How it works
The age identifier is the pair of numbers in the middle of a registration like AB26 CDE:
- March to August: the last two digits of the year (2026 → 26)
- September to February: the year's number plus 50 (2026 → 76)
The system started on 1 September 2001 with 51, and has run in the same pattern ever since.
Age identifiers from 2001 to 2027
| Year | 1 March – 31 August | 1 September – end of February |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | (old Y-suffix style) | 51 |
| 2002 | 02 | 52 |
| 2003 | 03 | 53 |
| 2004 | 04 | 54 |
| 2005 | 05 | 55 |
| 2006 | 06 | 56 |
| 2007 | 07 | 57 |
| 2008 | 08 | 58 |
| 2009 | 09 | 59 |
| 2010 | 10 | 60 |
| 2011 | 11 | 61 |
| 2012 | 12 | 62 |
| 2013 | 13 | 63 |
| 2014 | 14 | 64 |
| 2015 | 15 | 65 |
| 2016 | 16 | 66 |
| 2017 | 17 | 67 |
| 2018 | 18 | 68 |
| 2019 | 19 | 69 |
| 2020 | 20 | 70 |
| 2021 | 21 | 71 |
| 2022 | 22 | 72 |
| 2023 | 23 | 73 |
| 2024 | 24 | 74 |
| 2025 | 25 | 75 |
| 2026 | 26 | 76 |
| 2027 | 27 (from 1 March 2027) | 77 (from 1 September 2027) |
How to tell a car's age from its plate
- A number under 50 means March to August of that year: 19 = March–August 2019.
- A number over 50 means September of the year (number minus 50) to the following February: 69 = September 2019 to February 2020.
What this means for private plates
You can't put a registration on your vehicle that makes it look newer than it is. For example, a car first registered in 2018 can carry a plate with an age identifier from 2018 or earlier (such as 18, 67 or 05), but not a 19, 24 or 76 plate.
Registrations with no age identifier – older "dateless" numbers and Northern Ireland registrations – can go on a vehicle of any age. See private number plate rules for more.