UK number plate area codes
The first two letters of a current-style plate show where the registration was first issued. The first letter is the region and the second narrows it to a DVLA office area. Find any code in the table below.
Every UK area code
Select an office for its full list of codes and notes.
| Office | Codes |
|---|---|
| A Anglia | |
| Peterborough | AA, AB, AC, AD, AE, AF, AG, AJ, AK, AM, AN |
| Norwich | AO, AP, AR, AS, AT, AU |
| Ipswich | AV, AW, AX, AY |
| 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 |
| 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, DS, DT, DU, DV, DW, DX, DY |
| E Essex | |
| Chelmsford | EA, EB, EC, EE, EF, EG, 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, FV, FW, FX, FY |
| G Garden of England | |
| Maidstone | GA, GB, GC, GD, GE, GF, GG, GH, GJ, GK, GL, GM, GN |
| 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, HP, HR, HS, HT, HU, HV, HX, HY |
| K No official name | |
| Borehamwood | KA, KB, KC, KD, KE, KF, KG, KH, KJ, KK, KL |
| Northampton | KM, KN, KO, KP, KR, KS, KT, KU, KV, KW, KX, KY |
| L London | |
| Wimbledon | LA, LB, LC, LD, LE, LF, LG, LH, LJ |
| Borehamwood | 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, MP, MT, MU, MV, MW, MX |
| N North | |
| Newcastle | NA, NB, NC, ND, NE, 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, OL, OM, OO, OP, 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, 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 | SV, SW |
| Inverness | SX, SY |
| V Severn Valley | |
| Worcester | VA, VB, VC, VE, VF, VG, VH, VJ, VK, VL, VM, VN, VO, VP, VR, VS, VT, VU, VV, VX, VY |
| W West of England | |
| Exeter | WA, WB, 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, YL |
| Sheffield | YM, YN, YO, YP, YR, YS, YT, YU, YV |
| Beverley | YW, YX, YY |
I, Q and Z are never used as a first letter. J, T and U are not used as area codes either, though they can appear on personalised registrations. X is reserved for the personal export scheme.
After the area code come two digits, the age identifier, which changes every March and September, and then three random letters. See the UK number plate year chart to date a plate, or read the number plate check guide to what every part of a plate means.
What the area code does not tell you
An area code records where the registration was first issued, which usually just means where the supplying dealer was. It does not tell you where the car has been since, who has owned it or where it was built.
A registration can also move between vehicles, and a private plate replaces the code entirely. The date of first registration, plate transfers and keeper history sit in the vehicle record instead.
Checking a specific car?
Check its first registration date, plate transfers, finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Number plate area FAQs
What do the first two letters of a number plate mean?
They are the local memory tag. The first letter is the region, and the second identifies the DVLA office area the registration was first issued through. So LA to LJ is London, issued through Wimbledon, and MA to MX is Manchester and Merseyside.
Do number plate area codes still apply?
Yes. The DVLA closed its local offices at the end of 2013 and moved registration work to Swansea, but the memory tags are still allocated to the same areas. A plate issued today still carries the tag for the area it was registered through.
Which letters are not used as area codes?
I, Q and Z are never used as the first letter. J, T and U are not used as area codes either, although they can appear on personalised registrations. X is reserved for the personal export scheme rather than a region.
Does the area code tell me where a car has been?
No. It records where the registration was first issued, which usually means where the supplying dealer was. It says nothing about where the car has lived since or who has owned it. A plate can also be transferred between vehicles, and a private plate replaces the tag completely.
Memory tag allocations are published DVLA reference information. The DVLA closed its local offices in 2013, and the tags are still allocated to the same areas.