Number plates
What year is my number plate?
The two numbers after the first two letters tell you when the plate was issued. Plates from March to August carry the year’s last two digits, so 26 means March to August 2026. Plates from September to February add 50, so 76 means September 2026 to February 2027.
Every age identifier since 2001
| Year | March to August | September to February |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | n/a | 51 |
| 2002 | 02 | 52 |
| 2003 | 03 | 53 |
| 2004 | 04 | 54 |
| 2005 | 05 | 55 |
| 2006 | 06 | 56 |
| 2007 | 07 | 57 |
| 2008 | 08 | 58 |
| 2009 | 09 | 59 |
| 2010 | 10 | 60 |
| 2011 | 11 | 61 |
| 2012 | 12 | 62 |
| 2013 | 13 | 63 |
| 2014 | 14 | 64 |
| 2015 | 15 | 65 |
| 2016 | 16 | 66 |
| 2017 | 17 | 67 |
| 2018 | 18 | 68 |
| 2019 | 19 | 69 |
| 2020 | 20 | 70 |
| 2021 | 21 | 71 |
| 2022 | 22 | 72 |
| 2023 | 23 | 73 |
| 2024 | 24 | 74 |
| 2025 | 25 | 75 |
| 2026 | 26 | 76 |
| 2027 | 27 (from March 2027) | 77 (from September 2027) |
| 2028 | 28 (from March 2028) | 78 (from September 2028) |
| 2029 | 29 (from March 2029) | 79 (from September 2029) |
From DVLA’s INF104, vehicle registration numbers and number plates, which lists identifiers up to 79 (September 2029). The current format began on 1 September 2001 with 51, so there was no March 2001 identifier.
The other parts of the plate
The first two letters are the memory tag: the first letter is the region and the second the DVLA office that issued it. The last three letters are random. The number plate check reads a full registration, region included, alongside the vehicle’s MOT history.
A plate’s age is when the registration was issued, which isn’t always the car’s age. Private registrations move between vehicles, but DVLA’s rule is that a registration can’t make a vehicle appear younger than it actually is.
Questions
What year is a 75 plate?
A 75 plate was issued between September 2025 and February 2026. September identifiers are the year's last two digits plus 50, so 75 is 2025 + 50.
What year is a 25 plate?
A 25 plate was issued between March and August 2025. March identifiers are simply the year's last two digits.
What is the newest number plate?
The 76 plate, issued from September 2026 until February 2027. The next one, 27, starts in March 2027.
Can I put a newer plate on an older car?
No. DVLA's rule is that you can't use a registration number to make a vehicle appear younger than it actually is.
Why don't 00, 01 or 50 plates exist?
The current format began in September 2001 with 51. The first March identifier was 02, in March 2002, so 00, 01 and 50 were never issued.