The first two letters of a current UK plate are the DVLA area code: the first letter is the region, the second the issuing office. All 437 codes are below.
Grouped by region. Click a region for its own page, or drop any full registration into the free plate decoder.
| AA–AN | Peterborough | AA AB AC AD AE AF AG AH AJ AK AL AM AN |
| AO–AU | Norwich | AO AP AR AS AT AU |
| AV–AY | Ipswich | AV AW AX AY |
| BA–BY | Birmingham | BA BB BC BD BE BF BG BH BJ BK BL BM BN BO BP BR BS BT BU BV BW BX BY |
| CA–CO | Cardiff | CA CB CC CD CE CF CG CH CJ CK CL CM CN CO |
| CP–CV | Swansea | CP CR CS CT CU CV |
| CW–CY | Bangor | CW CX CY |
| DA–DK | Chester | DA DB DC DD DE DF DG DH DJ DK |
| DL–DY | Shrewsbury | DL DM DN DO DP DR DS DT DU DV DW DX DY |
| EA–EY | Chelmsford | EA EB EC ED EE EF EG EH EJ EK EL EM EN EO EP ER ES ET EU EV EW EX EY |
| FA–FP | Nottingham | FA FB FC FD FE FF FG FH FJ FK FL FM FN FO FP |
| FR–FY | Lincoln | FR FS FT FU FV FW FX FY |
| GA–GO | Maidstone | GA GB GC GD GE GF GG GH GJ GK GL GM GN GO |
| GP–GY | Brighton | GP GR GS GT GU GV GW GX GY |
| HA–HJ | Bournemouth | HA HB HC HD HE HF HG HH HJ |
| HK–HY | Portsmouth | HK HL HM HN HO HP HR HS HT HU HV HW HX HY |
| KA–KL | Luton | KA KB KC KD KE KF KG KH KJ KK KL |
| KM–KY | Northampton | KM KN KO KP KR KS KT KU KV KW KX KY |
| LA–LJ | Wimbledon | LA LB LC LD LE LF LG LH LJ |
| LK–LT | Stanmore | LK LL LM LN LO LP LR LS LT |
| LU–LY | Sidcup | LU LV LW LX LY |
| MA–MY | Manchester | MA MB MC MD ME MF MG MH MJ MK ML MM MN MO MP MR MS MT MU MV MW MX MY |
| NA–NO | Newcastle | NA NB NC ND NE NF NG NH NJ NK NL NM NN NO |
| NP–NY | Stockton | NP NR NS NT NU NV NW NX NY |
| OA–OY | Oxford | OA OB OC OD OE OF OG OH OJ OK OL OM ON OO OP OR OS OT OU OV OW OX OY |
| PA–PT | Preston | PA PB PC PD PE PF PG PH PJ PK PL PM PN PO PP PR PS PT |
| PU–PY | Carlisle | PU PV PW PX PY |
| RA–RY | Reading | RA RB RC RD RE RF RG RH RJ RK RL RM RN RO RP RR RS RT RU RV RW RX RY |
| SA–SJ | Glasgow | SA SB SC SD SE SF SG SH SJ |
| SK–SO | Edinburgh | SK SL SM SN SO |
| SP–ST | Dundee | SP SR SS ST |
| SU–SW | Aberdeen | SU SV SW |
| SX–SY | Inverness | SX SY |
| VA–VY | Worcester | VA VB VC VD VE VF VG VH VJ VK VL VM VN VO VP VR VS VT VU VV VW VX VY |
| WA–WJ | Exeter | WA WB WC WD WE WF WG WH WJ |
| WK–WT | Truro | WK WL WM WN WO WP WR WS WT |
| WU–WY | Bristol | WU WV WW WX WY |
| YA–YK | Leeds | YA YB YC YD YE YF YG YH YJ YK |
| YL–YU | Sheffield | YL YM YN YO YP YR YS YT YU |
| YV–YY | Beverley | YV YW YX YY |
After the area code come two numbers, the age identifier, which name the six-month window when the car was first registered. Our plate years table decodes every identifier since 2001. The three letters on the end are random.
None of it says anything about the car's condition. For that, the free MOT check shows the real test and mileage history, and the full £5.00 report adds the tax status, spec and keeper history from the DVLA record.
They are the DVLA area code, also called the memory tag. The first letter names the region and the second pins down the local office that first issued the registration. The table on this page lists every code in use.
The letters I, Q and Z are never used in area codes, and only 19 letters are used as the first letter. If your plate doesn't match the current two-letters-two-numbers pattern, it's an older scheme: our free plate decoder reads those too.
Only where its registration was first issued, which usually means the region where the dealer sat, and nothing since: cars move and plates get transferred. It never updates, so treat it as a birthplace, not an address.
Type in a reg and get the whole record in seconds. £5.00, no subscription, and credited straight back if a reg turns up nothing.