These registration plate year identifiers are applicable to cars registered within Great Britain, (England, Scotland, and Wales). Northern Ireland use their own system for vehicle registrations.
From September 2001 the format and year of the GB registration system changed again. This was the third version of the number plate which had a year of registration indicator included. The formats of the number plates now took the form: ABmyCDE. The first AB letters were allocated based on the local DVLA office where the number was issued from. The registration plate year identifier, "my" ,was numerical, with "m" indicating whether the vehicle was registered in the first or second half of the registration year denoted by a 0 or 5. The final three letters were allocated on a random basis, example: AB51CDE. Unlike previous plate formats, the final three letters could also include the letter Z, but not the letter I.
September 2009 to February 2010 Year Notation - 59 March 2009 to August 2009 Year Notation - 09 September 2008 to February 2009 Year Notation - 58 March 2008 to August 2008 Year Notation - 08 September 2007 to February 2008 Year Notation - 57 March 2007 to August 2007 Year Notation - 07 September 2006 to February 2007 Year Notation - 56 March 2006 to August 2006 Year Notation - 06 September 2005 to February 2006 Year Notation - 55 March 2005 to August 2005 Year Notation - 05 September 2004 to February 2005 Year Notation - 54 March 2004 to August 2004 Year Notation - 04 September 2003 to February 2004 Year Notation - 53 March 2003 to August 2003 Year Notation - 03 September 2002 to February 2003 Year Notation - 52 March 2002 to August 2002 Year Notation - 02 September 2001 to February 2002 Year Notation - 51
Up to 1998 a new vehicle year starts on the 1st August and ends on the 31st July the following year.
From August 1983 onwards the year letter was the first letter, prefix, of the number plate, example: A 123 ABC. The BC of the ABC was associated with the local DVLA office that allocated the registration number. To avoid confusion with the characters 1, 0, V and 2, the year letters I, O, Q, U and Z were not used with this format of GB number plates. For this format of number plate, the final three letters could not include the letters I or Z.
From March 1999 the year letter changed from once to twice per year, in March and September.
Note: Prefix Q was not used as a year letter, but indicates "Query". Normally this indicates the car is either a kit car, has been previously a total lose (an insurance write off) or its original year of manufacture is unknown. Q-plates are of the format: Q 123 ABC.
Note: Prefix Z was not used due to its similarity to the number 2. March 2001 to August 2001 Year Prefix - Y September 2000 to February 2001 Year Prefix - X March 2000 to August 2000 Year Prefix - W September 1999 to February 2000 Year Prefix - V March 1999 to August 1999 Year Prefix - T August 1998 to February 1999 Year Prefix - S August 1997 to July 1998 Year Prefix - R Note: Prefix Q was not used due to its similarity with the number 0 and letter O. August 1996 to July 1997 Year Prefix - P Note: Prefix O was not used due to its similarity with the number 0 and letter Q. August 1995 to July 1996 Year Prefix - N August 1994 to July 1995 Year Prefix - M August 1993 to July 1994 Year Prefix - L August 1992 to July 1993 Year Prefix - K August 1991 to July 1992 Year Prefix - J Note: Prefix I was not used due to its similarity with the number 1 and letter L. August 1990 to July 1991 Year Prefix - H August 1989 to July 1990 Year Prefix - G August 1988 to July 1989 Year Prefix - F August 1987 to July 1988 Year Prefix - E August 1986 to July 1987 Year Prefix - D August 1985 to July 1986 Year Prefix - C August 1984 to July 1985 Year Prefix - B August 1983 to July 1984 Year Prefix - A
![[Ford RS Image]](images/rs-various-01.jpg)
Up to July 1983 the year letter was the last letter, suffix, of the number plate, example: ABC 123 Y. The BC of the ABC was associated with the local DVLA office that allocated the registration number. For this format of number plate, the final three letters could not include the letters I or Z.
Note: Suffix Z was not used due to its similarity with the number 2. August 1982 to July 1983 Year Suffix - Y August 1981 to July 1982 Year Suffix - X August 1980 to July 1981 Year Suffix - W August 1979 to July 1980 Year Suffix - V Note: Suffix U was not used due to its similarity with the letter V. August 1978 to July 1979 Year Suffix - T August 1977 to July 1978 Year Suffix - S August 1976 to July 1977 Year Suffix - R Note: Suffix Q was not used due to its similarity with the number 0 and letter O. August 1975 to July 1976 Year Suffix - P Note: Suffix O was not used due to its similarity with the number 0. August 1974 to July 1975 Year Suffix - N August 1973 to July 1974 Year Suffix - M August 1972 to July 1973 Year Suffix - L August 1971 to July 1972 Year Suffix - K August 1970 to July 1971 Year Suffix - J August 1969 to July 1970 Year Suffix - H August 1968 to July 1969 Year Suffix - G August 1967 to July 1968 Year Suffix - F January 1967 to July 1967 Year Suffix - E January 1966 to December 1966 Year Suffix - D January 1965 to December 1965 Year Suffix - C January 1964 to December 1964 Year Suffix - B January 1963 to December 1963 Year Suffix - A
Vehicles registered prior to August 1962 did not use a year identification indicator.
A number of numerical and letter formats were used prior to August 1962:© 2008 - turbocharger.co.uk