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Mainland plates are black on white (front) and black on yellow (rear) sometimes with the addition of the European Union symbol. The font is a uniform size sans serif of various types, although colourful (and unfortunately illegal) designs can be seen springing up all over Britain.

They go as follows;
Year Letter, followed by 1, 2 or 3 numbers from 1-999 (excepting certain 'cherished' numbers which are held back for resale at astronomically high prices), followed by three letters, the second two of which denote the local vehicle licensing authority. Cars, lorries and buses are more often now registered at the discretion of either dealer or owner, and do not necessarily denote the home province of the vehicle. Pre-suffix registrations are now valued collectors' pieces as well as vanity accoutrements, and bus companies throughout Britain have imitated car owners by reregistering plenty of modern buses with classic marks.

Year letters were introduced in 1963 after the old system of 2 letters / 4 numbers (to 1934) followed by 3 letters / 3 numbers (and reversed haphazardly from 1960-61) was exhausted. Vehicles received a suffix letter after 3 letters / 3 numbers (example OYM 582A), and then proceeded through Y, omitting I, O, Q, U and Z. The date of first issue of the year letter moved from New Year's Day to August 1st from 1st August 1967 (when E changed to F), in an effort to forestall the yearly rush to buy newly-suffixed cars (which however migrated with it, to the ongoing despair of Britain's car dealers.) The series then reversed from August 1983, with the year letter becoming a prefix.

A 1963 B 1964 C 1965 D 1966 E 1967 F 1967-68

G 1968-69 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 A 1983-84 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 R 1997-98

The current year prefix (from August 1, 1998) is S, but sick of this well-loved British tradition (and surely one of the few incentives left to buy today's overpriced and uninteresting new cars, the idea being to one-up your neighbours by flaunting newer-registered vehicles), the car manufacturing industry, their holidays cramped by the unusual August sales bulge, have pressured the to end it. Only in Britain would you want to cancel a scheme that contributes to sales! Anyway, the current system is to be wrecked already, with the last August changeover being S-prefixes. T will begin on 1st March 1999, then U six months later, and V, W, X and Y at the same intervals until the new system begins. This has been confirmed as 'ABC 12DE', but no firm word as to which combinations will denote year, place of origin or individual vehicle. Where buses are concerned it will make allocating lists of matching numbers to buses nightmarish, but one must remember not a single RT-family bus had a matching plate (excepting SRT 126, which was a fluke - its donor STL was already registered DLU 126).

Local areas

Omissions on the grounds of obscenity don't count - that's the 's hangup, not mine. It must be noted that this list approximates the ideal situation before 1974, after which much messing with the system was commenced, with local offices shutting and neighbouring ones taking on the issuance of their numbers (but not always). With the rise and rise of personalised registration numbers, their place of origin has become rapidly irrelevant, while order has evaporated entirely in some regions. With buses, no law says you have to register your vehicle with a mark according to where it will be working, thus with the location of manufacturers being increasingly distant from London, not to mention that of the operating companies, vehicles with plates from Scotland (the location of Alexanders' plant) and even the strange plates of Northern Ireland (home of Wrights) have proliferated! Therefore there are scores of inadequacies, incorrectnesses and inconsistencies which I can only shake my head sadly at and try and explain away my inability to change them when informed so in emails. Thanks for writing to me, your comments are always warmly appreciated!

AA Salisbury AB Worcester AC Coventry AD Gloucester AE Bristol AF Truro AG Hull AH Norwich AJ Middlesbrough AK Sheffield AL Nottingham AM Swindon AN Reading (not MAN) AO Carlisle AP Brighton AR Chelmsford AS Inverness AT Hull AU Nottingham AV Cambridge AW Shrewsbury AX Cardiff AY Leicester

BA Newcastle BB Newcastle BC Leicester BD Northampton BE Grimsby BF Stoke BG Liverpool BH Luton BJ Ipswich BK Portsmouth BL Reading BM Luton BN Bolton BO Cardiff BP Portsmouth BR Durham BS Kirkwall BT York BU Manchester BV Preston BW Oxford BX Haverfordwest BY London NW

CA Chester CB Bolton CC Bangor CD Brighton CE Cambridge CF Reading CG Salisbury CH Nottingham CJ Hereford CK Preston CL Norwich CM Liverpool CN Newcastle CO Plymouth CP Huddersfield CR Portsmouth CS Ayr CT Boston CU Newcastle CV Truro CW Preston CX Huddersfield CY Swansea (not SCY)

