What Car? Q&A - What do number plates mean?

Q: I’ve noticed that the number plates have changed again, and I still don’t understand how the current system works. Please can you provide a simple explanation?
Katie Peterson

A: The system of seven letters and numbers is designed to show where and when a car was registered. Car registration plates are now updated twice a year, on March 1 and September 1.

The first letter of the number plate represents the area where the car was registered, and the second relates to a particular DVLA office it was registered through. For example, a car with the letters AB would be from the Anglia region (A), and registered at the Peterborough DVLA office (B).

The next two numbers represent the date the car is registered. The first shows whether the car is registered in the first or second half of the year – the number 0 is for March-August registrations, and a 5 for those from September to February. The second number shows the year, so a car with a 53 plate was registered in September 2003, and an 04 was registered in March 2004.

The last three letters in the registration are randomly chosen and allocated to a dealership when the car is registered.

The current system was introduced in September 2001, yet many people are still confused by it. This week, a survey found that only a quarter of people understand what the combination of letters and numbers means.