Where’s it From? The numeric/alpha cyphers of UK registration marks could almost match the World War II Enigma code for complexity and obscurity. In order to make some sense of it, let’s take a look at the history of autonumerology.

The first car registration marks were a combination of one or two letters and up to four numbers. The letters identified the particular licensing authority responsible for its issue. For example, A was assigned to the London whilst AA was Hampshire and BA Salford (for no apparent reason). Apart from the implication of A for the capital city, the only other recognisable, if somewhat tenuous, associations are BN (Bolton), CE (Cambridge), DT (Doncaster), G/GG (Glasgow), DV (Devon), E/KN/KT (Kent), LD/LN/LO (London), MD/ML (Middlesex), MN (Isle of Man), NH (Northampton), NL (Northumberland), RD (Reading) and, perhaps stretching a point, WY (West Riding of Yorkshire).

During the mid-1930s, when all the possible permutations were exhausted, licensing authorities simply added an extra letter at the beginning of their existing two-letter codes. So, e.g., BAA was still Hampshire (*AA) - and NOT Salford (BA*).

By the 1950s, the 3-letter codes had, of course, started to run out again. So it was decided to reverse the character pattern, e.g. allowing 1 AEV in addition to AEV 1. During the 1960s, the situation forced the issue of the first suffix registration marks - Three letters/three numbers plus a single letter denoting, for the first time, the actual year of registration. (Earlier registrations are, therefore, dateless.)

Naturally, due to the remarkable lack of foresight for which government agencies are renowned, it was soon necessary to supersede this system with the familiar prefix registrations, where the year indicator was placed at the beginning. This lasted until the advent of the new-style registrations in 2001. Under the present arrangement, the two-letter prefix once again represents the place of issue. Predictably, the opportunity to apply any logic to these was lost in favour of a random allocation.

Incidentally, Grimsby Corporation recently sold the number GY 1, which had adorned the mayoral limousine for many years. There was something of an outcry at the loss of this family heirloom because GY is well known as the code of the Grimsby fishing fleet. The truth, once again getting in the way of a good story, is that GY car registrations were, in fact, issued by the London County Council - the real Grimsby allocations being EE and JV.

The following table shows the common old-style letter codes and their derivations. This table applies only to the ‘old-style’ car registrations issued before September 2001. Where a registration has 3 letters, it is the 2nd and 3rd characters which indicate its origin. e.g ABC 1 would be Leicester (*BC) and NOT Worcestershire (AB*). It doesn’t matter whether the letters are at the beginning or the end of the registration - except where a single letter denotes the year. e.g. A 1 was London (A), but A123 BCD would be Brighton (CD).

