License plate (Great Britain)
Vehicles in the United Kingdom have been required to have individual identification since 1904. It is regularly tied to a vehicle, so it remains with the vehicle for life (with a few exceptions) after a change of location or owner.
Since 2001 this number plate has been allocated according to the new system:
The labels have the form CC NN XXX (CC source code ; NN = Year Code of registration (01-49: first half of the year in the specified year, 51-99: second half of the year); XXX = distinctive group of letters (assigned sequentially, with the exception of I, Q and certain combinations)). The front license plate has a white background with black writing, the rear license plate has a yellow background with black writing. Until the end of the UK's EU membership, the license plates could optionally be issued as Euro plates . These indicators will be replaced by the end of the transition period at the end of 2020. Since February 2020, only license plates with the national flag and GB abbreviation in the sovereign field have been internationally recognized. There are other possible designs with national emblems, which, however, require the additional use of the oval GB sticker in international traffic.
The year code changes on March 1st and September 1st. Until 28/29. February uses the previous year indicator + 50, and analogously up to August 31, the two-digit year number.
A Q in the first place means that the vehicle has been completely changed, for example the appearance has been changed significantly compared to that when it was first registered or the car was rebuilt after a total write-off.
A different labeling system is used in Northern Ireland .
Year codes
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Origin Codes
The new origin codes are different from the old origin codes . They also consist of two letters, the first of which (Local Memory Day) , the area and the second (Local Identifier) the Admissions Office (Vehicle Registration Office) referred to:
| Local memory tag | Admissions office | Local Identifier |
|---|---|---|
| A Anglia | Peterborough | ABCDEFGHJKLMN |
| Norwich | OPRSTU | |
| Ipswich | VWXY | |
| B Birmingham | Birmingham | A-Y |
| C Cymru / Wales | Cardiff | ABCDEFGHJKLMNO |
| Swansea | PRSTUV | |
| Bangor | WXY | |
| D Deeside and Shrewsbury | Chester | ABCDEFGHJK |
| Shrewsbury | LMNOPRSTUVWXY | |
| E Essex | Chelmsford | A-Y |
| F Forest and Fens | Nottingham | ABCDEFGHJKLMNP |
| Lincoln | RSTVWXY | |
| G Garden of England ( Kent , Surrey and Sussex ) |
Maidstone | ABCDEFGHJKLMNO |
| Brighton | PRSTUVWXY | |
| H Hampshire and Dorset | Bournemouth | ABCDEFGHJ |
| Portsmouth | KLMNOPRSTUVXY | |
| Isle of Wight | W. | |
| J | reserve | A-Y |
| K ( Luton and Northampton ) | Luton | ABCDEFGHJKL |
| Northampton | MNOPRSTUVWXY | |
| L London | Wimbledon | ABCDEFGHJ |
| Stanmore , from 2006: Borehamwood | KLMNOPRST | |
| Sidcup | UVWXY | |
| M Manchester | Manchester | A-Y |
| N North East England | Newcastle | ABCDEGHJKLMNO |
| Stockton-on-teas | PRSTUVWXY | |
| O Oxford | Oxford | A-Y |
| P Preston and Peaks | Preston | ABCDEFGHJKLMNOPRST |
| Carlisle | UVWXY | |
| R Reading | Reading | A-Y |
| S Scotland | Glasgow | ABCDEFGHJ |
| Edinburgh | KLMNO | |
| Dundee | PRST | |
| Aberdeen | AND MANY MORE | |
| Inverness | XY | |
| T | reserve | A-Y |
| U | reserve | A-Y |
| V Valley of River Severn | Worcester | A-Y |
| W West Country ( South West England ) |
Exeter | ABCDEFGHJ |
| Truro | KL | |
| Bristol | MNOPRSTUVWXY | |
| X ( EU - Export ) | March / September | A. |
| April / October | B. | |
| May / November | C. | |
| June / December | D. | |
| July / January | E. | |
| August / February | F. | |
| X | reserve | G-Y |
| Y Yorkshire | Leeds | ABCDEFGHJK |
| Sheffield | LMNOPRSTU | |
| Beverley | VWXY |
Since the license plate accompanies a vehicle throughout its life, the letters of origin only indicate the place of first registration. The panels can be manufactured by any company in compliance with certain standards; this means that company advertising can also be printed on the board. In addition to the predominantly used font, there are also signs with decorative and cursive script or in Fraktur.
If a license plate is resold, the seller is obliged to inform the registration authority, otherwise the vehicle tax will continue to be levied by him.
Occasionally you can still see the old black number plates with white letters on oldtimers , which were issued up to January 1st, 1973.
There are also custom license plates that are not tied to the respective registration holder. Therefore a lively trade with these numbers is possible.
Readmission
If a vehicle is re-registered, e.g. B. If the previous owner uses the old license plate for another vehicle, a new license plate will be assigned, which corresponds to the date of the first registration:
- Before 1931: SVnnnn or BSnnnn
- 1931 to 1963: ASV1 - YSV999, BSK1 - YSK999, CSU1 - YSU999, GVS1 - YVS999, TYJ1 - YYJ999, KFF1 - YFF999, MFO1 - YFO999, PSY1 - YSY999, ASJ101 - YSL108998. The origin codes have no meaning here; they are purely distinguishing marks.
