New DVLA number plates are being introduced on September 1st. Every year there are two different sets of number plates introduced to signify a new year for cars. As well as new registrations being introduced in September they are also a set released in March. These number plates differ by the age identifier they are given and there are two given each year.
The current number plate for 2019 is marked by a ’19’ age identifier while the plates coming in September 2019 will be marked by a ’69’.
In 2019 plates will be marked with ’19’ from March 1st until August 31st, while cars introduced on September 1st, 2019 until February 31st, 2020 will be marked with ’69’.
The current number plate system was introduced in September 2001 with the labelling of new cars starting at ’51’ in 2001 followed by ’52’ in the following September.
It was slightly modified in 2010 when the half-year number plate marker was changed from a ‘5’ to a ‘6’, this is so there are no duplicate plates.
Before this, licence plates were markers using a single letter which represented the year the registrations were released in.
That system was first introduced in 1983 beginning with A and ending in 2001 with Y.
Here is how you can identify the age of a car since its introduction:
- 2001/02: 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
The first two characters on a number plate are the local memory tag which identifies where the vehicle was registered.
The first letter stands for the local area, for example, L for London. After this letter is the DVLA office in the area the car was registered.
At the end of the number plate is three random letters which will give the car a unique identity.
Every time new number plates are introduced there are a set of registrations removed because they could be perceived as too rude or offensive.
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