Car Registration Years — Complete UK Guide

By Jon Taylor, founder of New Reg Ltd — 36 years in the number plate industry. Last updated: April 2026.

Not sure what year a number plate is from? Our complete UK car registration years guide covers every plate format issued since 1963 — from dateless and suffix registrations right through to the current 26 plate and the upcoming 76 plate due in September 2026. Whether you're buying a used car, researching a personalised number plate, or simply curious about a registration you've spotted, this guide has everything you need.

Current Style Number Plates (2001 — Present)

The current UK number plate format was introduced in September 2001. It consists of two letters (area code), two numbers (year identifier), and three random letters — for example AB51 XYZ. New plates are released twice a year, in March and September.

How Does the Current Number Plate System Work?

The two-digit number in the middle of a current style plate tells you exactly when the car was registered. For March plates, the number matches the year — so a 26 plate was registered in March 2026. For September plates, 50 is added to the year — so a 76 plate (released September 2026) uses 76 because 2026 + 50 = 76. This pattern has been consistent since 2001, making it straightforward to work out the age of any current style vehicle.

What Is the 26 Plate?

The 26 plate was released on 1st March 2026 and is the current registration identifier. It applies to all new cars registered from 1st March 2026 through to 31st August 2026. If you see a plate with 26 in the middle — such as AB26 XYZ — that car was registered in spring 2026. The next plate after the 26 plate is the 76 plate, released on 1st September 2026. Search current style personalised number plates featuring the 26 identifier at New Reg.

What Is the 76 Plate? — Next Release

The 76 plate is the next UK number plate release, due on 1st September 2026. It will apply to all new cars registered from 1st September 2026 through to 28th February 2027. The 76 identifier follows the standard formula: 2026 + 50 = 76. If you're buying a new car later this year, it will carry a 76 plate. Personalised number plates are a popular way to avoid displaying the age identifier — a private plate means no one can tell from your registration when the car was made.

What Is the 25 Plate?

The 25 plate was released on 1st March 2025 and applied to all new cars registered from that date through to 31st August 2025. If you see a plate with 25 in the middle — such as AB25 XYZ — that car was registered in spring 2025. The next plate after the 25 plate was the 75 plate, released in September 2025. Search current style personalised number plates at New Reg.

When Is the Next Number Plate Release?

The next UK number plate release is 1st September 2026, when the 76 plate will be issued. New plates are released twice a year on fixed dates — 1st March and 1st September. The March release uses the year number (26 for 2026), and the September release adds 50 to the year (76 for September 2026). This means you can always tell whether a current style car was registered in spring or autumn just by looking at the two-digit number on its plate.

Can a Private Plate Hide a Car's Age?

Yes — and this is one of the most popular reasons people buy personalised number plates. A private number plate replaces the age-related registration on your car, meaning no one can tell from the plate when the vehicle was manufactured. Dateless and suffix plates are particularly popular for this reason, as they have no year identifier at all. You can put a dateless plate onto a brand new car, or a current style private plate onto an older vehicle — as long as the plate isn't newer than the car itself.

Prefix Number Plates (1983 — 2001)

Before the current system, the UK used prefix registrations — a single letter at the start of the plate indicating the year of registration, followed by up to three numbers and three letters. For example, R123 ABC would be a 1997 registration. Prefix plates are popular as personalised number plates because they can spell names and words clearly.

Suffix Number Plates (1963 — 1983)

Suffix registrations work the opposite way to prefix plates — the year letter appears at the end of the plate. For example, ABC 123A was registered in 1963. The suffix system was introduced to cope with growing demand for new registrations. Like prefix plates, suffix and dateless registrations are sought after as personalised plates because they never reveal the age of a vehicle.

Dateless Number Plates (Pre-1963)

Before 1963, UK registrations had no year identifier at all — they simply consisted of one or two letters and up to four numbers, such as AB 1234 or A 1. These are known as dateless number plates and are the most prestigious and valuable personalised registrations available. Because they carry no date, a dateless plate can be transferred onto any vehicle regardless of age — making them uniquely flexible and highly sought after by collectors.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the 76 plate?

The 76 plate is the next UK number plate release, due on 1st September 2026. It will apply to all new cars registered from 1st September 2026 to 28th February 2027. The number 76 comes from 2026 + 50 = 76.

What is the 26 plate?

The 26 plate was released on 1st March 2026 and is the current UK number plate. It applies to all new cars registered from 1st March 2026 to 31st August 2026.

When is the next number plate release?

The next UK number plate release is 1st September 2026, when the 76 plate will be issued. After that, the 27 plate follows on 1st March 2027.

What number plates are released in September 2026?

The 76 plate is released in September 2026. It is issued on 1st September 2026 and runs until 28th February 2027.

What year is a 63 plate?

A 63 plate was registered in September 2013. The 63 plate ran from 1st September 2013 to 28th February 2014.

What year is a 66 plate?

A 66 plate was registered in September 2016. The 66 plate ran from 1st September 2016 to 28th February 2017.

What year is a 57 plate?

A 57 plate was registered in September 2007. The 57 plate ran from 1st September 2007 to 29th February 2008.

What year is a 65 plate?

A 65 plate was registered in September 2015. The 65 plate ran from 1st September 2015 to 29th February 2016.

What year is a 72 plate?

A 72 plate was registered in September 2022. The 72 plate ran from 1st September 2022 to 28th February 2023.

What year is an R reg?

An R reg was registered between August 1997 and July 1998. R reg cars are prefix style registrations, which ran from 1983 to 2001.

What year is a G reg?

A G reg was registered between August 1989 and July 1990. G reg is a prefix style registration.

What year is a V reg?

A V reg was registered between August 1998 and July 1999. V reg is a prefix style registration.

What year is a 67 plate?

A 67 plate was registered in September 2017. The 67 plate ran from 1st September 2017 to 28th February 2018.

What year is a 68 plate?

A 68 plate was registered in September 2018. The 68 plate ran from 1st September 2018 to 28th February 2019.

What year is a 60 plate?

A 60 plate was registered in September 2010. The 60 plate ran from 1st September 2010 to 28th February 2011.

What year is a 61 plate?

A 61 plate was registered in September 2011. The 61 plate ran from 1st September 2011 to 29th February 2012.

What year is a 59 plate?

A 59 plate was registered in September 2009. The 59 plate ran from 1st September 2009 to 28th February 2010.

What year is an F reg?

An F reg was registered between August 1988 and July 1989. F reg uses the prefix style registration format, which ran from 1983 to 2001.

What year is a B reg?

A B reg was registered between August 1984 and July 1985. B reg uses the prefix style registration format.

What year is a W reg?

A W reg was registered between March 2000 and August 2000. W reg uses the prefix style registration format.

How do I find out what year my car is from its number plate?

For current style plates (2001 onwards), look at the two digits in the middle of the plate. If they're 50 or above, subtract 50 to get the year and add September as the month. If they're below 50, the number is the year and the month is March. For prefix plates, look at the first letter and use our prefix table above. For suffix plates, look at the last letter.