How to tell the year from a number plate

You can tell the year from a number plate in countries whose plate formats encode the registration year—notably the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. In many other regions (including most of Europe, the United States, Canada, Australia, and much of Asia), the plate number itself does not contain a year, so you must use documents, online checks, or the vehicle identification number (VIN) to determine it.

United Kingdom (Great Britain): the current system (since September 2001)

Modern Great Britain plates use the format AB00 CDE, where the two digits in the middle are the “age identifier.” This indicates the half‑year in which the vehicle was first registered, not its build date or model year. The scheme runs two releases per year: March–August and September–February. Personalized/cherished plates can obscure a vehicle’s true age, so official checks remain the gold standard.

The list below explains how to read the year from a modern GB number plate and gives concrete examples.

1. Find the two digits in the middle. In AB25 CDE, “25” is the age identifier.
2. If the number is 01–49, it’s March–August of that year. Example: “24” means registered March–August 2024; “25” means March–August 2025.
3. If the number is 50–99, subtract 50 to get the year; it’s September–February spanning two calendar years. Example: “73” = September 2023–February 2024; “75” = September 2025–February 2026.
4. “00” is not used. Current real-world examples include 24 (Mar–Aug 2024), 74 (Sep 2024–Feb 2025), 25 (Mar–Aug 2025), and 75 (Sep 2025–Feb 2026).

In short, the middle two digits give you the registration period at a glance. The first two letters are a local memory tag (area) and the last three letters are random; neither affects the year.

Older UK formats (1963–2001) at a glance

Before September 2001, Great Britain used letter-based systems that also encoded age, first with a suffix letter (1963–1983), then a prefix letter (1983–2001). Exact mappings are year- and half-year specific, and certain letters were skipped for clarity. These formats still appear on classic cars and on some personalized plates.

The points below provide anchor references to help you date older plates without a full chart.

• Suffix system (1963–1983): ABC 123A — the final letter is the year mark. A=1963, B=1964, … (letters like I, O, U, Z were not used); Y corresponds to 1982–1983.
• Prefix system (1983–2001): A123 ABC — the first letter is the year mark. Examples: A=1983–84, F=1988–89, K=1992–93, N=1995–96, R=1997–98. Near the end of this era, releases moved to six-month cycles: V=1999–2000 (Sep–Feb), W=2000 (Mar–Aug), X=2000–01 (Sep–Feb), Y=2001 (Mar–Aug).

For precise letter-to-date mappings (especially around the six-month changeovers), consult DVLA reference charts. Note that Northern Ireland registrations used different conventions and did not follow GB prefix/suffix year letters.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland plates typically look like ABC 1234 (and often include I or Z in the letter group). They do not contain a year identifier. You cannot determine the registration year from an NI plate alone; you must use documents or official online checks.

Republic of Ireland

Irish plates use a three-part format: year code – county code – sequence. Since 2013, the year code is three digits: the first two digits are the year and the third digit is the half-year (1 for January–June, 2 for July–December). From 1987 to 2012, it was a two-digit year without a half-year split. The county code indicates where the vehicle was registered (for example, D for Dublin, G for Galway, MH for Meath).

The steps below show how to decode an Irish number plate.

1. Read the first block. Pre‑2013 it’s YY (e.g., 07-D-12345 = 2007). From 2013 it’s YYY, where the third digit is 1 (Jan–Jun) or 2 (Jul–Dec).
2. Examples: 231-D-12345 = first half of 2023 in Dublin; 232-G-45678 = second half of 2023 in Galway; 201–/202– designate 2020 H1/H2, and so on.

This indicates the date of first registration in Ireland. Imported used vehicles receive plates that reflect their first Irish registration, which may differ from their original build year abroad.

United States, Canada, Australia, the EU and most other regions

In most jurisdictions worldwide, the plate number does not encode a year. Instead, some places display registration renewal or inspection stickers on the plate or windshield. These typically show expiry dates—not the vehicle’s build year—and many authorities have phased such stickers out in favor of electronic records.

The summary below outlines what you can and cannot infer from plates in common regions.

• United States and Canada: No year is embedded in the plate number. Some states/provinces still use month/year stickers (plate or windshield) indicating registration expiry; many have eliminated them. Use the title/registration card, state/provincial online checks, or the VIN to determine model year.
• European Union (e.g., Germany, France, Spain, Netherlands): No year in the plate number. Germany’s rear plate often carries a circular inspection sticker showing the next test’s month and year—useful for maintenance timing but not a reliable registration or build year indicator.
• Australia and New Zealand: No year in the plate. Most states/territories (AU) abolished registration labels for light vehicles. Official “rego check” portals provide registration and sometimes first-registration dates.
• India, Japan, much of Asia: No year in the plate number. Look for inspection/roadworthiness stickers on the windscreen and verify dates via registration documents or official databases.

Bottom line: outside a few systems like GB and Ireland, you’ll need documents, official online services, or the VIN to determine the vehicle’s year.

When the plate misleads: private plates, imports, and “year” definitions

Private/cherished plates can mask a vehicle’s age. In Great Britain, you cannot assign a plate that makes a vehicle appear newer than it really is, but you can assign an older-looking plate to a newer car. Imports may receive plates based on the date of first registration in the new country rather than the original build date. Also note the difference between “model year” (a North American concept encoded in the VIN’s 10th character) and registration year (used in GB/IE systems); they may differ by months.

What to do if the plate doesn’t give the year

When the number itself doesn’t encode age—or when a personalized plate obscures it—use authoritative records to get a definitive date.

1. Check official documents: V5C logbook in the UK, the vehicle registration/title in the US/Canada, or the Irish Vehicle Licensing Certificate.
2. Run an official online check: DVLA (GB), motortax.ie (IE), or state/provincial/territory “rego check” portals (AU/NZ, US/Canada) often show first-registration dates.
3. Use the VIN: In North America, the 10th character gives the model year; elsewhere, manufacturers or reputable decoders can provide the build date.
4. Review inspection/tax stickers where applicable, noting they show expiry dates and are not a reliable proxy for build year.

These sources provide the most accurate information when the plate alone can’t answer the year question.

Summary

In Great Britain and the Republic of Ireland, you can read the registration year directly from the plate—GB uses a two-digit age identifier (e.g., 25 = March–August 2025; 75 = September 2025–February 2026), and Ireland uses a year/half‑year code (e.g., 231/232). Northern Ireland and most other regions do not embed the year in the plate number. When in doubt—or when a private plate is fitted—use official documents, government plate/VIN checks, or the VIN itself to confirm the vehicle’s true age.

How do I find out what year my vehicle is?

Most often, the year of manufacture is in the 10th position of the VIN. Note that there were different methods of marking the vehicle manufacture date in different periods. For example, from 1980 to 2000, the letters from A to Y, except I, O, Q, U, and Z, were used.

Is a 62 plate car 2012?

Vehicles first registered from 1st September 2012 through to the end of February 2013 will be on a 62 reg plate. The 62 series of registrations became available for vehicles in June 2012 and there are currently some 1,167,639 62 registrations to choose from.

How can I check the age of a car?

In most cases, you can use the vehicle registration plate to check the age of a vehicle. This isn’t possible on vehicles with a private plate.

What year is a 2013 plate?

New Style Age Identifier For UK Number Plates

Plate	From	To
12	March 2012	September 2012
62	September 2012	March 2013
13	March 2013	September 2013
63	September 2013	March 2014