Checking your vehicle age

Check below to see if your chosen registration will suit the intended vehicle.

If you are unsure of the vehicle's age but know the registration mark and model click here to lookup its age.

Checking the Age of your Vehicle

One of the most important rules regarding personalised registrations is that you cannot make a vehicle look newer than it is. The reason for this is to stop fraudsters from mis-selling vehicles to unsuspecting buyers, and in turn promotes the sale of new vehicles when the new age identifiers are released. Because of this it is vital that when you are looking at purchasing a personalised registration you check the age of your vehicle. Most registrations will carry an age identifier, which will let you know how new the vehicle must be for you to be able to assign it. It is permissible to put an older mark on a newer vehicle, and some registrations such as those released before 1963 as well as Northern Irish registrations don't carry age identifiers at all and can be used on suitable vehicles of any age . Our unique tool works by selecting the date your vehicle was first registered from a drop-down menu, then showing you which registrations are suitable by displaying a green tick or a red cross.

*Please note that if your vehicle already bears a non-original registration mark that has been transferred to it since it was first registered, then the tool's result will not relate to your vehicle , but to the age of that mark instead. It is then best to use your V5C vehicle log book (or registration document) to check the true age of your vehicle.

You can find the age of your vehicle by looking on the V5C log book, or if you know the number plate then you can look online here.

Our Vehicle Age Checker is also built into the Purchase Options page of every registration, enabling you to check that the registration is suitable for your vehicle without losing your place.

*subject to the above limitation for non-original registration marks.

Why do UK number plates carry age identifiers?

UK Registrations were first introduced by local licensing authorities in 1903, beginning with what we know today as Dateless-Style registrations. In February 1963 the Suffix-Style registration was introduced because the DVLA were running out of dateless combinations to use, having already issued millions of vehicle registration marks across the country. The Suffix-Style saw the introduction of age-identifiers on number plates - a feature that is still applied to registrations today with the Current Style registrations. Age identifiers made it difficult for people selling their cars to lie about the age of the vehicle, which was an issue; especially before the digitisation of DVLA records. The age identifier also encouraged people to purchase newer vehicles as they were released, there was always a spike in car sales when a new age-identifier was released and seeing a "new reg" was always a conversation point.

To learn more about the different styles of registrations and their age identifiers, you can read our guide to the history of number plates.

Checking available registrations for vehicle dated

Current Style/New Style Number plates - FROM 2001 ON

AB05 ABC the "05" represents the period of March 2005.

Private registration mark qualities			Suitable for '' Reg
Age Identifier	Valid from	E.g	Suitable for '' Reg
76	2026-09-01	AB76 ABC
26	2026-03-01	AB26 ABC
75	2025-09-01	AB75 ABC
25	2025-03-01	AB25 ABC
74	2024-09-01	AB74 ABC
24	2024-03-01	AB24 ABC
73	2023-09-01	AB73 ABC
23	2023-03-01	AB23 ABC
72	2022-09-01	AB72 ABC
22	2022-03-01	AB22 ABC
71	2021-09-01	AB71 ABC
21	2021-03-01	AB21 ABC
70	2020-09-01	AB70 ABC
20	2020-03-01	AB20 ABC
69	2019-09-01	AB69 ABC
19	2019-03-01	AB19 ABC
68	2018-09-01	AB68 ABC
18	2018-03-01	AB18 ABC
67	2017-09-01	AB67 ABC
17	2017-03-01	AB17 ABC
66	2016-09-01	AB66 ABC
16	2016-03-01	AB16 ABC
65	2015-09-01	AB65 ABC
15	2015-03-01	AB15 ABC
64	2014-09-01	AB64 ABC
14	2014-03-01	AB14 ABC
63	2013-09-01	AB63 ABC
13	2013-03-01	AB13 ABC
62	2012-09-01	AB62 ABC
12	2012-03-01	AB12 ABC
61	2011-09-01	AB61 ABC
11	2011-03-01	AB11 ABC
60	2010-09-01	AB60 ABC
10	2010-03-01	AB10 ABC
59	2009-09-01	AB59 ABC
09	2009-03-01	AB09 ABC
58	2008-09-01	AB58 ABC
08	2008-03-01	AB08 ABC
57	2007-09-01	AB57 ABC
07	2007-03-01	AB07 ABC
56	2006-09-01	AB56 ABC
06	2006-03-01	AB06 ABC
55	2005-09-01	AB55 ABC
05	2005-03-01	AB05 ABC
54	2004-09-01	AB54 ABC
04	2004-03-01	AB04 ABC
53	2003-09-01	AB53 ABC
03	2003-03-01	AB03 ABC
52	2002-09-01	AB52 ABC
02	2002-03-01	AB02 ABC
51	2001-09-01	AB51 ABC

Prefix Style Number plates - FROM 1983 TO 2001

A1 ABC the "A" represents the period of AUGUST 1983.

Private registration mark qualities			Suitable for '' Reg
Age Identifier	Valid from	E.g	Suitable for '' Reg
Y	2001-03-01	Y123 ABC
X	2000-09-01	X123 ABC
W	2000-03-01	W123 ABC
V	1999-09-01	V123 ABC
T	1999-03-01	T123 ABC
S	1998-08-01	S123 ABC
R	1997-08-01	R123 ABC
P	1996-08-01	P123 ABC
N	1995-08-01	N123 ABC
M	1994-08-01	M123 ABC
L	1993-08-01	L123 ABC
K	1992-08-01	K123 ABC
J	1991-08-01	J123 ABC
H	1990-08-01	H123 ABC
G	1989-08-01	G123 ABC
F	1988-08-01	F123 ABC
E	1987-08-01	E123 ABC
D	1986-08-01	D123 ABC
C	1985-08-01	C123 ABC
B	1984-08-01	B123 ABC
A	1983-08-01	A123 ABC

Suffix Style Number plates - FROM 1963 TO 1983

ABC 1A the "A" represents the period of 1963

Private registration mark qualities			Suitable for '' Reg
Age Identifier	Valid from	E.g	Suitable for '' Reg
Y	1982-08-01	ABC 1Y
X	1981-08-01	ABC 1X
W	1980-08-01	ABC 1W
V	1979-08-01	ABC 1V
T	1978-08-01	ABC 1T
S	1977-08-01	ABC 1S
R	1976-08-01	ABC 1R
P	1975-08-01	ABC 1P
N	1974-08-01	ABC 1N
M	1973-08-01	ABC 1M
L	1972-08-01	ABC 1L
K	1971-08-01	ABC 1K
J	1970-08-01	ABC 1J
H	1969-08-01	ABC 1H
G	1968-08-01	ABC 1G
F	1967-08-01	ABC 1F
E	1967-01-01	ABC 1E
D	1966-01-01	ABC 1D
C	1965-01-01	ABC 1C
B	1964-01-01	ABC 1B
A	1963-01-01	ABC 1A