A London AA Hampshire AB Worcestershire AC Warwickshire AD Gloucestershire AE Bristol AF Cornwall AG Ayrshire AH Norfolk AJ Yorkshire AK Bradford AL Nottinghamshire AM Wiltshire AN London West Ham AO Cumberland AP East Sussex AR Hertfordshire AS Nairnshire AT Kingston upon Hull AU Nottingham AV Aberdeenshire AW Shropshire AX Monmouthshire AY Leicestershire B Lancashire BA Salford BB Newcastle upon Tyne BC Leicester BD Northamptonshire BE Lindsey (Lincs.) BF Staffordshire BG Birkenhead BH Buckinghamshire BJ East Suffolk BK Portsmouth BL Berkshire BM Bedfordshire BN Bolton BO Cardiff BP West Sussex BR Sunderland BS Orkney BT Yorkshire E.R. BU Oldham BV Blackburn BW Oxfordshire BX Carmathenshire BY London, Croydon C Yorkshire W.R. CA Denbighshire CB Blackburn CC Caernarvonshire CD Brighton CE Cambridgeshire CF West Suffolk CG Hampshire CH Derby CJ Hertfordshire CK Preston CL Norwich CM Birkenhead CN Gateshead CO Plymouth CP Halifax CR Southampton CS Ayrshire CT Kesteven (Lincs.) CU South Shields CV Cornwall CW Burnley CX Huddersfield CY Swansea D Kent DA Wolverhampton DB Stockport DC Middlesborough DD Gloucestershire DE Pembrokeshire DF Gloucestershire DG Gloucestershire DH Walsall DJ St. Helens DK Rochdale DL Isle of Wight DM Flintstone DN York DO Holland (Lincs.) DP Reading DR Plymouth, Devonport DS Peebleshire DT Doncaster DU Coventry DV Devon DW Newport (Mon.) DX Ipswich DY Hastings E Staffordshire EA West Bromwich EB Cambridgeshire EC Westmoreland ED Warrington EE Grimsby EF Hartlepool EG Huntingdon EH Stoke-on-Trent EJ Cardiganshire EK Wigan EL Bournemouth EM Bootie EN Bury EO Barrow-in-Furness EP Montgomeryshire ER Cambridgeshire ES Perthshire ET Rotherham EU Breconshire EV Essex EW Huntingdon EX Great Yarmouth EY Anglesey F Essex FA Burton upon Trent FB Bath FC Oxford FD Dudley FE Lincoln FF Merionethshire FG Fifeshire FH Gloucester FJ Exeter FK Worcester FL Huntingdon FM Chester FN Canterbury FO Radnorshire RP Rutland FR Blackpool FS Edinburgh FT Tynemouth FU Lindsey (Lincs.) FV Blackpool FW Lindsey (Lincs.) FX Dorset FY Southport G Glasgow GA Glasgow GB Glasgow GC London GD Glasgow GE Glasgow GF London GG Glasgow GH London GJ London GK London GL Bath GM Motherwell GN London GO London GP London GR Sunderland GS Perthshire GT London GU London GV London GW London GX London GY London H Middlesex HA Warley, Smethwick HB Merthr Tydfil HC Eastbourne HD Dewsbury HE Barnsley HF Wallasey HG Burnley HH Carlisle HJ Southend-on-Sea HK Essex HL Wakefield HM London HN Darlington HO Hampshire HP Coventry HR Wiltshire

HS Renfewshire HT Bristol HU Bristol HV London HW Bristol HX Middlesex HY Bristol J Durham JA Stockport JB Berkshire JC Caernarvonshire JD London JE Cambridgeshire JF Leicester JG Canterbury JH Hertfordshire JJ London JK Eastbourne JL Holland (Lincs.) JM Westmoreland JN Southend-on-Sea JO Oxford JP Wigan JR Northumberland JS Ross and Cromarty JT Dorset JU Leicestershire JV Grimsby JW Wolverhampton JX Halifax JY Plymouth K Liverpool KA Liverpool KB Liverpool KC Liverpool KD Liverpool KE Kent KF Liverpool KG Cardiff KH Kingston-upon-Hull KJ Kent KK Kent KL Kent KM Kent KN Kent KO Kent KP Kent KR Kent KS Roxburghshire KT Kent KU Bradford KV Coventry KW Bradford KX Buckinghamshire KY Bradford L Glamorganshire LA London LB London LC London LD London LE London LF London LG Cheshire LH London LJ Bournemouth LK London LL London LM London LN London LO London LP London LS Selkirkshire LT London LU London LV Liverpool LW London LX London LY London M Cheshire MA Cheshire MB Cheshire MC London MD Middlesex ME London MF London MG London MH London MJ Bedfordshire MK London ML Middlesex MM London MN Isle of Man MO Berkshire MP London MR Wiltshire MS Stirlingshire MT London MU London MV London MW Wiltshire MX London MY Middlesex N Manchester NA Manchester NB Manchester NC Manchester ND Manchester NE Manchester NF Manchester NG Norfolk NH Northampton NJ East Sussex NK Hertfordshire NL Northumberland NM Bedfordshire NN Nottinghamshire NO Essex NP Worcestershire NR Leicestershire NS Sutherland NT Shropshire NU Derbyshire NV Northamptonshire NW Leeds NX Warwickshire NY Glamorganshire O Birmingham OA Birmingham OC Birmingham OD Devonshire OE Birmingham OF Brimingham OG Birmingham OH Birmingham OJ Birmingham OK Birmingham OL Birmingham OM Birmingham ON Birmingham OO Essex OP Birmingham OR Hampshire OS Wigtownshire OT Hampshire OU Hampshire OV Birmingham OW Southampton OX Birmingham OY London P Surrey PA Surrey PB Surrey PC Surrey PD Surrey PE Surrey PF Surrey PG Surrey PH Surrey PJ Surrey PK Surrey PL Surrey PM East Sussex PN East Sussex PO West Sussex PP Buckinghamshire PR Dorset PS Shetland PT Durham PU Essex PV Ipswich PW Norfolk PX West Suffolk PY Yorkshire N.R. Q Indeterminate YOM QS Temporary Issue R Derbyshire RA Derbyshire RB Derbyshire RC Derby RD Reading RE Staffordshire RF Staffordshire RG Aberdeen