- First registration after 1963: These vehicles receive the next sequence from the registration office for the corresponding year. A vehicle that was first registered in September 1969 in Greenock would have the license plate SVS 323 H if the last license plate assigned for the year suffix H was SVS 322 H.
pendant
The characteristics described are only available for the motor vehicle. Trailers are not subject to approval, they each receive a repetitive number plate with the number of the towing vehicle.
Often additional "unofficial license plates" are attached to the trailers so that they can be identified without a towing vehicle. These labels each consist of a letter and six to seven digits.
National emblem in Great Britain
Since the UK left the EU, only the blue field with the national flag and the abbreviation GB has been internationally recognized. The license plates with an EU field will be replaced by the end of the transition phase at the end of 2020. Owners of vehicles registered in Great Britain can alternatively have a license plate made with a national emblem and lettering. Either the full wording or the abbreviation under the sovereignty symbol in the blue "Euroband" is used.
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GB - GREAT BRITAIN Great Britain UK - UNITED KINGDOM United Kingdom |
ENG - Eng - ENGLAND - England | SCO - Sco - SCOTLAND - Scotland |
CYM - Cym - CYMRU - Cymru WALES - Wales |
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Although these marks are approved throughout the UK, they cannot be recognized by other countries. Therefore, these vehicles abroad must attach a nationality sticker with "GB" to their vehicle.
Examples of license plates with national emblems
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| Example for CYM (Wales) | Example for Cymru (Wales) | Example for Wales | Example for ENG (England) |
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| Example for England | Example of GB (Great Britain) | Example for Great Britain | UK (United Kingdom) example |
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| Example for United Kingdom | Example for SCO (Scotland) | Example for Scotland | Example of no identifier |
history
Since 1904, all UK motor vehicles have been required to have license plates. Only the official vehicles of the sovereign, currently the queen, are excluded from this. The license plates were issued by the regional administrative authorities until 1974, and from 1974 onwards they are issued by the regional Vehicle Registration Offices of the Ministry of Transport. Each administrative authority was originally assigned at least one code of origin .
1903 to the 1930s
At that time, the license plates had the format C NNNN or CC NNNN, where C or CC denotes the code of origin and NNNN stands for a maximum of four-digit number (without leading zeros).
The 1930s to the 1950s
From around 1932 , the two-letter codes of origin were preceded by another distinctive letter . The license plates now had the format XCC NNN, where X stands for a distinctive letter and NNN for a maximum three-digit number. The distinctive letter was included in the counting sequence of the distinctive number, so that z. B. on the license plate AJF 999 the license plate BJF 1 followed.
The single-letter codes of origin were no longer assigned.
The 1950s and 1960s
Administrative authorities whose allocation quota had been exhausted exchanged the group of letters and numbers so that license plates were given the format NNN XCC.
With some authorities these combinations were also exhausted by the end of the 1950s, so that they used the scheme that was valid from 1903 to the 1930s until the 1960s , although the group of letters and numbers were reversed, e.g. B. 7842 N or 8401 AA.
1963 to 1983
At the beginning of the 1960s, the number quotas were again exhausted with some authorities, so that from 1963 they began to add a letter as a year suffix to the license plate, which thus got the format XCC NNN Y. It was not until 1965 , with the year suffix C, that all authorities had to use the year suffix. On January 1, 1973 , the color of the license plates was changed from black with white / silver writing to white and yellow with black writing.
Year suffix
- A 1963
- B 1964
- C 1965
- D 1966
- E January 1967 to July 1967
- F August 1967 to July 1968
- G 1968/69 (August to July)
- H 1969/70
- J 1970/71
- K 1971/72
- L 1972/73
- M 1973/74
- N 1974/75
- P 1975/76
- R 1976/77
- S 1977/78
- T 1978/79
- V 1979/80
- W 1980/81
- X 1981/82
- Y 1982/83
1983 to 2001
When the year suffixes were exhausted in 1983, the license plate format was reversed to Y NNN XCC; there was thus a year prefix . This scheme was in effect in Great Britain until 2001 .
EU export
Since 1993 the code XP has been used for tax-free vehicles for EU export (XPort). The year code and the differentiating number were assigned as usual. However, only the distinctive letters A to M (except I) were assigned, which stood for the months January to December.
