Manchester number plates
Manchester registrations start with one of 18 letter pairs, from MA to MX. Those two letters show the DVLA area that first issued the registration. Manchester had the M region letter to itself, covering Greater Manchester and Merseyside.
Looking at a specific car? Check its first registration date, plate transfers, finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Every Manchester area code
The first two letters of a current-style plate issued through this office area.
| Region letter | Region | Codes |
|---|---|---|
| M | Manchester and Merseyside | MA, MB, MC, MD, ME, MF, MG, MH, MJ, MK, ML, MM, MP, MT, MU, MV, MW, MX |
The region letter is the memory aid: M for Manchester and Merseyside. The second letter narrows it to the office area. MN is reserved for the Isle of Man and is not issued. MO, MR, MS and MY are held back for select issue.
The two digits after the area code are the age identifier and the last three letters are random. To work out the year, see the UK number plate year chart.
What the area code does not tell you
The code 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, who has owned it or where it was built. Fleet and lease cars are often registered in bulk in one area and then sent across the country.
It can also have nothing to do with the car at all. A registration can move from one vehicle to another, and a private plate replaces the area code completely. The vehicle record, not the plate, shows the date of first registration, plate transfers and import history.
Check the car, not the plate
Check its first registration date, plate transfers, finance, write-off, theft, mileage and keeper history with a £15 vehicle history report.
Manchester number plate FAQs
What do Manchester number plates start with?
Manchester registrations carry the memory tags MA, MB, MC, MD, ME, MF, MG, MH, MJ, MK, ML, MM, MP, MT, MU, MV, MW, MX. Those are the first two letters of a current-style plate, followed by the two-digit age identifier and three random letters.
Does an MA plate mean the car is from Manchester?
It means the registration was first issued through the Manchester office area, usually because the supplying dealer was based there. It does not tell you where the car is now, where its keepers have lived or where it was built.
Are DVLA local offices still open?
No. The DVLA closed its local offices at the end of 2013 and moved registration work to Swansea. The memory tags are still allocated to the same areas, so a plate issued today still carries the tag for the area it was registered through.
How do I find out where a specific car came from?
The memory tag is only a hint. The recorded date of first registration, plate transfers, keeper history and import markers describe the car itself. A Carpeep vehicle history report shows them against the registration for £15.
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.