The structure of car registration plates, which incorporates both numbers and letters, holds a deeper significance beyond a mere arbitrary combination, a fact that may surprise many.
While it’s commonly understood that the numbers on the plate correspond to the year of the vehicle’s registration and the half-year it occurred in, the lesser-known truth is that the two letters preceding the numbers also bear meaningful connotations.
Jon Kirkbright, Sales Director at Private Number Plates, possessing over 11 years of industry experience, divulges the secret: these letters serve as regional identifiers.
“To the untrained observer, number plates might appear as a haphazard blend of letters and numbers,” Jon explains. “While people often recognise that the numbers denote the car’s manufacturing and registration year, they might not be aware that the preceding letters carry hidden meanings.”
These letters, known as “regional identifiers,” point to the DVLA office responsible for registering the car. This detail might elucidate why cars purchased from the same dealership often sport plates with identical initial letters—an occurrence not coincidental but deliberately coordinated.
However, when individuals opt for private registration plates, this rule no longer applies, as they can select a personalized combination of letters and numbers.
Jon emphasizes that private number plates can’t be employed to make cars appear newer than their actual manufacturing date. “It’s unlawful to misrepresent the registration in any manner. While you can make your car appear older than it truly is, you’re prohibited from giving it a semblance of being newer. For instance, fitting an ’11’ number plate on a car from the ’07’ period is not permissible.”
Those seeking to obscure their car’s age might find dateless private registration plates an attractive option. Jon adds, “Contrary to common belief, dateless personalised registrations are often available at modest prices… These plates are ideal for those desiring an entirely unique identity or a registration that obscures the car’s age, though they tend to find new homes rapidly.”
Armed with this insight into the letter-based codes, original plate holders can decipher the geographic origin of their cars. The data below illustrates the regional identifiers and their corresponding locations and postal areas:
Regional Identifiers | Location | Postal area
AA AB AC AD AE AF AG AH AJ AK AL AM AN | Anglia | Peterborough
AO AP AR AS AT AU | Anglia | Norwich
AV AW AX AY | Anglia | Ipswich
BA – BY | Birmingham | Birmingham
CA CB CC CD CE CF CG CH CJ CK CL CM CN CO | Cymru | Cardiff
CP CR CS CT CU CV | Cymru | Swansea
CW CX CY | Cymru | Bangor
DA DB DC DD DE DF DG DH DJ DK | Deeside to Shrewsbury | Chester
DL DM DN DO DP DR DS DT DU DV DW DX DY | Deeside to Shrewsbury | Shrewsbury
EA – EY | Essex | Chelmsford
FA FB FC FD FE FF FG FH FJ FK FL FM FN FP | Forest & Fens | Nottingham
FR FS FT FV FW FX FY | Forest & Fens | Lincoln
GA GB GC GD GE GF GG GH GJ GK GL GM GN GO | Garden of England | Maidstone
GP GR GS GT GU GV GW GX GY | Garden of England | Brighton
HA HB HC HD HE HF HG HH HJ | Hampshire & Dorset | Bournemouth
HK HL HM HN HO HP HR HS HT HU HV HW HX HY (HW will be used exclusively for Isle of Wight residents) | Hampshire & Dorset | Portsmouth
KA KB KC KD KE KF KG KH KJ KK KL | | Borehamwood
KM KN KO KP KR KS KT KU KV KW KX KY | | Northampton
LA LB LC LD LE LF LG LH LJ | London | Wimbledon
LK LL LM LN LO LP LR LS LT | London | Borehamwood
LU LV LW LX LY | London | Sidcup
MA – MY (MN + MAN Reserved for the Isle of Man) | Manchester & Merseyside | Manchester
NA NB NC ND NE NG NH NJ NK NL NM NN NO | North | Newcastle
NP NR NS NT NU NV NW NX NY | North | Stockton
OA – OY | Oxford | Oxford
PA PB PC PD PE PF PG PH PJ PK PL PM PN PO PP PR PS PT | Preston | Preston
PU PV PW PX PY | Preston | Carlisle
RA – RY | Reading | Theale
SA SB SC SD SE SF SG SH SJ | Scotland | Glasgow
SK SL SM SN SO | Scotland | Edinburgh
SP SR SS ST | Scotland | Dundee
SU SV SW | Scotland | Aberdeen
SX SY | Scotland | Inverness
VA – VY | Severn Valley | Worcester
WA WB WC WD WE WF WG WH WJ | West of England | Exeter
WK WL | West of England | Truro
WM WN WO WP WR WS WT WU WV WW WX WY | West of England | Bristol
YA YB YC YD YE YF YG YH YJ YK | Yorkshire | Leeds
YL YM YN YO YP YR YS YT YU | Yorkshire | Sheffield
YV YW YX YY | Yorkshire | Beverley
For individuals seeking more information or assistance in acquiring or selling private number plates, Private Number Plates offers valuable resources. Additionally, inquiries can be directed to them via their Facebook page.
By unveiling the concealed intricacies of car plates, Jon Kirkbright’s expertise empowers drivers to unlock the geographical origin of their vehicles, showcasing the profound narrative encoded within seemingly random combinations.