Year prefix
- A 1983/84 (August to July)
- B 1984/85
- C 1985/86
- D 1986/87
- E 1987/88
- F 1988/89
- G 1989/90
- H 1990/91
- J 1991/92
- K 1992/93
- L 1993/94
- M 1994/95
- N 1995/96
- P 1996/97
- Q Unknown date of first admission
- R 1997/98
- S August 1998 to February 1999
- T March 1999 to August 1999
- V September 1999 to February 2000
- W March 2000 to August 2000
- X September 2000 to February 2001
- Y March 2001 to August 2001
Regional codes of origin
| Origin code | Admissions office | Remarks |
|---|---|---|
| A. | London | (until 1905) |
| AA | Salisbury | Hampshire until 1974, Salisbury 1974 to 1980, allocated by Bournemouth for the Salisbury area from 1980 |
| FROM | Worcester | Worcestershire until 1974 |
| AC | Coventry | Warwickshire until 1974 |
| AD | Gloucester | Gloucestershire until 1974 |
| AE | Bristol | |
| AF | Truro | Cornwall until 1974 |
| AG | Beverley / Hull | Ayrshire until 1974 |
| AH | Norwich | Norfolk until 1974 |
| AJ | Middlesbrough | North Yorkshire until 1974 |
| AK | Sheffield | Bradford until 1974 |
| AL | Nottingham | Nottinghamshire until 1974 |
| AT THE | Swindon | Wiltshire until 1974 |
| ON | Reading | West Ham until 1965, Greater London 1965 to 1974; the combination MAN was not issued, reserved for the Isle of Man |
| AO | Carlisle | Cumberland until 1974 |
| AP | Brighton | East Sussex until 1974 |
| AR | Chelmsford | Hertfordshire until 1974 |
| AS | Inverness | Nairnshire until 1974 |
| AT | Beverley VRO - Hull | |
| AU | Nottingham | |
| AV | Peterborough | Aberdeenshire until 1974; the combination LAV was not issued |
| AW | Shrewsbury | Shropshire until 1974 |
| AX | Cardiff | Monmouthshire until 1974 |
| AY | Leicester | Leicestershire until 1974 |
| B. | Lancashire | (until 1919) |
| BA | Manchester | Salford until 1974 |
| BB | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | |
| BC | Leicester | |
| BD | Northampton | Northamptonshire until 1974 |
| BE | Grimsby | Lindsey until 1974, Grimsby until 1980, assigned by Lincoln to Grimsby since 1980 |
| BF | Stoke-on-Trent | Dorset until 1904, not issued 1904–1960, Staffordshire 1960–1974 |
| BG | Liverpool | Birkenhead until 1974 |
| bra | Luton | Buckinghamshire until 1974 |
| BJ | Ipswich | East Suffolk until 1974 |
| BK | Portsmouth | |
| BL | Reading | Berkshire until 1974 |
| BM | Luton | Bedfordshire until 1974 |
| BN | Bolton | Bolton until 1981, assigned by Manchester for Bolton from 1981, very rarely 1981–1997 |
| BO | Cardiff | |
| BP | Portsmouth | West Sussex until 1974 |
| BR | Durham | Sunderland until 1974, Durham until 1981, assigned by Newcastle for Durham from 1981; rarely 1981–1997 |
| BS | Orkney Islands | Kirkwall until 1980, allocated by Inverness for the Orkney Isles since 1980, rarely on the main island |
| BT | York | East Riding of Yorkshire until 1974, York 1974 to 1980, allocated by Leeds for York from 1980; rarely 1980–1997 |
| BU | Manchester | Oldham until 1974 |
| BV | Preston | Blackburn until 1974 |
| BW | Oxford | Oxfordshire until 1974; very common |
| BX | Carmarthenshire | assigned by Carmarthenshire County Council until 1974, Haverfordwest from 1974 to 1996, Swansea since 1996 |
| BY | London North West | Croydon until 1965; Greater London 1965–1974 |
| C. | Yorkshire | (until 1912) |
| CA | Chester | Denbighshire until 1974 |
| CB | Bolton | Blackburn until 1974, Bolton 1974–1981, assigned by Manchester since 1981; very rarely 1981–1997 |
| CC | Bangor | Caernarvonshire until 1974 |
| CD | Brighton | |
| CE | Cambridge | Cambridge until 1980, assigned by Peterborough from 1980; rarely 1980–1995 |
| CF | Reading | West Suffolk until 1974 |
| CG | Salisbury | Hampshire until 1974, Salisbury 1974–1980, allocated by Bournemouth for Salisbury from 1980 |
| CH | Nottingham | Derby until 1974 |
| CJ | Hereford | Herefordshire until 1971, Hereford until 1981, allocated by Gloucester to Hereford from 1981 |
| CK | Preston | |
| CL | Norwich | |
| CM | Liverpool | Birkenhead until 1974 |
| CN | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | Gateshead until 1974 |
| CO | not used | last assigned in 1980, formerly Plymouth |
| CP | Huddersfield | Halifax until 1974 |
| CR | Portsmouth | Southampton until 1974 |
| CS | Ayr | Ayrshire until 1974, Ayr until 1981, allocated by Glasgow to Ayr from 1981 |
