--- title: "Current Number Plate Format Explained: Age & Memory Tags" description: "How AB51 CDE works: the two-digit age identifier by six-month period, every memory tag by DVLA office, and the letters you'll never see on a plate." url: https://buyprivateplates.uk/number-plate-formats/current/ site: "Buy Private Number Plates Online – Instantly Search the DVLA Database" published: 2026-09-29 modified: 2026-09-29 language: en-GB --- # Current Number Plates 2001 – today ## Current Style Number Plates Explained The AB51 CDE system: how the two-digit age identifier works, what the memory tag tells you about where a car was registered, and which letters you will never see. [Current style plates for sale](https://buyprivateplates.uk/current-style-plates/) [Check a plate's year](https://buyprivateplates.uk/number-plate-year-checker/) Quick facts ## At a glance - **2001**Format introduced - **2**Changes per year - **~7M**Combinations per period - **2050**Scheduled to run until AB 51 CDE **Memory tag** Region + office **Age identifier** Six-month code **Random letters** Personal element Two letters for the region, two digits for the six-month period of issue, then three random letters. It is the only format with a numeric age code. Where it came from ## History of the format The current format arrived on 1 September 2001, designed around three goals: more combinations, a clearer age code, and a layout that witnesses could recall more easily. Research had shown people remember the start of a plate best, so the two-letter **memory tag** comes first and encodes the region and DVLA office where the vehicle was first registered. The **age identifier** follows. From March to August it is simply the last two digits of the year (02, 15, 24). From September to February it is that number plus 50 (52, 65, 74), which is why a car registered in autumn 2023 carries “73”. The three closing letters are random and are the part a private plate buyer personalises. The system has enough capacity to run until 2050, and because the age code is numeric it is the easiest format to read. It is also the only format where the plate can never go on a vehicle older than the code — which is exactly what makes a well-chosen current-style plate a subtle upgrade rather than a shout. Reading the year ## Age identifiers by period Find the identifier on the plate and read the period straight off. Any vehicle first registered in that period **or later** can carry the plate. Not sure? [Type the registration into the year checker](https://buyprivateplates.uk/number-plate-year-checker/). | Code | Issued | | --- | --- | | 51 | Sep 2001 – Feb 2002 | | 02 | Mar 2002 – Aug 2002 | | 52 | Sep 2002 – Feb 2003 | | 03 | Mar 2003 – Aug 2003 | | 53 | Sep 2003 – Feb 2004 | | 04 | Mar 2004 – Aug 2004 | | 54 | Sep 2004 – Feb 2005 | | 05 | Mar 2005 – Aug 2005 | | 55 | Sep 2005 – Feb 2006 | | 06 | Mar 2006 – Aug 2006 | | 56 | Sep 2006 – Feb 2007 | | 07 | Mar 2007 – Aug 2007 | | 57 | Sep 2007 – Feb 2008 | | 08 | Mar 2008 – Aug 2008 | | 58 | Sep 2008 – Feb 2009 | | 09 | Mar 2009 – Aug 2009 | | 59 | Sep 2009 – Feb 2010 | | 10 | Mar 2010 – Aug 2010 | | 60 | Sep 2010 – Feb 2011 | | 11 | Mar 2011 – Aug 2011 | | 61 | Sep 2011 – Feb 2012 | | 12 | Mar 2012 – Aug 2012 | | 62 | Sep 2012 – Feb 2013 | | 13 | Mar 2013 – Aug 2013 | | 63 | Sep 2013 – Feb 2014 | | 14 | Mar 2014 – Aug 2014 | | 64 | Sep 2014 – Feb 2015 | | 15 | Mar 2015 – Aug 2015 | | 65 | Sep 2015 – Feb 2016 | | 16 | Mar 2016 – Aug 2016 | | 66 | Sep 2016 – Feb 2017 | | 17 | Mar 2017 – Aug 2017 | | 67 | Sep 2017 – Feb 2018 | | 18 | Mar 2018 – Aug 2018 | | 68 | Sep 2018 – Feb 2019 | | 19 | Mar 2019 – Aug 2019 | | 69 | Sep 2019 – Feb 2020 | | 20 | Mar 2020 – Aug 2020 | | 70 | Sep 2020 – Feb 2021 | | 21 | Mar 2021 – Aug 2021 | | 71 | Sep 2021 – Feb 2022 | | 22 | Mar 2022 – Aug 2022 | | 72 | Sep 2022 – Feb 2023 | | 23 | Mar 2023 – Aug 2023 | | 73 | Sep 2023 – Feb 2024 | | 24 | Mar 2024 – Aug 2024 | | 74 | Sep 2024 – Feb 2025 | | 25 | Mar 2025 – Aug 2025 | | 75 | Sep 2025 – Feb 2026 | | 26 | Mar 2026 – Aug 2026 | | 76 | Sep 2026 – Feb 2027 | | 27 | Mar 2027 – Aug 2027 | | 77 | Sep 2027 – Feb 2028 | The gaps in the alphabet ## Letters that were never used The age identifier never uses 01 to 50 as a September code and never 51 to 99 as a March code — so “AB01” does not exist and 51 was the very first. In the random three letters, **I** and **Q** are excluded to avoid confusion with 1 and 0; **Z** is allowed. As a memory-tag first letter, **I** and **Z** remain reserved for Northern Ireland, **Q** for vehicles of indeterminate age, and **J**, **T**, **U** and **X** are unallocated. Where the letters point ## Regional codes and memory tags The first letter of the memory tag is a mnemonic for the region; the second letter narrows it to an