British Registration Numbers
 | | |
| Registration of road vehicles in Great Britain commenced in 1903 and was operational from January 1904. There have been six major modifications over the years, but basically a registration mark issued long ago is valid today. This article is designed to describe the basic systems and will not concern itself with the many exceptions to the rules that have existed over the years. Those who have studied the system in depth will know that we would need a whole website to describe everything, and the reader would be completely confused! The first type of marks consisted of one or two letters, plus a number series starting from 1 and progressing to 9999. Allocation of marks for England and Wales was A to FP, with a few gaps; allocated in order of population figures from the 1901 census. I and Z marks were allocated to Ireland (which included what is now the Republic of Ireland) and G,S and V combinations were allocated to Scotland, though some were later released and appeared with English authorities. It was soon obvious that more issues were required as new county boroughs were created. Major cities quickly exhausted their initial allocation. L combinations were given to London, M to Middlesex etc. | | |
| By 1932 only three combinations remained unused; BF, OO and WC, so a major change occurred. A prefix letter was added to an existing two-letter index mark to invent three letter marks, the first being ARF used by Staffordshire in July 1932. Staffordshire was again to take the lead in 1953 when it issued the first reversed combinations; with numbers preceding the registration letters. 1000 E being the first issued, quickly followed by Middlesex with 1000 H. Thereafter reversed registrations with one, two or three letters were all quickly brought into use. In 1960/1 the BF, OO and WC combinations were finally issued as the system again began to run out. Click here to see the first allocations of one and two letter registration marks In 1963 the suffix letter system was introduced by placing a year identifier after the number combination: AHX 123A etc. In 1965 this was made compulsory for all authorities. Having used all the combinations it was decided to take the X series away from London, and to use these for newly created authorities from 1963 to be used with suffix letters only. AXA 1A being issued by Kirkcaldy CBC, etc. In October 1974 the business of car registration was taken away from county and county borough councils and moved to the DVLA, Swansea. The number of offices was reduced considerably and registration marks were moved from their original areas - CF moved from Suffolk to Reading for example. In 1983, with the issue of Y suffix letters the system there was a need for further reorganisation, and the suffix letter was reversed and became the prefix letter system - A123 ABC, etc. This continued until 1998, when it was decided a further change would be required. The year system was speeded up to be changed twice a year, and after the use of Y prefix letters, the present system of year identifier was evolved; the first letter indicating a geographical region, the second letter being an issue letter, two numbers indicating the year, and a three letter combination being the issue. High numbers such as 51 indicate a vehicle registered between September and February 2002, whilst 02 plates commenced in March 2002. Registrations in Northern Ireland followed the basis of mainland UK, but three letter registrations there are issued with up to four numbers. This practise continues. The Irish Free State continued to issue registrations in the British style and avoiding duplication, but changed to a year identity system in 1986. Since the issue of central licensing there has been much tinkering with the system, with attractive letter and number combinations being sold off at auction or reserved as select issues. Q plates. The letter combinations QQ etc were reserved for visiting vehicles temporarily imported into the UK.With introduction of the prefix letter system in 1983, vehicles where the age could not be easily determined were allocated Q plates. Where an age could be determined, age related plates could be issued. (Some Q issues were later allowed to be re-registered as such). The oldest vehicles were allowed issues from Bournemouth void numbers in the EL block, then Scottish councils which never reached three letter combinations, the upper numbers of BS, DS, SL and SV. WFX onwards was allocated for vehicles built are 1931 but before 1956 which received three letter combinations -ASV, etc that were never issued in Scotland followed.Vehicles built after 1956 but before 1963 initally received "reversed" DEL registrations, and after that "reversed" ASV/BSV, but thereafter this part of the scheme was dropped and three letter forward marks cover vehicles from 1931-1963. Vehicles after this date receive a year suffix plate in re-registrationseries. The issue of age related marks continues by using later letter combinations never reached by some smaller Scottish and Welsh authorities. QNI issued in Northern Ireland corresponds to the mainland's Q system. Cherished marks are those attractive or old combinations purchased from dealers and allowed to be transferred to new vehicles for a fee. This is a widespread practise on higher priced cars and with the bus and coach industry. Trade Plates are issued to dealers, garages, etc to cover breakdowns, delivery of new vehicles and the like. These have red letters and numbers. | | |
| | ||
