Where was my car registered?

Q: Can I find out where my car was registered? The first two letters of the number plate are 'DK'.
Sonia Lee

A: Before the numberplate system changed in 2001, it was the last two letters of the registration that identified the place of registration - nowadays it's the first two.

Known as the 'local memory tag', the first letter refers to the general area, while the second narrows the field by naming the DVLA office in which it was registered.

So, if your number plate begins 'DK', your car will have been registered in Chester, with 'D' applying to Deeside and 'K' to the Chester Office of the DVLA.

Details of all the local memory tag combinations can be found at the DVLA's website (www.dvla.gov.uk).

The numbers that make up new registrations refer to the year in which it was registered, with vehicles registered in March '02 wearing an '02' plate and vehicles from September 2002 being assigned '52', and so on for each year. The last three letters are assigned randomly.