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Number plate decoder

Written by the CarCheckHQ team. Updated .

The two numbers on a current UK number plate tell you when it was issued. The first two letters tell you which DVLA area the registration was first given out in.

Type the first four characters below and we'll decode them using the tables in DVLA's leaflet INF104. It works in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.

A plate can make a car look older than it is, but never newer. So if the plate and the age on the advert don't match, ask why.

Current format

Decode a number plate

Decode a plate

Type the first four characters of a UK number plate, like AB76, to see when it was issued and which DVLA area the letters belong to.

See all age identifiers

What your result means

Why the age matters when you're buying

DVLA's leaflet INF104 says you can't use a registration number to make a vehicle look younger than it actually is. So a car can wear an older-looking plate, such as a private plate, but it should never wear one that's newer than the car.

That gives you three quick checks at a viewing:

  1. The plate fits the year on the advert. A car advertised as a 2019 model with a 69 plate is consistent. A car advertised as 2021 wearing a 15 plate isn't wrong in itself, but ask whether it's a private plate.
  2. The plate matches the V5C log book. The registration number on the car, the advert and the V5C should all be the same. Our V5C log book checker walks you through the rest of the document checks.
  3. The plate matches the car. Check the make and colour against GOV.UK's free vehicle information service. A plate copied from a similar car, known as cloning, will show the details of that other car.

If the plate looks newer than the car, or the details don't match the V5C, don't hand over any money until you get a good answer. Our guide to buying a used car covers what else to check.

Age identifiers by year

The current format started on 1 September 2001. The number changes twice a year, in March and September. DVLA says the pattern will continue until all possible variations have been used.

Memory tags by area

The first letter is the region and the second letter narrows it to a DVLA area. DVLA doesn't use I, Q or Z in memory tags, and only uses Z as one of the three random letters. HW is used only for Isle of Wight residents, and MN is reserved for the Isle of Man.

What this tool can't tell you

Questions people ask

What year is a 76 plate?

A 76 plate was issued between September 2026 and February 2027. The next plate, 27, starts in March 2027.

How do I work out the age of a number plate?

Look at the two numbers after the first two letters. From March to August the number is the last two digits of the year, so 25 means March to August 2025. From September to February it's the year plus 50, so 75 means September 2025 to February 2026.

What do the first two letters on a number plate mean?

They're the memory tag. The first letter is the region and the two letters together point to the DVLA area where the registration was first issued. For example, LA to LJ are Wimbledon in the London region.

Can a car have a newer number plate than its age?

No. DVLA says you can't use a registration number to make a vehicle look younger than it is. A car can carry an older-looking plate, but a plate newer than the car is a reason to ask questions before you buy.

Does the area on the plate show where the car is from?

Only where the registration was first issued. It doesn't show where the car has been kept since.

Is my plate sent anywhere when I use this?

No. The decoding happens in your browser. If you share a result, the link only includes the first four characters.

Sources

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. CarCheckHQ isn't affiliated with or endorsed by DVLA.