Vehicle age suitability checker

You cannot assign a registration mark to a vehicle if its 'age identifier' is newer than the period of when the vehicle was first registered

Make sure you can use the registration mark by using this guide:

Either

1. Enter the vehicle's original registration mark (if its not already a private registration)

Or, if you don't know the registration

2. Select the identifier period or year that the vehicle was first registered

 
 
 
 
Frequently Asked Questions about this service
Why do I need to check the age of my vehicle?
Our government is keen to prevent fraudsters attempting to make vehicles look younger than they actually are so that they can then sell them for more money. To prevent this from happening, the DVLA does not permit 'younger' registration marks to be transferred to older vehicles. However it does permit 'older' marks to be transferred to younger vehicles without hindrance.
 
Some registration marks do not carry an 'age identifier' within their sequence (please see below for examples). This is true of mainland UK registrations from pre 1963 and registration marks originally from Northern Ireland. These two types of registration can be transferred to any age of vehicle. All other types or registration marks carry 'age identifiers' and so if you choose one of these it's always best to check if it can be legally transferred to your chosen vehicle, before you buy it.
 
Examples of registration types and age identifiers
 
Mainland UK Dateless number plates (issued between 1903 and 1963)
Dateless Number Plate Example 123 ABC Dateless Number Plate Example ABC 123
  • No age identifier
  • Examples: A 1, A 123, ABC 123, 1 A, 123 A, 123 ABC
 
 
Northern Ireland Number plates (from 1903 on)
Irish Number Plate Example ABZ 1234
  • No age identifier
  • Examples: 1 AZ, AZ 1, AZ 1234, ABZ 1, GIL 123, GAZ 1234, BIG 1234, JUI 135
 
 
Suffix Number plates (Issued between 1963 and 1983)
Suffix Number Plate Example ABC 1A
  • Age identifier is the last letter (suffix).
  • Examples: ABC 1D, ABC 123F, WOO 13Y, ANN 4S, PAU 10S, HEL 3N
 
 
Prefix Number plates (issued between 1983 and 2001)
Prefix Number Plate Example A1 ABC
  • Age identifier is the first letter (prefix).
  • Examples: A1 ABC, A123 ABC, S5 UES, A117 ONY, P4 ULS, T4 MMY, K155 ESS, B16 CAR, S4 UCY, K1 NGS
 
 
Current Style/ New style Number plates (from 2001 on)
Current Style Number Plate Example AB05 ABC
  • Age identifier is the number group.
  • Examples:CU06 SDE, CU56 SDE, HP02 HEL, RU55 ELL, AS02 ZZZ
 
 
The registration on the vehicle isn't the original one - How can I check the vehicle age?
  1. You can look at the area of the V5 document which specifies the vehicle's date of first registration. The date shown in section 4.B. should always be used Please DO NOT USE the date shown in section 4C.
  2. If you do not have the registration document handy, you can use the free service on http://www.hpicheck.com/ (link opens in a new window).
I don't know the original registration of the vehicle, how can I check suitability?
  1. If you already know the date that the vehicle was first registered, you can enter that in the drop down instead.
  2. You can look at the area of the V5 document which specifies the vehicle's date of first registration. The date shown in section 4.B. should always be used Please DO NOT USE the date shown in section 4C.
  3. You can look at the number plates or tax disc which are currently on the vehicle.
How accurate is this system?
This system has been checked for 100% accuracy but is wholly dependent on the correctness of the date you enter. If you are unsure about your vehicle's age or the current registration, then please DO NOT depend on this system for advice.