| CT | Boston | Kesteven until 1974, Boston until 1981, allocated by Lincoln for Boston from 1981 |
| CU | Newcastle-upon-Tyne | South Shields until 1974 |
| CV | Truro | Cornwall until 1974 |
| CW | Preston | Burnley until 1974 |
| CX | Huddersfield | very common in the 1980s - less common since then |
| CY | Swansea | except SCY since 1971 = Scilly Isles , YCY not assigned from 1978 to March 2000 |
| D. | Kent | (until 1913 and 1964) |
| THERE | Birmingham | Wolverhampton until 1974 |
| DB | Manchester | Stockport until 1974 |
| DC | Middlesbrough | Teesside 1974-1981 |
| DD | Gloucester | |
| DE | Pembrokeshire | assigned by Pembrokeshire CC until 1974, Haverfordwest from 1974 to 1996 and Swansea since 1996 |
| DF | Gloucester | Northampton until 1905, only reissued for Gloucester from 1926 |
| DG | Gloucester | |
| DH | Dudley | Walsall until 1974 |
| DJ | Warrington | St Helens until 1974, Warrington until 1981, assigned by Liverpool to Warrington since 1981; very rarely 1981–1997 |
| DK | Bolton | Rochdale until 1974, Bolton until 1981, assigned by Manchester for Bolton from 1981; very rarely 1981–1997 |
| DL | Isle of Wight | assigned by Newport until 1981, Portsmouth since 1981 |
| DM | Chester | Flintshire until 1974 |
| DN | York | York until 1981, allocated by Leeds for York from 1981; very rarely 1981–1997 |
| DO | Boston | Holland until 1974, Boston until 1981, allocated by Lincoln for Boston from 1981 |
| DP | Reading | |
| DR | not used | last assigned in 1980, formerly Plymouth |
| DS | Glasgow | Peebles until 1974 |
| DT | Sheffield | Doncaster until 1974 |
| YOU | Coventry | |
| DV | Exeter | Devon Council until 1974 |
| DW | Cardiff | Newport until 1974 |
| DX | Ipswich | |
| DY | Hastings | Hastings until 1980, allocated by Brighton for Hastings since 1980 |
| E. | Staffordshire | (until 1925 and 1953 to 1964) |
| EA | Dudley | West Bromwich until 1974, rarely since 1994 |
| EB | Cambridge | Isle of Ely until 1965, Cambridge until 1980, assigned by Peterborough for Cambridge since 1980; rarely 1980–1995 |
| EC | Kendal | Westmorland until 1974, Kendal until 1981, allocated by Preston to Kendal since 1981 |
| ED | Warrington | Wigan until 1974, Warrington until 1981, assigned by Liverpool from 1981, very rare |
| EE | Grimsby | Grimsby until 1980, allocated by Lincoln to Grimsby since 1980 |
| EF | Middlesbrough | West Hartlepool until 1967, Hartlepool 1967-1974 |
| EG | Peterborough | Huntingdon until 1965 |
| EH | Stoke-on-Trent | Hanley until 1910 |
| EJ | Aberystwyth | Cardiganshire until 1974, Aberystwyth until 1981, assigned by Bangor for Aberystwyth 1981–1983, and assigned by Haverfordwest for Aberystwyth from 1983 |
| EK | Warrington | Wigan until 1974, Warrington until 1981, assigned by Liverpool from 1981, very rare |
| Tbsp | Bournemouth | |
| EM | Liverpool | Bootle until 1974, rarely since the 1996 P prefix |
| EN | Bolton | Bury until 1974, Bolton until 1981, assigned by Manchester for Bolton from 1981; very rarely 1981–1997 |
| EO | Barrow-in-Furness | Barrow-in-Furness until 1981, awarded by Preston since 1981 |
| EP | Swansea | Montgomeryshire until 1974 |
| HE | Cambridge | Cambridge until 1980, assigned by Peterborough from 1980; rarely 1980–1995 |
| IT | Dundee | Perthshire until 1974 |
| ET | Sheffield | Rotherham until 1974 |
| EU | Bristol | Breconshire until 1974 |
| EV | Chelmsford | Essex until 1974 |
| EW | Peterborough | Huntingdon until 1974 |
| EX | Norwich | Great Yarmouth until 1974; the combination SEX was never issued |
| EY | Bangor | Anglesey until 1974 |
| F. | Essex | (until 1915 and 1957 to 1964) |
| FA | Stoke on Trent | Burton on Trent until 1974 |
| FB | Bristol | Bath until 1974 |
| FC | Oxford | very common |
| FD | Dudley | rare since 1994 |
| FE | Lincoln | |
| FF | Aberystwyth | Merionethshire until 1974, Aberystwyth until 1981, allocated by Bangor since 1981 |
| FG | Brighton | Fife until 1974 |
| FH | Gloucester | |
| FJ | Exeter | |
| FK | Dudley | Worcester until 1974, rarely since 1994 |
| FL | Peterborough | |
| FM | Chester | |
| FN | Canterbury | |
| FO | Radnorshire | Radnorshire until 1974, assigned by Hereford 1974–1981, assigned by Gloucester from 1981 |
| FP | Leicester | Rutland until 1974 |
| FR | Preston | Blackpool until 1974 |
| FS | Edinburgh | |
