DVLA memory tags
UK number plate area codes
The first two letters of a current-style plate are the local memory tag. The first letter is the region, the second narrows it to the DVLA office area the registration was first issued through. Here is every code, and the office behind it.
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The full area code table
| Letter | Region | 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.
How the rest of the plate works
After the two memory tag letters come two digits, which are the age identifier, and then three random letters that carry no meaning. The age identifier is the part that tells you when the registration was issued, and it changes every March and September. The full breakdown is on the UK number plate year chart.
What the tag cannot 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. Fleet cars are frequently registered in bulk in one area and then sent across the country.
A registration can also be transferred between vehicles, and a private plate replaces the tag entirely. The recorded date of first registration, plate transfers, keeper history, finance, write-off and stolen markers all sit in the vehicle record instead. A Carpeep car history check reports them against the registration for £15.
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 network of local offices at the end of 2013 and moved all registration work to Swansea, but the memory tags were kept and 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 network of local offices in 2013, and the tags are still allocated to the same areas.