Suffix Style Number Plates
What are Suffix Style Number Plates?
The suffix-style registration plates were first issued in 1963 and ran till 1983 after replacing dateless number plates. They were the second number plate style to ever be issued in the UK and lasted for a total of 20 years until they were replaced.
Letters are used at the end of the registration as an age identifier for your vehicle. For example, registrations that ended with A represented 1963, and registrations ending in Y represented 1982. Other letters that resembled each other, such as O and Q, were not issued as registration marks.
What do Suffix Registrations Look Like?
Suffix registration numbers were issued before the launch of prefix number plates. They consist of 1, 2, or 3 letters, then a space, followed by 1, 2, or 3 numbers finishing the registration mark, with a letter identifying the year. Therefore, the combinations are endless!
Finding the Perfect Suffix Style Number Plate
Our state-of-the-art number plate search feature allows you to search any word or name and then pops out every registration that correlates to that word or name in every car registration style.
For example, if you search the name “GEORGE” on our Super Search, some results for suffix-style car registration options you may get are “GEO 22F” and “GEO 111F”. If you search the name “PETER”, some suffix registrations that may pop up include “PET 99R” and “PET 66R”.
Are Suffix Number Plates A Good Investment?
The style of suffix number plates makes them very attractive for investment. The three letters at the start of the plate can result in some great personalised combinations for investment or personal enjoyment. Due to this, three-letter names such as SAM or TOM are very highly sort after by investors due to their rarity. They became so popular that the DVLA prevented names from being on number plates when they switched to the prefix style. This resulted in some suffix plates becoming even more valuable.
Therefore, suffix number plates can be a great investment or a great personalised number plate for you to enjoy. They’re also cheaper than dateless number plates and offer better customisation than prefix number plates.
If you need help getting started, read our guide to investing in number plates.
Suffix Style Number Plate Issue Dates
| Suffix Letter 1 | Year of Issue |
|---|---|
| A | 1963 |
| B | 1964 |
| C | 1965 |
| D | 1966 |
| E | 1967 |
| F | 1967 |
| G | 1968 |
| H | 1969 |
| J | 1970 |
| K | 1971 |
| L | 1972 |
| M | 1973 |
| N | 1974 |
| P | 1975 |
| R | 1976 |
| S | 1977 |
| T | 1978 |
| V | 1979 |
| W | 1980 |
| X | 1981 |
| Y | 1982 |
Why You Should Buy Your Suffix Number Plate from Absolute Reg
Largest Stock
Including the DVLA, we have the most license plates of any dealer – 50 million in all!
Price Promise
Absolute Reg makes sure you get the best deal on the best selection of private registration plates, through our price promise.
Lifetime Customer Service
Whether it is two weeks after your purchase or two years from now, our friendly after-sales team is always ready to help.
Rated Highest On-Time Delivery in 2020
See why our private number plates are so popular by purchasing your private number plate online or by phone today! Our accolades are also available on reviews.co.uk.
Suffix Number Plates as Gifts
Whether it’s a birthday, an anniversary, graduation, Father’s Day, or your best friend’s wedding – suffix registrations make popular gifts no matter the occasion!
The flexibility in registration numbers has made suffix number plates a popular gift choice. Part of the appeal of buying a number plate as a gift is that you can personalise it and customise it to a specific occasion by just tinkering around a bit with the combination.
Due to the nature of the suffix registration, the combinations are endless. These combinations are often highly valued years later, and the personalised nature allows for great gifts.
To read more about number plates as gifts, read through our gifting and gift wrapping number plates guide.
Other Styles of Number Plates
Aside from our suffix number plates, we have over 55 million car registrations in stock, as well as other number plate styles.
Current / New Style
Current registration plates also referred to as “new-style registrations”, were introduced in September 2001. These number plates identify the year of issuance with a number. For example, 01 = Mar 2001, the first month of issue.
Prefix Style
Prefix DVLA number plates were first issued in August 1983 after seeing the suffix registration marks expire from the issue. Prefix registrations are most popular across the private number plate market.
Dateless
Number plates can be used on any vehicle regardless of age. Often a prized collector's item owing to its rarity, a dateless reg plate contains a combination of 1, 2, or 3 numbers/letters. For example, A1, 123 A, or 123 ABC.
Northern Irish
Over the years, the Northern Irish registration plates have remained the same and are used across the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland for private plates. Northern Irish registration marks will always contain I or Z to represent the area of Northern Ireland in which they were first issued.
Suffix Number Plates FAQ
What does suffix mean?
Suffix number plates are number plates that use a letter at the end of the registration (or suffix) as an age identifier for the vehicle. Each ending letter refers to the year it was issued. For example, suffix number plates that finish with B were issued in 1964.
Refer to the table above for all suffix registration dates.
When did suffix number plates start being issued?
Suffix-style number plates were first introduced in 1963. They finished issuing suffix number plates in 1983.
Do you have to pay to put a suffix number plate on a car?
You do not have to pay anything to change your number plate. It is simply a matter of completing the application and submitting it for review.
Be sure to apply to remove your old number plate through, or it will not be considered valid. If you don't do this, you will not be able to replace it with your suffix plate.
What other rules for buying suffix-style number plates?
There are not many rules to follow when buying private number plates in general. As always, the number plate you purchase cannot make the vehicle appear to be an age older than what it is.
What year was my suffix number plate issued?
To find out which year your suffix number plate was issued. You first have to look at the last letter on your registration. If it ends with an A, its issue date would be in 1963, B would be 1964, and so on. See our table above to discover the issue date of your suffix style number plate.
Are all the letters of the alphabet used for Suffix registration plates?
Not all the letters of the alphabet were used for suffix style number plates. The letters I, O, Q, U and Z were excluded from suffix number plates due to various reasons. “I” and “Z” were only ever used in Northern Ireland, “O” was considered to be too close to the number 0 and “U” resembled “V” too much. “Q” was reserved only for when the date of the car manufacturer may have been in doubt.
What are the rules for buying Suffix style number plates?
There are not many rules to follow when buying private number plates in general. As always, the number plate you purchase cannot make the vehicle appear to be an age older than what it is.
Read our guide on number plate laws to learn more.