| FT | Newcastle | Tynemouth until 1974 |
| FU | Grimsby | Lindsey until 1974, Grimsby until 1980, assigned by Lincoln to Grimsby since 1980 |
| FV | Preston | Blackpool until 1974 |
| FW | Lincoln | Lindsey until 1974 |
| FX | Bournemouth | Dorset until 1974 |
| FY | Liverpool | Southport until 1974 |
| G | Glasgow | (until 1921) |
| GA | ||
| GB | ||
| GC | London South West | Greater London until 1974 |
| GD | Glasgow | |
| GE | ||
| GF | London South West | Greater London until 1974 |
| GG | Glasgow | |
| GH | London South West | Greater London until 1974 |
| GJ | ||
| GK | ||
| GL | Truro | Bath until 1974 |
| GM | Reading | Motherwell until 1974 |
| GN | London South West | Greater London until 1974 |
| GO | ||
| GP | ||
| GR | Durham | Sunderland until 1974, Durham until 1981, assigned by Newcastle for Durham from 1981; very rarely 1981–1997 |
| GS | Luton | Perthshire until 1974 |
| GT | London South West | Greater London until 1974 |
| GU | London South East | |
| GV | Ipswich | West Suffolk until 1974 |
| GW | London South East | Greater London until 1974 |
| GX | ||
| GY | ||
| H | Middlesex | (until 1912 and 1953 to 1964) |
| HA | Dudley | Smethwick until 1966, Warley 1966-1974; rare since 1996 |
| HB | Cardiff | Merthyr Tydfil until 1974 |
| HC | Hastings | Eastbourne until 1974, Hastings until 1980, Brighton for Hastings from 1980 |
| HD | Huddersfield | Dewsbury until 1974 |
| HE | Sheffield | Barnsley until 1974 |
| HF | Liverpool | Wallasey until 1974 |
| HG | Preston | Burnley until 1974 |
| HH | Carlisle | |
| HJ | Chelmsford | Southend until 1974 |
| HK | Essex until 1974 | |
| HL | Sheffield | Wakefield until 1974 |
| HM | London Central to P prefix | East Ham until 1965, Greater London 1965–1974; Commercial & government use only since 1997 R prefix |
| HN | Middlesbrough | Darlington until 1974 |
| HO | Salisbury | Hampshire until 1974, Salisbury until 1980, allocated by Bournemouth to Salisbury from 1980 |
| HP | Coventry | |
| MR | Swindon | |
| HS | Glasgow | Renfrewshire until 1974 |
| HT | Bristol | |
| HU | ||
| HV | London Central to P prefix | East Ham until 1965, Greater London 1965–1974; Government use only since 1997 R prefix |
| HW | Bristol | |
| HX | London Central to P prefix | Middlesex until 1965, Greater London 1965–1974; Government use only since 1997 R prefix |
| HY | Bristol | |
| J | Durham | (until 1922) |
| YES | Manchester | Stockport until 1974 |
| JB | Reading | Berkshire to1974 |
| JC | Bangor | Caernarvon until 1974 |
| JD | London Central to P prefix | Middlesex until 1965, Greater London 1965–1974; Government use only since 1997 R prefix |
| JE | Cambridge | Isle Of Ely until 1965, Cambridge until 1980, assigned by Peterborough from 1980; rarely 1980–1995 |
| JF | Leicester | |
| JG | not used | Canterbury until 1981 |
| JH | Reading | Hertfordshire until 1974 |
| YY | not used | Greater London until 1974, Canterbury until 1981 |
| JK | Hastings | Eastbourne until 1974, Hastings until 1980, allocated by Brighton from 1980 to Hastings |
| JL | Boston | Holland until 1974, Boston until 1981, allocated by Lincoln for Boston from 1981 |
| JM | Reading | Westmorland until 1974 |
| JN | Chelmsford | Southend until 1974 |
| JO | Oxford | |
| JP | Wigan until 1974, Warrington until 1981 | very rarely, if ever, assigned since 1981 |
| JR | Newcastle | Northumberland until 1974 |
| JS | Stornoway | Ross until 1974, Stornoway until 1980, assigned by Inverness to Stornoway since 1980 |
| JT | Bournemouth | Dorset until 1974 |
| JU | Leicester | |
| JV | Grimsby | Grimsby until 1980, allocated by Lincoln to Grimsby since 1980 |
| JW | Birmingham | Wolverhampton until 1974 |
| JX | Huddersfield | Halifax until 1974 |
| JY | not used | Plymouth until 1981 |
| K | Liverpool | (until 1914 and 1960 to 1964) |
| KA | rarely since P prefix | |
| KB | ||
| KC | ||
| KD | ||
| KE | Maidstone | Kent until 1974 |
| Theatrical Version | Liverpool | rarely since P prefix |
| KG | Cardiff | |
| KH | Beverley VRO | Hull |
| KJ | Maidstone | Kent until 1974 |
| KK | ||
| KL | ||
| KM | ||
| KN | ||
| KO | ||
| KP | ||
| KR | ||
| KS | Selkirk | Roxburghshire until 1974, St Boswells 1974/75, Selkirk 1975–1980, allocated by Edinburgh to Selkirk since 1980 |
| KT | not used | Kent until 1974, Canterbury until 1981 |
