Free Number Plate Check

What does a number plate check show?

Regit's free number plate check helps you find key information about a car using its registration number. You can check details such as its estimated value, recorded mileage, MOT history and important dates.

The check includes:

• Vehicle value: Get an estimate of your car's value. For a more in-depth valuation try our free car valuation to get three prices covering an online sale, private sale and part-exchange.
• Recorded mileage: See the mileage recorded at the previous MOT test, helping you understand how far the car has travelled.
• First registration date: Find out when the vehicle was first registered with the DVLA.
• Safety recalls: Check how many recalls have been recorded for the vehicle. Use Regit's free Recall Checker to find out more about potential safety issues.
• Vehicle tax renewal date: Check when the vehicle's current vehicle tax is due for renewal.
• MOT expiry date: Find out when the vehicle's current MOT certificate expires.
• Insurance group: See the vehicle's insurance group, which insurers may use when calculating premiums.
• MOT history: Check the number of recorded MOT tests or use Regit's MOT History Checker to review previous results.

Vehicle information comes from official records maintained by the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) and the Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA). The information available varies by data type and vehicle, so check the results for the specific registration.

A free number plate check is not a substitute for a full vehicle history check. It doesn't reveal outstanding finance, insurance write-offs or whether a vehicle has been recorded as stolen. If you're considering buying a used car, use our full car history check to investigate these additional risks.

UK number plate area codes

The first two letters of a standard UK registration form its memory tag. The first letter identifies a broad registration area, while the second forms part of the area-specific code.

The 19 area links below show you the first-letter codes and their associated regions. These are useful clues about a vehicle's registration history, although they do not tell you where the car's current owner lives.

How to read a UK number plate

A standard UK number plate issued under the current system contains two letters, two numbers and three final letters. Together, these identify the registration series and indicate when the vehicle was first registered.

Take LC67 LNO as an example.

LC: The first two letters form the memory tag, with L representing the London registration area and C identifying the allocation within that area.

67: The two numbers are the age identifier, showing that the registration was issued between September 2017 and February 2018.

LNO: The final three letters are randomly assigned to distinguish the registration from others.

The age identifier is a useful way to estimate when a vehicle was first registered, although it does not confirm its exact manufacturing date. Introduced in September 2001, the current format replaced older systems, which used different combinations of letters and numbers, often with a year letter or other age-related codes to indicate when a vehicle was registered.

Not every letter can be used in every position. I, Q and Z are not used in the memory tag, and Z only appears among the three random letters. These restrictions help maintain the registration system's standard format.

What year is my number plate?

For standard-format registrations, the age identifier changes twice a year. Plates issued from March to August use the year's final two digits, while those issued from September to February add 50.

For example, a 26 plate is associated with March to August 2026, while a 76 plate is associated with September 2026 to February 2027.

You can use the table below to identify a registration period quickly.

These identifiers indicate a registration period, not necessarily the exact date the car was manufactured or first sold.

If you're looking at an older vehicle, remember that the current format only applies to registrations issued since September 2001. Earlier formats use different age identifiers, and some registrations, like private plates, do not identify the vehicle's age at all.

If you're checking an older car, use our ULEZ checker to see whether it meets London's Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) requirements.

Private, Q and Northern Ireland plates

Private, dateless, Q and Northern Ireland registrations do not all follow the standard age-identifier system. You may not be able to establish a vehicle's age from its number plate alone.

Private number plates can change the date identifier of a vehicle, but they must follow DVLA rules. A registration cannot make a vehicle appear newer than it is.

Dateless number plates were issued before age-related registrations were introduced. They do not contain an age identifier, so you cannot determine a vehicle's age from the plate alone.

Q plates are issued by the DVLA when a vehicle's age or identity is uncertain and cannot be established sufficiently to assign a standard registration.

Northern Ireland number plates use a different format from standard UK age-related plates. They do not use the familiar two-digit age identifier, so the usual March and September rules do not apply.