Number plates (aka licence plates) show your vehicle registration number. You're not allowed to rearrange the letters or numbers, or make them difficult to read such as; changing the font type, font size and/or spacing.
The first registration number, one letter and one number (A1), was issued following the Motor Car Act 1903. Since then all vehicles have had to be registered and display a registration number.
Vehicles need to be identifiable for road traffic enforcement and road safety. By law , you must display the registration number correctly.
A number plate shows the age of a vehicle. You can’t make the vehicle appear younger than it is, even if you buy a personalised vehicle registration number!
The mandatory font specified in the Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) Regulations 2001 is the Charles Wright font. It is illegal for any vehicle being used on the public highway to have a number plate which does not conform to the usage of this font.
All vehicles (except motorcycles) manufactured after 1 January 1973
Height 79mm
Width 50mm
Stroke 14mm
Margins 11mm
Font spacing 11mm
Group spacing 33mm
The reason why there is a yellow number plate at the back and a white one at the front of the vehicle is because it is illegal to show a white light on the back at night. The law includes reflectors in its definition of what constitutes a light. (The Road Vehicles Lighting Regulations 1989)
Since 1st April 2015 vehicles manufactured before 1 January 1975 can display the older style black and silver number plates. The registered keeper must apply to the DVLA, and the vehicle be registered within the ‘historic vehicles’ tax class. This allows your vehicle to retain its authenticity and be in keeping with its age.
Vehicles constructed 40 or more years ago are exempt from vehicle tax. The 40 year exemption date rolls forward automatically each year on 1 April.
First registration is 1st March to end August and second is 1st September to end February
Example: (02) is 1st March to end of August and (52) is 1st September to end of February and so on until 2050/51
2000/01 (Y)
2001/02 (01*)(51)
2002/03 (02)(52)
2003/04 (03)(53)
2004/05 (04)(54)
2005/06 (05)(55)
2006/07 (06)(56)
2007/08 (07)(57)
2008/09 (08)(58)
2009/10 (09)(59)
2010/11 (10)(60)
2011/12 (11)(61)
2012/13 (12)(62)
2013/14 (13)(63)
2014/15 (14)(64)
2015/16 (15)(65)
2016/17 (16)(66)
2017/18 (17)(67)
2018/19 (18)(68)
2019/20 (19)(69)
2020/21 (20)(70)
2021/22 (21)(71)
2022/23 (22)(72)
2023/24 (23)(73)
2024/25 (24)(74)
2025/26 (25)(75)
2026/27 (26)(76)
2027/28 (27)(77)
2028/29 (28)(78)
2029/20 (29)(79)
* Was never released.
1983-1998 (A-R) 1st August to end of July
1998-1999 (S) 1st August 1998 to end of February 1999
1999 (T) 1st March to end of August
1999-2000 (V) 1st September 1999 to end of February 2000
2000 (W) 1st March to end of August
2000-2001 (X) 1st September 2000 to end of February 2001
2001 (Y) 1st March to end of August
1983/84 (A)
1984/85 (B)
1985/86 (C)
1986/87 (D)
1987/88 (E)
1988/89 (F)
1989/90 (G)
1990/91 (H)
1991/92 (J)
1992/93 (K)
1993/94 (L)
1994/95 (M)
1995/96 (N)
1996/97 (P)
1997/98 (R)
1998/99 (S)
1999 (T)
1999/00 (V)
2000 (W)
2000/01 (X)
2001 (Y)
1963-1966 (A-D) 1st January to 31st December
1967 (E) 1st January to end of July
1967-1983 (F-Y) 1st August to end of July
1963 (A)
1964 (B)
1965 (C)
1966 (D)
1967 (E)
1967/68 (F)
1968/69 (G)
1969/70 (H)
1970/71 (J)
1971/72 (K)
1972/73 (L)
1973/74 (M)
1974/75 (N)
1975/76 (P)
1976/77 (R)
1977/78 (S)
1978/79 (T)
1979/80 (V)
1980/81 (W)
1981/82 (X)
1982/83 (Y)
'I' wasn't used because it looks like the number one from a distance.
'O' wasn't used because it looks like the number zero from a distance.
'U' wasn't used because it looks like the letter V from a distance.
The DVLA introduced Q plates in 1983 which are issued to kit cars and some imports where the date of first registration can't be established.