| KU | Sheffield | Bradford until 1974 |
| KV | Coventry | |
| KW | Sheffield | Bradford until 1974 |
| KX | Luton | Buckinghamshire until 1974 |
| KY | Sheffield | Bradford until 1974 |
| L. | Glam organ | (until 1921) |
| LA | London North West | Greater London until 1974 |
| LB | ||
| LC | ||
| LD | ||
| LE | ||
| LF | ||
| LG | Chester | Cheshire until 1974 |
| LH | London North West | Greater London until 1974 |
| LJ | Bournemouth | |
| LK | London North West | Greater London until 1974 |
| LL | ||
| LM | ||
| LN | ||
| LO | ||
| LP | ||
| LR | ||
| LS | Stirling | Selkirkshire until 1974, Stirling until 1981, allocated by Edinburgh to Stirling from 1981 |
| LT | London North West | Greater London until 1974 |
| LU | ||
| LV | Liverpool | |
| LW | London North West | Greater London until 1974 |
| LX | ||
| LY | ||
| M. | Cheshire | (until 1919) |
| MA | Chester | Cheshire until 1974 |
| MB | ||
| MC | London North East | Middlesex until 1965, Greater London until 1974 |
| MD | London North East | Greater London until 1974 |
| ME | London North East | Middlesex until 1965, Greater London until 1974 |
| MF | ||
| MG | ||
| MH | ||
| MJ | Luton | Bedford until 1974 |
| MK | London North East | Middlesex until 1965, Greater London until 1974; seldom since 1997 |
| ML | ||
| MM | ||
| MN | not used | Isle of Man |
| MO | Reading | Berkshire until 1974 |
| MP | London North East (rare since 1997) | Middlesex until 1965, Greater London until 1974 |
| MR | Swindon | Wiltshire until 1974 |
| MS | Stirling | Stirling until 1981, allocated by Edinburgh for Stirling from 1981 |
| MT | London North East | Middlesex until 1965, Greater London until 1974; seldom since 1997 |
| MU | ||
| MV | London South East | Middlesex until 1965, Greater London until 1974 |
| MW | Swindon | Wiltshire until 1974 |
| MX | London South East | Middlesex until 1965, Greater London until 1974 |
| MY | ||
| N | Manchester | (until 1913 and 1959 to 1964) |
| N / A | ||
| NB | ||
| NC | ||
| ND | ||
| NE | ||
| NF | ||
| NG | Norwich | Norfolk until 1974 |
| NH | Northampton | common, especially since the mid-1980s |
| NJ | Brighton | East Sussex until 1974 |
| NK | Luton | Hertfordshire until 1974 |
| NL | Newcastle | Northumberland until 1974 |
| NM | Luton | Bedfordshire until 1974 |
| NN | Nottingham | |
| NO | Chelmsford | |
| NP | Worcester | |
| NO | Leicester | |
| NS | Glasgow | Sutherland until 1974 |
| NT | Shrewsbury | Shropshire until 1974 |
| NU | Nottingham | Derbyshire until 1974 |
| NV | Northampton | common, especially since the mid-1980s |
| NW | Leeds | |
| NX | Dudley | Warwickshire until 1974, rarely since 1994 |
| NY | Cardiff | Glamorganshire until 1974 |
| O | Birmingham | (until 1913) |
| OA | ||
| IF | ||
| OC | ||
| OD | Exeter | Devon until 1974; the combination GOD has not been issued |
| OE | Birmingham | |
| OF | ||
| 1st floor | ||
| OH | ||
| OJ | ||
| OK | ||
| OIL | ||
| OM | ||
| ON | ||
| OO | Chelmsford | |
| OP | Birmingham | |
| OR | Portsmouth | Hampshire until 1974 |
| OS | Stranraer | Wigtown until 1974, Stranraer until 1981, allocated by Glasgow to Stranraer from 1981 |
| OT | Portsmouth | |
| OU | Bristol | Hampshire until 1974 |
| OV | Birmingham | |
| OW | Portsmouth | Southampton until 1974 |
| OX | Birmingham | |
| OY | London North West | Croydon until 1965, Greater London until 1974 |
| P | Surrey | (until 1913) |
| PA | Guildford | Surrey until 1974 |
| PB | ||
| Pc | ||
| PD | ||
| PE | ||
| PF | ||
| PG | ||
| PH | ||
| PJ | ||
| PK | ||
| PL | ||
| PM | Guildford | East Sussex until 1974 |
| PN | Brighton | East Sussex until 1974 |
| PO | Portsmouth | West Sussex until 1974; GPO was not issued until 1965 by the General Post Office uses |
| PP | Luton | Buckinghamshire until 1974 |
| PR | Bournemouth | Dorset until 1974 |
| PS | Shetland Isles | assigned by Zetland until 1974, Lerwick until 1980 and Aberdeen from 1980 (rarely on UK main island) |
| PT | Durham | Durham until 1981, allocated by Newcastle for Durham from 1981; seldom since 1981 |
| PU | Chelmsford | |
| PV | Ipswich | |
| PW | Norwich | |
| PX | Portsmouth | West Sussex until 1974 |
| PY | Middlesbrough | North Yorkshire until 1974 |
| R. | Derbyshire | (until 1923 and 1962 to 1964) |
| RA | Nottingham | Derbyshire until 1974 |
| RB | ||
| RC | ||
