This is what a current style number plate looks like:

JL03 JHL

The two digits (called the year identifier) tell us when the year the registration number was issued. So in this case, the number 03 indicates the number plate was issued in March 2003. Take a look at our list of car registration numbers dates for all the year identifiers.

Because current style number plates have a year identifier, there are DVLA number plate rules that mean you can only assign a registration number to a vehicle of the same year or newer. So in this case, you can only assign this current style number plate to a vehicle registered on or after 1st March 2003.

This is what a prefix number plate looks like:

T23 JHL

The first letter is the year identifier, indicating this registration number was issued between March 1999 and August 1999. Here’s a full list of all the car number plate registration dates.

Because prefix style number plates have a year identifier, you must follow the DVLA number plate rules. You can only assign a registration number to a vehicle of the same year or newer. So in this case, you can only assign this prefix style number plate to a vehicle registered on or after 1st
March 1999.

This is what a suffix number plate looks like:

JHL 23T

On suffix style number plates the last letter is the year identifier. This registration number was issued between August 1978 and July 1979. Here’s a full list of all car registration dates for number plates.

Because suffix style number plates have a year identifier, DVLA number plate rules restrict the age of the car you can assign the registration number to. You can only assign a car registration number to a vehicle of the same year or newer. So in this case, you can only assign this suffix style number plate to a vehicle registered on or after 1st August 1978.

These number plates were issued from 1903 (when car registration number plates were first introduced in the UK) until 1963 – when the more densely populated areas were running out of letter combinations. It had become clear that there were going to be far more cars on the road and the system of allocating number plates was no longer going to work.

This is what a dateless number plate looks like:

JHL 308 or 308 JHL

There’s no letter or number to indicate the year the registration number plate was issued. Though it is possible to find out, with access to the right information.

Because this number plate type has no year identifier, it can be assigned to any vehicle regardless of its age.

Dateless number plates are not to be confused with Irish number plates!

This is what an Irish number plate looks like:

ULZ 6087 or KJI 974

There’s no letter or number to indicate the year the registration number was issued. And because of that, there are no restrictions on the age of the vehicle you can assign them to. They can be assigned to vehicles on the UK mainland.

Irish number plates can be distinguished from dateless number plates because they contain an I or Z (not found in mainland UK dateless number plates).