office. The full table is below — useful for checking where a used car started life, and for spotting that “LA” on a plate means Wimbledon rather than Lancashire. | Letter | Mnemonic | Offices | | --- | --- | --- | | A | Anglia | AA–AN Peterborough · AO–AU Norwich · AV–AY Ipswich | | B | Birmingham | BA–BY Birmingham | | C | Cymru | CA–CO Cardiff · CP–CV Swansea · CW–CY Bangor | | D | Deeside to Shrewsbury | DA–DK Chester · DL–DY Shrewsbury | | E | Essex | EA–EY Chelmsford | | F | Forest & Fens | FA–FP Nottingham · FR–FY Lincoln | | G | Garden of England | GA–GO Maidstone · GP–GY Brighton | | H | Hampshire & Dorset | HA–HJ Bournemouth · HK–HY Portsmouth (HW reserved for the Isle of Wight) | | K | — | KA–KL Borehamwood · KM–KY Luton | | L | London | LA–LJ Wimbledon · LK–LT Stanmore · LU–LY Sidcup | | M | Manchester & Merseyside | MA–MY Manchester | | N | North | NA–NO Newcastle · NP–NY Stockton | | O | Oxford | OA–OY Oxford | | P | Preston | PA–PT Preston · PU–PY Carlisle | | R | Reading | RA–RY Reading | | S | Scotland | SA–SJ Glasgow · SK–SO Edinburgh · SP–ST Dundee · SU–SW Aberdeen · SX–SY Inverness | | V | Severn Valley | VA–VY Worcester | | W | West of England | WA–WJ Exeter · WK Truro · WL–WY Bristol | | Y | Yorkshire | YA–YK Leeds · YL–YU Sheffield · YV–YY Beverley | The one rule that matters ## Which vehicles can carry this format Read the two digits, convert them to a date with the table above, and the plate can be assigned to any vehicle first registered in that six-month period **or later**. A “19” plate suits any car from March 2019 onward. Buyers often choose a current-style plate that matches or slightly pre-dates their car, keeping the age impression accurate while hiding the exact month. [Check any plate's earliest eligible vehicle](https://buyprivateplates.uk/number-plate-year-checker/) From the trade ## Buying tips - Look for three random letters that spell initials or a short word — that is where the personal value sits. - A plate whose age code is a little older than your car is legal and often cheaper than a matching one. - Memory tags that read as words (BOB, GAZ) add a second layer of meaning for little extra money. - Because every period releases millions of combinations, current-style plates are the most affordable way into a “name” registration. [Current style plates for sale](https://buyprivateplates.uk/current-style-plates/) [Value a plate free](https://buyprivateplates.uk/plate-value-checker/) Common questions ## Current Style Number Plates Explained: FAQ **What do the two numbers on a current plate mean?** The six-month period the vehicle was first registered. March to August uses the year (e.g. 24 for 2024); September to February uses the year plus 50 (74 for autumn 2024). **What do the first two letters mean?** The memory tag: the region and DVLA office where the vehicle was first registered. See the table on this page for every code. **Can I buy a current-style plate for an older car?** Only if the car was first registered in or after the period the age code represents. A 2015 plate cannot go on a 2012 car. **Will the current format run out?** Not for a long time. It has capacity until 2050, at which point DVLA will need a new scheme. Keep reading ## The Other Formats Explained Every UK registration belongs to one of five families. 1903 – 1963 ### Dateless Number Plates The oldest, most prestigious registrations on British roads: what they are, how they were issued, how to read one, and why they can go on a car of any age. [Read the guide →](https://buyprivateplates.uk/number-plate-formats/dateless/) 1963 – 1983 ### Suffix Number Plates The first plates to carry a year letter. Read the suffix table, learn which letters were skipped and why, and see which vehicles can carry one today. [Read the guide →](https://buyprivateplates.uk/number-plate-formats/suffix/) 1983 – 2001 ### Prefix Number Plates Eighteen years of A123 ABC. Decode the year letter, see why the system went six-monthly in 1999, and find out which cars a prefix plate can go on. [Read the guide →](https://buyprivateplates.uk/number-plate-formats/prefix/) Dateless · any vehicle ### Northern Irish Number Plates The I and Z plates: why they have never carried an age identifier, how to read the county code, and why they are the best-kept secret for putting a private plate on any car. [Read the guide →](https://buyprivateplates.uk/number-plate-formats/ni/) ## Ready to Find a Current Style Plate? Search live DVLA stock and the pre-owned marketplace. Every price includes the £80 DVLA fee and our full transfer service. [Current style plates for sale](https://buyprivateplates.uk/current-style-plates/) [Search all plates](https://buyprivateplates.uk/private-number-plates/) --- Source: https://buyprivateplates.uk/number-plate-formats/current/