| RD | Reading | |
| RE | Stoke on Trent | Staffordshire until 1974 |
| RF | ||
| RG | Newcastle | Aberdeen until 1974 |
| RH | Beverley VRO (Hull) | |
| RJ | Manchester | Salford until 1974 |
| RK | London North West | Croydon until 1965, Greater London until 1974 |
| RL | Truro | Cornwall until 1974 |
| RM | Carlisle | Cumberland until 1974 |
| RN | Preston | |
| RO | Luton | Hertfordshire until 1974 |
| RP | Northampton | Northamptonshire until 1974 |
| RR | Nottingham | Nottinghamshire until 1974 |
| RS | Aberdeen | The combination ARS was not issued |
| RT | Ipswich | East Suffolk until 1974 |
| RU | Bournemouth | |
| RV | Portsmouth |
|
| RW | Coventry | |
| RX | Reading | Berkshire until 1974 |
| RY | Leicester | |
| S. | Edinburgh | (until 1920) |
| SA | Aberdeen | Aberdeenshire until 1974 |
| SB | Oban | Argyllshire until 1974, Oban until 1980, allocated by Glasgow to Oban from 1980 |
| SC | Edinburgh | |
| SD | Ayrshire | Ayrshire until 1981, allocated by Glasgow for Ayrshire from 1981 |
| SE | Keith | Banffshire until 1974, Keith until 1981, assigned by Aberdeen to Keith from 1981 |
| SF | Edinburgh | |
| SG | ||
| SH | Selkirk | Berwick until 1974, St Boswells until 1975, Selkirk until 1980, allocated by Edinburgh to Selkirk from 1980 |
| SJ | Ayr | Bute until 1974, Ayr until 1981, assigned by Glasgow for Ayr from 1981 |
| SK | Wick | Caithness until 1974, Wick until 1981, allocated by Inverness to Wick from 1981 |
| SL | Dundee | Clackmannan until 1974 |
| SM | Dumfries | Dumfries until 1981, assigned by Carlisle for Dumfries from 1981 |
| SN | Dundee | not USN to avoid confusion with United States Navy vehicles that previously used this combination; Dunbartonshire until 1974 |
| SO | Aberdeen | Elginshire until 1919, Morayshire until 1974 |
| SP | Dundee | Fife until 1974 |
| SR | Dundee | Forfarshire until 1928, Angus until 1974 |
| SS | Aberdeen | Haddingtonshire until 1921, East Lothian until 1974 |
| ST | Inverness | |
| SU | Glasgow | Kincardine until 1974; (CSU1 - YSU999 only for re- approval ) |
| SV | Kinross | Two-letter code for Kinross until 1963, and from 1964 to 1974 normal with suffix, ASV1 - YSV999 as a license for re-registration . SV has not been assigned since the 1974 N suffix |
| SW | Dumfries | Kirkcudbrightshire until 1974, Dumfries until 1981, allocated by Carlisle to Dumfries from 1981 |
| SX | Edinburgh | Linlithgowshire until 1921, West Lothian until 1981 |
| SY | not used since 1974 | , Midlothian to 1974 some pre-1963 codes for readmission used |
| T | Devon | (until 1920) |
| TA | Exeter | Devonshire until 1974 |
| TB | Warrington | Lancashire until 1974, Warrington until 1981, assigned by Liverpool from 1981, very rare |
| TC | Bristol | Lancashire until 1974 |
| TD | Bolton | Lancashire until 1974, Bolton until 1981, allocated by Manchester for Bolton from 1981; very rare between 1981 and 1997 |
| TE | ||
| TF | Reading | Lancashire until 1974 |
| TG | Cardiff | Glamorgan until 1974 |
| TH | Swansea | Carmarthenshire until 1974 |
| TJ | Liverpool | Lancashire until 1974 |
| TK | not used since 1980 | Dorset until 1974, Plymouth until 1980 |
| TL | Lincoln | Kesteven until 1974 |
| TM | Luton | Bedford until 1974 |
| TN | Newcastle | |
| TO | Nottingham | |
| TP | Portsmouth | |
| TR | Portsmouth | Southampton until 1974 |
| TS | Dundee | |
| TT | Exeter | Devonshire until 1974 |
| TU | Chester | |
| TV | Nottingham | |
| TW | Chelmsford | Essex until 1974 |
| TX | Cardiff | Glamorgan until 1974 |
| TY | Newcastle | Northumberland until 1974 |
| U | Leeds | (until 1921 and 1957 to 1964) |
| UA | ||
| UB | ||
| UC | London Central to P prefix | Greater London until 1974; Government use only since 1997 R prefix; FUC was never issued |
| UD | Oxford | |
| UE | Dudley | Warwickshire until 1974; rare since 1995 |
| UF | Brighton | |
| Basement | Leeds | |
| UH | Cardiff | |
| UJ | Shewsbury | Shropshire until 1974 |
| UK | Birmingham | Wolverhampton until 1974 |
| UL | London Central to P prefix | Greater London until 1974; Government use only since 1997 R prefix |
| AROUND | Leeds | The combination BUM was not issued |
| U.N. | not used since 1981 | Denbeigh until 1974, Barnstaple until 1981 |
| UO | not used since 1981 | Devon until 1974, Barnstaple until 1981 |
