Sources and methodology

Where the dates come from

Issue dates for every age identifier come from DVLA’s published guidance, GOV.UK: Vehicle registration numbers and number plates (INF104), along with GOV.UK’s pages on displaying number plates and private number plates. Our full chart is in the year chart, with a CSV download.

How the year checker works

The checker reads the pattern of the reg you type: two letters, two numbers, three letters for the current format; a leading letter for prefix plates; a trailing letter for suffix plates. It then looks up the identifier in the same table as the year chart. It all runs in your browser. Nothing you type is sent to us.

The checker reads the plate, not DVLA’s records. A private or imported car can have a plate that doesn’t match its real first-registration date. For that, use DVLA’s vehicle enquiry service.

Ages and “current” plates

Ages are counted from first registration to the date the page was built. Pages are rebuilt at least monthly and on 1 March and 1 September, when a new identifier starts.

Corrections

Spotted a mistake? Tell us and we’ll check it against the source and fix it.