
73	September 2023 – February 2024
23	March 2023 – August 2023
72	September 2022 – February 2023
22	March 2022 – August 2022
71	September 2021 – February 2022
21	March 2021 – August 2021
70	September 2020 – February 2021
20	March 2020 – August 2020
69	September 2019 – February 2020
19	March 2019 – August 2019
68	September 2018 – February 2019
18	March 2018 – August 2018
67	September 2017 – February 2018
17	March 2017 – August 2017
66	September 2016 – February 2017
16	March 2016 – August 2016
65	September 2015 – February 2016
15	March 2015 – August 2015
64	September 2014 – February 2015
14	March 2014 – August 2014
63	September 2013 – February 2014
13	March 2013 – August 2013
62	September 2012 – February 2013
12	March 2012 – August 2012
61	September 2011 – February 2012
11	March 2011 – August 2011
60	September 2010 – February 2011
10	March 2010 – August 2010
59	September 2009 – February 2010
09	March 2009 – August 2009
58	September 2008 – February 2009
08	March 2008 – August 2008
57	September 2007 – February 2008
07	March 2007 – August 2007
56	September 2006 – February 2007
06	March 2006 – August 2006
55	September 2005 – February 2006
05	March 2005 – August 2005
54	September 2004 – February 2005
04	March 2004 – August 2004
53	September 2003 – February 2004
03	March 2003 – August 2003
52	September 2002 – February 2003
02	March 2002 – August 2002
51	September 2001 – February 2002

What year is a 72 number plate and how old is it?

A 72 plate was issued between 1 September 2022 and 28 February 2023.

So, if you're wondering how old a 72 number plate is, a vehicle first registered with a 72 plate was registered in late 2022 or early 2023.

What year is a 73 plate?

A 73 plate was issued between 1 September 2023 and 29 February 2024.

What month did the 73 plate come out?

The 73 registration came out on 1 September 2023. September registrations use the year plus 50, which is why the September 2023 plate is 73 rather than 23.

What year is a 62 plate?

A 62 plate was issued between 1 September 2012 and 28 February 2013.

What year is a 57 plate?

A 57 plate was issued between 1 September 2007 and 29 February 2008.

So if you see a registration such as AB57 CDE, its age identifier dates from late 2007 or early 2008.

What year is a 14 plate?

A 14 plate was issued between 1 March 2014 and 31 August 2014.

What year is a 68 number plate?

A 68 plate was issued between 1 September 2018 and 28 February 2019.

What year is a 61 plate?

A 61 plate was issued between 1 September 2011 and 29 February 2012.

What year is a 77 plate?

A 77 plate will represent vehicles registered between 1 September 2027 and 29 February 2028.

The corresponding March 2027 registration will be the 27 plate.

What year is a 44 registration?

Under the current number plate system, a 44 plate will represent registrations issued between 1 March and 31 August 2044.

It should not be confused with a registration from 1994. Current style number plates were not introduced until September 2001.

When do new number plates come out?

New UK age identifiers are released twice a year:

• 1 March – uses the year itself, such as 26 in March 2026;
• 1 September – adds 50, producing 76 in September 2026.

This means every calendar year has two different current-style number plate identifiers.

Future UK number plate years

Plate	Release date
76	1 September 2026
27	1 March 2027
77	1 September 2027
28	1 March 2028
78	1 September 2028
29	1 March 2029
79	1 September 2029
30	1 March 2030
80	1 September 2030

Prefix number plate years

Before current style registrations, Britain used prefix number plates. These have an age-identifying letter at the beginning, such as A123 ABC.

Prefix	Registration period
A	August 1983 – July 1984
B	August 1984 – July 1985
C	August 1985 – July 1986
D	August 1986 – July 1987
E	August 1987 – July 1988
F	August 1988 – July 1989
G	August 1989 – July 1990
H	August 1990 – July 1991
J	August 1991 – July 1992
K	August 1992 – July 1993
L	August 1993 – July 1994
M	August 1994 – July 1995
N	August 1995 – July 1996
P	August 1996 – July 1997
R	August 1997 – July 1998
S	August 1998 – February 1999
T	March 1999 – August 1999
V	September 1999 – February 2000
W	March 2000 – August 2000
X	September 2000 – February 2001
Y	March 2001 – August 2001

Suffix number plate years

Suffix number plates were used before prefix registrations. They place the age-identifying letter at the end, such as ABC 123A.

Suffix	Registration period
A	February 1963 – December 1963
B	January 1964 – December 1964
C	January 1965 – December 1965
D	January 1966 – December 1966
E	January 1967 – July 1967
F	August 1967 – July 1968
G	August 1968 – July 1969
H	August 1969 – July 1970
J	August 1970 – July 1971
K	August 1971 – July 1972
L	August 1972 – July 1973
M	August 1973 – July 1974
N	August 1974 – July 1975
P	August 1975 – July 1976
R	August 1976 – July 1977
S	August 1977 – July 1978
T	August 1978 – July 1979
V	August 1979 – July 1980
W	August 1980 – July 1981
X	August 1981 – July 1982
Y	August 1982 – July 1983

What year is a dateless number plate?

Dateless number plates do not contain an age identifier, so you cannot determine their year simply from the registration.

Examples include A 1, 1 AB, ABC 123 and 123 ABC.

Because they have no age identifier, dateless registrations can generally be assigned to eligible vehicles regardless of age.

Does a number plate tell you how old a car is?

Not necessarily. An age identifier tells you when that particular registration series was first issued, but it does not always tell you when the vehicle displaying it was first registered.

Private registrations can be transferred between vehicles. For example, a car first registered in 2026 could legally display a 72 plate, an older prefix or suffix registration, or a dateless private plate.

A registration cannot, however, be used to make a vehicle appear newer than it actually is.