| UP | Durham | Durham until 1981, assigned by Newcastle for Durham from 1981, very rarely 1981-1996 |
| UR | Luton | Hertfordshire until 1974 |
| US | Glasgow | Govan until 1912 |
| UT | Leicester | |
| UU | London Central to P prefix | Greater London until 1974; Government use only since 1997 R prefix; the combination DUW ('God' in Welsh ) was not issued |
| UV | ||
| UW | ||
| UX | Shrewsbury | Shropshire until 1974 |
| UY | Worcester | |
| V | Lanarkshire | (until 1922) |
| VA | Cambridge | Lanarkshire until 1974, Cambridge until 1980, assigned by Peterborough for Cambridge from 1980; rarely 1980–1995 |
| VB | not used since 1981 | Croydon until 1965, Greater London until 1974, Canterbury until 1981 |
| VC | Coventry | |
| VD | not used since 1977 | Lanarkshire until 1974, Luton 1974-1977 |
| VE | Cambridge | Cambridge until 1980, assigned by Peterborough for Cambridge from 1980; rarely 1981–1995 |
| VF | Norwich | Norfolk until 1974 |
| VG | Norwich | |
| VH | Huddersfield | |
| VJ | Hereford | Herefordshire until 1974, Hereford until 1981, allocated by Gloucester to Hereford from 1981 |
| VK | Newcastle | |
| VL | Lincoln | |
| VM | Manchester | |
| VN | Middlesbrough | North Yorkshire until 1974 |
| VO | Nottingham | |
| VP | Birmingham | |
| VR | Manchester | |
| VS | Luton | Greenock until 1974 |
| VT | Stoke on Trent | |
| VU | Manchester | |
| VV | Northampton | spread |
| VW | Chelmsford | Essex until 1974 |
| VX | ||
| VY | York | York until 1980, assigned by Leeds for York from 1980, very rarely 1981–1997 |
| W. | Sheffield | (until 1919 and 1960 to 1964) |
| WA | ||
| WB | ||
| WC | Chelmsford | Essex until 1974 |
| WD | Dudley | Warwickshire until 1974, rarely since 1994 |
| WE | Sheffield | |
| WF | Sheffield | East Yorkshire until 1974 |
| Flat share | Sheffield | Stirling until 1974 |
| WH | Bolton | Bolton until 1981, assigned by Manchester for Bolton from 1981, very rarely 1981–1997 |
| WJ | Sheffield | |
| WK | Coventry | |
| WL | Oxford | spread |
| WM | Liverpool | Southport until 1974 |
| WN | Swansea | |
| WHERE | Cardiff | Monmouthshire until 1974 |
| WP | Worcester | |
| WR | Leeds | West Yorkshire until 1974 |
| WS | Bristol | Leith until 1920, Edinburgh until 1974 |
| WT | Leeds | West Yorkshire until 1974 |
| WU | ||
| WV | Brighton | Wiltshire until 1974 |
| WW | Leeds | West Yorkshire until 1974 |
| WX | ||
| WY | ||
| X | Northumberland | (until 1921) |
| XA | London CC until 1963, Kirkcaldy 1963–1974, withdrawn in 1974 | |
| XB | London CC until 1963, Coatbridge 1964–1974, withdrawn in 1974 | |
| XC | London CC until 1963, Solihull 1964–1974, withdrawn in 1974 | |
| XD | London CC until 1963, Luton 1964–1974, withdrawn in 1974 | |
| XE | ||
| XF | London CC until 1963, not used from 1963 to 1968, Torbay 1968 to 1974, withdrawn in 1974 | |
| XG | Middlesbrough to 1968, Teesside 1968–1974, withdrawn in 1974 | |
| XH | London CC until 1963, withdrawn in 1963 | |
| XJ | Manchester until 1974 | |
| XK | London CC until 1963, withdrawn in 1963 | |
| XL | ||
| XM | ||
| XN | ||
| XO | ||
| XP | EU export since 1993 | London CC until 1963, withdrawn in 1963 |
| XR | London CC until 1963, withdrawn in 1963 | |
| XS | Paisley until 1974, withdrawn in 1974, RXS reintroduced in 1984 for diplomats | |
| XT | London CC until 1963, withdrawn in 1963 | |
| XU | ||
| XV | ||
| XW | ||
| XX | London CC until 1963, withdrawn in 1963; XXX was apparently never allocated | |
| XY | London CC until 1963, withdrawn in 1963 | |
| Y | Somerset | (until 1921) |
| YA | Taunton | Somerset until 1974 |
| YB | ||
| YC | ||
| YD | ||
| YE | not used since 1997 | Greater London until 1974, London Central until 1997 |
| YF | ||
| YG | Leeds |
|
| YH | not used since 1997 | Greater London until 1974, London Central until 1997 |
| YJ | Brighton | Dundee until 1974 |
| YK | not used since 1997 | Greater London until 1974, London Central until 1997 |
| YL | ||
| YM | ||
| YN | ||
| YO | ||
| YP | ||
| YR | ||
| YS | Glasgow |
|
| YT | not used since 1997 | Greater London until 1974, London Central until 1997 |
| YU | ||
| YV | ||
| YW | London Central | Greater London until 1974 |
| YX | ||
| YY |
Diplomatic plates
see: Diplomatic license plate (Great Britain)
literature
- Philip Riden: How to Trace the History of Your Car , Academy Books Ltd., London, 1991, ISBN 1-873361-05-X .
