What year is my car? A UK car owners vehicle reg guide

Your UK number plate tells you exactly when the car was first registered — the two numbers in the centre of a standard plate reveal the year and whether it was registered in March or September.

If your car was registered after 2001, its number plate follows a standard format: two letters, followed by two numbers, then three more letters — like AB23 XYZ. The part you care about? Those two digits in the middle. They’re not random. They point directly to the car’s registration year and whether it was first issued between March–August or September–February.

A “23” plate, for example, refers to March 2023. A “73” plate? That’s September 2023. It’s a system that refreshes twice a year — once in March and again in September — to keep registrations moving and car models feeling current.

The two letters at the start are regional identifiers, which refer to the area where the car was registered (e.g. “LA” means London). The final three letters are randomly assigned and don’t carry any meaningful information about the car’s age.

This format makes it easy to check a car’s age at a glance — as long as it’s not wearing a private or older plate. If you know where to look, the information is right there in plain sight.

If your number plate was issued before September 2001, its age is shown by a single letter — either at the start (prefix system) or end (suffix system) of the plate. Each letter maps to a specific year.

Before the current system came in, UK number plates used a simpler code to indicate the vehicle’s registration year: a single letter, either placed at the start or the end of the plate depending on the decade.

From 1963 to 1982, the UK used a suffix system, where the final letter indicated the registration year. So a plate like ABC 123A would be from 1963. The letters moved forward alphabetically each year — skipping some letters like I, O, U and Z to avoid confusion.

In August 1983, the prefix system replaced it. Now, the year indicator appeared at the start of the plate, like A123 ABC. This continued until August 2001, when the new two-digit system we use today was introduced.

Here’s a breakdown:

 
Note: The same letter was reused across systems — so an “A” suffix plate is from 1963, but an “A” prefix is from 1983. Context (and format) matters.

You’re most likely to see these on classic cars, vintage imports, or vehicles that have had their private plates removed. The good news? The DVLA still tracks these registrations, and the logbook (V5C) will confirm the date clearly.

Yes — private plates can disguise the registration year on the plate itself, but the car’s true age is still recorded by the DVLA and will always show on official records.

Private or personalised plates are often bought to make a car look newer — or to display initials, names or words. They can make it harder to guess a car’s age at a glance, particularly if the plate is in a dateless format like ABC 123 or 123 XYZ. But they don’t actually change the car’s age. The DVLA, insurers, and MOT records all continue to associate the car with its original registration year.

If you’ve bought a car with a private plate and want to confirm its age, the easiest method is to check the V5C logbook or use a DVLA vehicle information service. These will list the original registration date, regardless of what’s displayed on the plate.

There’s also a limit to how much age-hiding is allowed. You can’t apply a newer-looking plate to an older car. For example, you can’t legally put a “23” plate on a car first registered in 2010. The DVLA prevents registrations that would make a vehicle appear younger than it really is.

Yes, a car’s registration year can influence its value — sometimes significantly. Buyers often use plate age as a mental shortcut for estimating condition, mileage, or how “current” a car feels.

This isn’t always rational, but it’s real. Take two cars of the same make and model. One has a 23 plate, the other a 71. Even with identical specs and mileage, the newer plate will often command a higher price. It looks fresher, more current — and that can tip a decision.

Dealers understand this, and so do private buyers. When scanning classified listings or trade-ins, most people filter by year. A newer plate signals perceived reliability, fewer previous owners, or a later facelifted version — even if none of that is actually true.

There are, of course, exceptions. Special edition models, rare specs, or exceptionally well-kept older vehicles can outperform newer counterparts. But in the average used car market, age still talks.

Number plates also play a role in part-exchange values. Dealers will factor in the plate when estimating desirability or how quickly they can turn the vehicle around. And if the plate disguises the age — like with private or Northern Irish reg — they’ll go straight to the logbook or DVLA check to confirm.

The takeaway? Even if your car’s in excellent shape, that number on the plate still shapes perception — and, often, price.