DA Birmingham DB Manchester DC Middlesbrough DD Gloucester DE Haverfordwest DF Gloucester DG Gloucester DH Dudley DJ Warrington DK Bolton DL Newport IOW DM Chester DN York DO Boston DP Reading DR Plymouth DS Glasgow DT Sheffield DU Coventry DV Exeter DW Cardiff DX Ipswich DY Hastings

EA Dudley EB Cambridge EC Kendal ED Warrington EE Grimsby EF Middlesbrough EG Peterborough EH Stoke EJ Aberystwyth EK Warrington EL Bournemouth EM Liverpool EN Bolton EO Barrow EP Swansea ER Cambridge ES Dundee ET Sheffield EU Bristol EV Chelmsford EW Peterborough EX Norwich EY Bangor

FA Stoke FB Bristol FC Oxford FD Dudley FE Lincoln FF Aberystwyth FG Brighton FH Gloucester FJ Exeter FK Dudley FL Peterborough FM Chester FN Canterbury FO Hereford FP Leicester FR Preston FS Edinburgh FT Newcastle FU Grimsby FV Preston FW Lincoln FX Bournemouth FY Liverpool

GA Glasgow GB Glasgow GC London SW GD Glasgow GE Glasgow GF London SW GG Glasgow GH London SW GJ London SW GK London SW GL Truro GM Reading GN London SW GO London SW GP London SW GR Durham GS Luton GT London SW GU London GV Ipswich GW London SE GX London GY London

HA Dudley HB Cardiff HC Hastings HD Huddersfield HE Sheffield HF Liverpool HG Preston HH Carlisle HJ Chelmsford HK Chelmsford HL Sheffield HM London Central HN Middlesbrough HO Salisbury HP Coventry HR Swindon HS Glasgow HT Bristol HU Bristol HV London Central HW Bristol HX London Central HY Bristol

JA Manchester JB Reading JC Bangor JD London Central JE Cambridge JF Leicester JG Canterbury JH Reading JJ Canterbury JK Hastings JL Boston JM Reading JN Chelmsford JO Oxford JP Warrington JR Newcastle JS Stornoway JT Bournemouth JU Leicester JV Grimsby JW Birmingham JX Huddersfield JY Plymouth

KA Liverpool KB Liverpool KC Liverpool KD Liverpool KE Maidstone KF Liverpool KG Cardiff KH Hull KJ Maidstone KK Maidstone KL Maidstone KM Maidstone KN Maidstone KO Maidstone KP Maidstone KR Maidstone KS Selkirk KT Canterbury KU Sheffield KV Coventry KW Sheffield KX Luton KY Sheffield

LA London NW LB London NW LC London NW LD London NW LE London NW LF London NW LG Chester LH London NW LJ Bournemouth LK London NW LL London NW LM London NW LN London NW LO London NW LP London NW LR London NW LS Stirling LT London NW LU London NW LV Liverpool LW London NW LX London NW LY London NW

MA Chester MB Chester MC London NE MD London NE ME London NE MF London NE MG London NE MH London NE MJ Luton MK London NE ML London NE MM London NE MO Reading MP London NE MR Swindon MS Stirling MT London NE MU London NE MV London SE MW Swindon MX London SE MY London SE

NA Manchester NB Manchester NC Manchester ND Manchester NE Manchester NF Manchester NG Norwich NH Northampton NJ Brighton NK Luton NL Newcastle NM Luton NN Nottingham NO Chelmsford NP Worcester NR Leicester NS Glasgow NT Shrewsbury NU Nottingham NV Northampton NW Leeds NX Dudley NY Cardiff

OA Birmingham OB Birmingham OC Birmingham OD Exeter OE Birmingham OF Birmingham OG Birmingham OH Birmingham OJ Birmingham OK Birmingham OL Birmingham OM Birmingham ON Birmingham OO Chelmsford OP Birmingham OR Portsmouth OS Stranraer OT Portsmouth OU Bristol OV Birmingham OW Portsmouth OX Birmingham OY London NW

PA Guildford PB Guildford PC Guildford PD Guildford PE Guildford PF Guildford PG Guildford PH Guildford PJ Guildford PK Guildford PL Guildford PM Guildford PN Brighton PO Portsmouth PP Luton PR Bournemouth PS Lerwick PT Newcastle PU Chelmsford PV Ipswich PW Norwich PX Portsmouth PY Middlesbrough

