# United Kingdom number plate: Prefix

> The United Kingdom prefix number plate: format L999 LLL, for example A903 MBQ, documented 1984 to 2001, car, van, truck, bus, and motorcycle.

Page: https://vehiclesdb.com/license-plates/united-kingdom/prefix-1984 · Markdown version of the HTML page, which is canonical. Site map: https://vehiclesdb.com/llms.txt · Terms of use: https://vehiclesdb.com/legal/terms

Part of [United Kingdom license plates](https://vehiclesdb.com/license-plates/united-kingdom) (10 registration series).

![United Kingdom license plate, Prefix (documented 1984 to 2001)](https://vehiclesdb.com/plates/gb/gb-prefix-1984/united-kingdom-license-plate-prefix.svg)

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | `L999 LLL` (L is any letter, 9 any digit) |
| Years | ~1984–2001 (documented from 1984; the format is likely older) |
| Class | standard |
| Issued for | car, van, truck, bus, motorcycle |
| Colours | background #FFFFFF; characters #000000 |
| Rear plate differs from the front | yes |
| Checking a registration | The format above follows the issuing rules: a registration that fits it is one this series could have issued. |
| Series id | `gb-prefix-1984` (https://vehiclesdb.com/license-plates/united-kingdom/prefix-1984) |

Sources:

- [Sch 3 Table A row 2, verbatim: 'A group consisting of a single letter and not more than 3 numbers followed by a group of 3 letters (for example A123 ABC).' Table B column (2) for the 89 mm metrics](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/schedule/3)
- [reg 13(3): diagram 2c unavailable to plates fixed from 1.9.2001](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/regulation/13)
- [reg 14(2): 89 mm characters permitted on pre-1.9.2001 vehicles, but not on a replacement plate](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/regulation/14)
- [reg 17 marginal citation M2: 'S.I. 1971/450. The Relevant amendments are by S.I. 1972/1865, 1975/1089 and 1984/814' — the instrument trail for the pre-2001 format provisions; Sch 1 revokes S.I. 1984/814 in whole](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561)
- [INF104 § 03: the current format 'was introduced on 1 September 2001' — which dates the END of prefix issuance to 31 August 2001](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6694e379fc8e12ac3edafc60/inf104-vehicle-registration-numbers-and-number-plates.pdf)

## What each position encodes

- character 1: year prefix letter (changed annually, later twice-yearly)
- characters 2-4: one to three numbers
- final 3 characters: area code letters

## About this plate

THE PREFIX SYSTEM, the format Britain replaced on 1 September 2001, and the one series in this file whose START IS NOT PRIMARY-SOURCED. The END is firm: INF104 § 03 dates the current format to 1 September 2001, so prefix issuance stopped on 31 August 2001. The START is recorded as 1984 on INSTRUMENT EVIDENCE ONLY: S.I. 2001/561's own marginal citation M2 names The Road Vehicles (Registration and Licensing) (Amendment) Regulations 1984 (S.I. 1984/814) as a relevant amendment to regulations 17 to 22 of the 1971 Regulations, the format-and-display provisions these Regulations revoked, and Schedule 1 revokes it in whole.

## How the region is encoded

The final two of the three trailing letters were the LOCAL OFFICE code under the pre-2001 system; the first was a serial letter.

## Before and after

| Relation | Series | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Replaced by | [Standard](https://vehiclesdb.com/license-plates/united-kingdom/standard-2001) | 2001 to today |

## Other standard plates here

- [Ni reversed](https://vehiclesdb.com/license-plates/united-kingdom/ni-reversed) (documented since 2001)
- [Ni standard](https://vehiclesdb.com/license-plates/united-kingdom/ni-standard) (documented since 2001)
- [Q](https://vehiclesdb.com/license-plates/united-kingdom/q) (documented since 2001)
- [Standard](https://vehiclesdb.com/license-plates/united-kingdom/standard-2001) (2001 to today)

## Use it

- Plate image (SVG): https://vehiclesdb.com/plates/gb/gb-prefix-1984.svg
- Make it with your own text: https://vehiclesdb.com/license-plate-generator/uk?series=gb-prefix-1984
- API: `GET https://vehiclesdb.com/api/v1/plates/gb` returns this series as the entry with `"id": "gb-prefix-1984"` (https://vehiclesdb.com/api)

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