What year is a 70 plate?
Why “70”?
September plates add 50 to the year: 20 + 50 = 70.
What can a 70 plate go on?
As a private plate, it can go on any vehicle first registered on or after 1 September 2020. DVLA won’t let a plate make a vehicle look newer than it is, so it can’t go on anything older.
Looking for a plate for an older car? Choose an earlier identifier, or a dateless plate, which can go on a vehicle of any age.
Plates either side
| Plate | Issued |
|---|---|
| 69 plate | 1 September 2019 – 29 February 2020 |
| 20 plate | 1 March 2020 – 31 August 2020 |
| 70 plate | 1 September 2020 – 28 February 2021 |
| 21 plate | 1 March 2021 – 31 August 2021 |
| 71 plate | 1 September 2021 – 28 February 2022 |
Buying or selling the car?
The plate tells you when a car was first registered, not its history. Check its MOT record before you buy.
Common questions
Is a 70 plate 2020 or 2021?
It can be either. 70 plates were issued from 1 September 2020 to 28 February 2021, so a 70 plate car was first registered in 2020 or 2021.
How old is a 70 plate car?
In November 2026, a 70 plate car is 5–6 years old, counted from its first registration. If the plate is a private one the car could be newer.
Can I put a 70 plate on an older car?
No. A plate can’t make a vehicle look newer than it is, so a 70 plate can only go on a vehicle first registered on or after 1 September 2020.
What plate came after 70?
21, issued from 1 March 2021.
Got a full reg? Check it in the year checker or see the full year chart.
Source: GOV.UK: Vehicle registration numbers and number plates (INF104). Ages are worked out from first registration as of 3 November 2026.