introduction to number plates
An introduction to number plates
Don’t know your prefix from your suffix? Want to know how it all began? Here’s a gentle introduction to the sometimes confusing world of personalised number plates.
What is a number plate?
A number plate is a unique identifier for a vehicle registered and licensed to use the public highway. In the UK number plates are issued by the DVLA (Driver and vehicle licensing agency) as a means of identifying vehicles on the road principally for crime prevention and revenue collection.
The origins of number plates
Number plates first came into full use as a result of the Roads act 1920 which stipulated that all vehicles should carry a unique and identifiable number which should be displayed in a set manner and location on the vehicle.
Number plates had existed in some form from Motor Car Act of 1903 and this is typically the date cited as when number plates “began” in the UK.
As the number of vehicles on the roads increased in the early days of motoring the 1920 Roads Act was some retrospective legislation to help identify and regulate the many thousands of vehicles already on the public highways.
Since these early beginnings every road worthy vehicle in the United Kingdom (motorbikes / cars / lorries and some plant vehicles) is registered with the DVLA for the purposes of road tax collection and monitoring as well as generally regulating motor vehicles
Modern day number plates
These days number plates are not just a means of identifying vehicles but also a status symbol, a way to personalise your vehicle and for some a potential investment.
At the time of writing (2008) the DVLA currently utilise the “new style” registration system which for the first time displays the year of a vehicle’s registration on the plate. Previously to this the prefix and suffix number plate systems used a letter to denote the year of registration.
Types of number plates
On the road in the UK today can be found 5 different styles of number plate- Prefix, suffix, dateless, Irish and new style.
Dateless number plates – the first ever number plates issued beginning with A1 in 1903.
Suffix number plates began in January 1963 and where the first number plates which allowed you to easily identify the year or a vehicle’s first registration.
Prefix number plates began in August 1983 and represented a reversal of the suffix format.
Irish number plates the only plates to use I and Z
New Style number plates- the current system at the time of writing (2008) and the only number plates to identify both the year of registration as well as the local tax office at which it was registered.
Number plates and the law
Number plates in their current form are printed in the “Charles Wright” font onto a reflective plastic number plate which must be of a prescribed shape and size to comply with the law. Previously to this number plates were non reflective and in some cases pressed and painted sheet metal.
The DVLA have many rules and regulations governing number plates and how to display them- the information ia available at the DVLA website but can be distilled into two key areas.
You may not make a vehicle appear younger than it is
This means you may not transfer a 2008 (08) number plate to a 2007 (07) vehicle as it will make the vehicle appear younger and thus deceive a potential purchaser.
You may not mis-space or mis-represent your number plate
The DVLA and the Police are cracking down on number plate crime- chiefly mis-spacing number plates and using different fonts and other tricks to make a number plate appear differently.
Personalised number plates
As the popularity of personalised number plates and the art of Autonumerology (reading numbers and letters as words) increases so to does the demand for personalised number plates.
The DVLA draws a sizeable amount of it’s income from the sale of registration numbers as well as the related number plate transfer fees.
The future of number plates
Many a sci fi film depicts vehicles with Barcode number plates- and certainly in countries such as Singapore number plates although still in full use tend to take a back seat in areas such as road charging and tolls where the function is completed wirelessly from a transponder on the dashboard.
The UK will continue to use the current number plate system until the number of combinations is exhausted at which time the sequence is reversed (essentially doubling the number of combinations)
Key facts
§ 1903 Motor Car Act introduces the concept of number plates
§ 1903 First number plate issued A1
§ 1920 Roads Act standardises number plate use for all vehicles
§ £80M amount DVLA received 2006-2007 from the Sale of Marks
§ F1 Most expensive number plate at the time of writing
Related articles
Types of number plates
The history of number plates
What’s on your plate
Related Links
Related Questions
