UK Number Plate Area Codes: Full DVLA Region Guide

How UK number plates work

Since September 2001, UK registration plates follow the format AB12 CDE:

First two letters (AB) — the DVLA local memory tag, indicating the office that registered the car
Two numbers (12) — the age identifier, showing when the car was first registered
Last three letters (CDE) — random letters to make the plate unique

A — Anglia

B — Birmingham

Birmingham

BA BB BC BD BE BF BG BH BJ BK BL BM BN BO BP BR BS BT BU BV BW BX BY

C — Cymru (Wales)

Cardiff

CA CB CC CD CE CF CG CH CJ CK CL CM CN CO

Swansea

CP CR CS CT CU CV

Bangor

CW CX CY

D — Deeside to Shrewsbury

Chester

DA DB DC DD DE DF DG DH DJ DK

Shrewsbury

DL DM DN DO DP DR DS DT DU DV DW DX DY

E — Essex

Chelmsford

EA EB EC ED EE EF EG EH EJ EK EL EM EN EO EP ER ES ET EU EV EW EX EY

F — Forest and Fens

Nottingham

FA FB FC FD FE FF FG FH FJ FK FL FM FN FP

Lincoln

FR FS FT FU FV FW FX FY

G — Garden of England

Maidstone

GA GB GC GD GE GF GG GH GJ GK GL GM GN GO

Brighton

GP GR GS GT GU GV GW GX GY

H — Hampshire and Dorset

Bournemouth

HA HB HC HD HE HF HG HH HJ

Portsmouth

HK HL HM HN HO HP HR HS HT HU HV HW HX HY

K — Luton and Northampton

Northampton

KA KB KC KD KE KF KG KH KJ KK KL

Luton

KM KN KO KP KR KS KT KU KV KW KX KY

L — London

Wimbledon

LA LB LC LD LE LF LG LH LJ

Stanmore

LK LL LM LN LO LP LR LS LT

Sidcup

LU LV LW LX LY

M — Manchester and Merseyside

Manchester

MA MB MC MD ME MF MG MH MJ MK ML MM MN MO MP MR MS MT MU MV MW MX MY

N — North

Newcastle

NA NB NC ND NE NF NG NH NJ NK NL NM NN NO

Stockton

NP NR NS NT NU NV NW NX NY

O — Oxford

Oxford

OA OB OC OD OE OF OG OH OJ OK OL OM ON OO OP OR OS OT OU OV OW OX OY

P — Preston

Preston

PA PB PC PD PE PF PG PH PJ PK PL PM PN PO PP PR PS PT

Carlisle

PU PV PW PX PY

R — Reading

Reading

RA RB RC RD RE RF RG RH RJ RK RL RM RN RO RP RR RS RT RU RV RW RX RY

S — Scotland

Glasgow

SA SB SC SD SE SF SG SH SJ

Edinburgh

SK SL SM SN SO

Dundee

SP SR SS ST

Aberdeen

SU SV SW

Inverness

SX SY

V — Severn Valley

Worcester

VA VB VC VD VE VF VG VH VJ VK VL VM VN VO VP VR VS VT VU VV VW VX VY

W — West of England

Exeter

WA WB WC WD WE WF WG WH WJ

Truro

WK WL

Bristol

WM WN WO WP WR WS WT WU WV WW WX WY

Y — Yorkshire

Leeds

YA YB YC YD YE YF YG YH YJ YK

Sheffield

YL YM YN YO YP YR YS YT YU

Beverley

YV YW YX YY

Number plate FAQs

What do the first two letters on a UK number plate mean?

They are the DVLA local memory tag. The first letter represents the region (e.g. L for London, S for Scotland) and the second letter identifies the specific DVLA office.

How many DVLA area codes are there?

There are 436 two-letter area codes in the current system, spread across 19 regions covering England, Scotland and Wales.

What do the two numbers after the letters mean?

The two numbers are the age identifier. March to August plates use the year (26 for 2026). September to February plates add 50 (76 for late 2026).

When did the current number plate format start?

The current format launched on 1 September 2001, replacing the old prefix letter system. The first age identifier was 51.

UK Number Plate Area Codes