RA Nottingham RB Nottingham RC Nottingham RD Reading RE Stoke RF Stoke RG Newcastle RH Hull RJ Manchester RK London NW RL Truro RM Carlisle RN Preston RO Luton RP Northampton RR Nottingham RS Aberdeen RT Ipswich RU Bournemouth RV Portsmouth RW Coventry RX Reading RY Leicester

SA Aberdeen SB Oban SC Edinburgh SD Ayr SE Keith SF Edinburgh SG Edinburgh SH Selkirk SJ Ayr SK Wick SL Dundee SM Dumfries SN Dundee SO Aberdeen SP Dundee SR Dundee SS Aberdeen ST Inverness SU Glasgow SW Dumfries SX Edinburgh

TA Exeter TB Warrington TC Bristol TD Bolton TE Bolton TF Reading TG Cardiff TH Swansea TJ Liverpool TK Plymouth TL Lincoln TM Luton TN Newcastle TO Nottingham TP Portsmouth TR Portsmouth TS Dundee TT Exeter TU Chester TV Nottingham TW Chelmsford TX Cardiff TY Newcastle

UA Leeds UB Leeds UC London Central UD Oxford UE Dudley UF Brighton UG Leeds UH Cardiff UJ Shrewsbury UK Birmingham UL London Central UM Leeds UN Barnstaple UO Barnstaple UP Newcastle UR Luton US Glasgow UT Leicester UU London Central UV London Central UW London Central UX Shrewsbury UY Worcester

VA Cambridge VB Canterbury VC Coventry VD Luton VE Peterborough VF Norwich VG Norwich VH Huddersfield VJ Hereford VK Newcastle VL Lincoln VM Manchester VN Middlesbrough VO Nottingham VP Birmingham VR Manchester VS Luton VT Stoke VU Manchester VV Northampton VW Chelmsford VX Chelmsford VY York

WA Sheffield WB Sheffield WC Chelmsford WD Dudley WE Sheffield WF Sheffield WG Sheffield WH Bolton WJ Sheffield WK Coventry WL Oxford WM Liverpool WN Swansea WO Cardiff WP Worcester WR Leeds WS Bristol WT Leeds WU Leeds WV Brighton WW Leeds WX Leeds WY Leeds

YA Taunton YB Taunton YC Taunton YD Taunton YE London Central YF London Central YG Leeds YH London Central YJ Brighton YK London Central YL London Central YM London Central YN London Central YO London Central YP London Central YR London Central YS Glasgow YT London Central YU London Central YV London Central YW London Central YX London Central YY London Central

Northern Ireland registrations

These are different again. The Current system is three letters and 1-4 numbers, 1-9999. (example RDZ 6130) Now that they are legal on mainland vehicles, they are highly prized as cheap semi-vanity plates or to reregister vehicles of uncertain age. The difference with these is they ascend upwards through the alphabet, and include the vowels banned on the mainland. A noteworthy exception was when County Fermanagh skipped from JIL to LIL, bypassing the potentially controversial KIL.

The Isle of Man has a series all its own, in which the letters MAN or MN are always present. Here suffix letters do not denote years, and are used in sequence until they run out. Sequences followed so far are;

MN 1-9999 AMN 1-999 through YMN 1-999 1-999 AMN through 1-999 YMN MAN 1-999A through MAN 1-999Y MAN 1-9999 1-9999 MAN AMN 1-999A , AMN 1-999B through AMN 999Y BMN 1-999A etc. Newest (09/97) have reached DMN xxxR.

rsey uses J followed by one to five numbers.
Guernsey uses just numbers, one to five of them.The Governor's car, however, is G 1.
Gibraltar uses G followed by one to five numbers. Alderney uses AY followed by one to five numbers (except for the police's Range Rover, which is AY 999! -

Numbers withheld by ;

These numbers are held back for sale; they correspond to prestige car models (Mercedes 560, BMW 325, for example) or represent hundreds, three-number combinations or low numbers. 147 is the highest break possible in snooker!

1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 25, 30, 33, 40, 44, 45, 50, 55, 60, 66, 70, 77, 80, 88, 90, 99, 100, 111, 147, 164, 190, 200, 205, 213, 216, 222, 230, 240, 250, 260, 280, 300, 309, 316, 318, 320, 323, 325, 328, 333, 340, 350, 360, 400, 405, 412, 420, 440, 444, 450, 480, 500, 505, 518, 520, 525, 530, 535, 555, 560, 600, 635, 666, 700, 735, 777, 800, 820, 827, 850, 888, 900, 911, 924, 928, 944, 999