RH Kingston upon Hull RJ Salford RK London, Croydon RL Cornwall RM Cumberland RN Preston RO Hertfordshire RP Northamptonshire RR Northamptonshire RS Aberdeen RT East Suffolk RU Bournemouth RV Portsmouth RW Coventry RX Berkshire RY Leicester S Edinburgh SA Aberdeenshire SB Argyleshire SC Edinburgh SD Ayrshire SE Banffshire SF Edinburgh SG Edinburgh SH Barwickshire SJ Buteshire SK Caithness SL Clackmannanshire SM Dumfrieshire SN Dumbartonshire SO Morayshire SP Fifeshire SR Angus SS East Lothian ST Inverness-shire SU Kincardineshire SV Kinrosshire SW Kirkcudbrightshire SX West Lothian SY Midlothian T Devonshire TA Devonshire TB Lancashire TC Lancashire TD Lancashire TE Lancashire TF Lancashire TG Glamorganshire TH Carmarthenshire TJ Lancashire TK Dorset TL Kesteven (Lincs.) TM Bedfordshire TN Newcastle upon Tyne TO Nottingham TP Portsmouth TR Southampton TS Dundee TT Devon TU Cheshire TV Nottingham TW Essex TX Glamorganshire TY Northumberland U Leeds UA Leeds UB Leeds UC Leeds UD Oxfordshire UE Warwickshire UF Brighton UG Leeds UH Cardiff UJ Shropshire UK Wolverhampton UL London UM Leeds UN Denbighshire UO Devon UP Durham UR Hertfordshire US Glasgow UT Leicestershire UU London UV London UW London UX Shropshire UY Worcestershire V Lanarkshire VA Lanarkshire VB Croydon VC Coventry VD Lanarkshire VE Cambridgeshire VF Norfolk VG Norwich VH Huddersfield VJ Herefordshire VK Newcastle upon Tyne VL Lincoln VM Manchester VN Yorkshire N.R. VO Nottinghamshire VP Birmingham VR Manchester VS Greenock VT Stoke-on-Trent VU Manchester VV Northampton VW Essex VX Essex VY York W Sheffield WA Sheffield WB Sheffield WC Essex WD Warwickshire WE Sheffield WF Yorkshire E.R. WG Stirlingshire WH Bolton WJ Sheffield WK Coventry WL Oxford WM Southport WN Swansea WO Monmouthshire WP Worcestershire WR Yorkshire W.R. WS Leith WT Yorkshire W.R. WU Yorkshire W.R. WV Wiltshire WW Yorkshire N.R. WX Yorkshire W.R. WY Yorkshire W.R. X Northumberland XA London XB London XC London XD London XE London XF London XG Middlesborough XH London XJ Manchester XK London XL London XM London XN London XP London XR London XS Paisley XT London XV London XW London XX London XY London Y Somerset YA Somerset YB Somerset YC Somerset YD Somerset YE London YF London YG Yorkshire W.R. YH London YJ Dundee XK London XL London XM London XN London XP London YR London YS Glasgow XT London XV London XW London XX London XY London