While number plates may look like a random combination of letters and numbers to most people, it turns out that they are not.
Every car has its own identity by having a number plate at the front and back, where information about the vehicle is stored.
Most number plates on UK roads – except for Northern Ireland – currently use a format which was first introduced in 2001, using seven characters split into two sections, the Mirror reports.
The digits represent the year it was first put on sale and where it was registered, whereas the two letters at the front of the number plate represent where in the UK the car was first registered.
Which means if the first letter is L, it was first registered in London, while Y stands for Yorkshire, and B is Birmingham.
The second letter is based on the postal area where it was registered.
The first two digits show when the car was first registered, but it covers a six-month period.
For cars that are registered between March and August, the last two digits of the year will be added, so for example 23.
However, if they were registered from September to February, another 50 is added to that number.
This means 73 will be on the number plate for cars registered from September 2023 to February 2024.
The last three letters are a random collection of numbers to keep each number plate unique. The only letters not used are I and Q.
Jon Kirkbright, sales director at Private Number Plates, said: “To the untrained eye, number plates may look like a random combination of letters and numbers. While many people will be aware that the numbers refer to the year the car was made and registered, they may not know that the letters before them also have a hidden meaning.
“They are known as ‘regional identifiers’ and refer to the DVLA office where the car was registered. This may be why your number plates start with the same letters if you buy more than one car from the same dealership, for example – it is not just a coincidence.”
