# United Kingdom number plate: Standard

> The United Kingdom standard number plate (Rear plate (yellow)): format LL99 LLL, for example GC68 LBB, 2001 to today, car, van, truck, and bus.

Page: https://vehiclesdb.com/license-plates/united-kingdom/standard-2001 · 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, Standard (2001 to today)](https://vehiclesdb.com/plates/gb/gb-standard-2001/united-kingdom-license-plate-standard.svg)

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Format | `LL99 LLL` (L is any letter, 9 any digit) |
| Years | 2001 → today |
| Class | standard |
| Issued for | car, van, truck, bus |
| 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-standard-2001` (https://vehiclesdb.com/license-plates/united-kingdom/standard-2001) |

Sources:

- [INF104 (4/22) § 03: 'The current vehicle registration format was introduced on 1 September 2001. It consists of: 2 letter memory tag (these refer to the region in the country where a vehicle is first registered); 2 numbers (these tell you when it was issued); a space and 3 letters chosen at random'; § 05 memory tags, age identifiers and the I/Q/Z bullets; § 07 character dimensions](https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/6694e379fc8e12ac3edafc60/inf104-vehicle-registration-numbers-and-number-plates.pdf)
- [Sch 3 Table A row 1: 'A group consisting of two letters and two numbers followed by a group of 3 letters (for example DE51 ABC)'; Table B column (3) for the 79 mm metrics](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/schedule/3)
- [Sch 2 Part A1 paras 1-8 (BS AU 145e, white front / yellow rear, supplier markings, border) and Part 1 paras 1-3 (BS AU 145d)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/schedule/2)
- [reg 15(1): the prescribed font is mandatory from 1.9.2001](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/regulation/15)
- [reg 16: the optional flag/identifier device, its 50 mm cap, and the legacy-only GB band](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2001/561/regulation/16)
- [VERA 1994 s 23(1) (the mark is assigned to the vehicle) and s 23(4) (the regulation-making power reaches size, shape, character and display only)](https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1994/22/section/23)

## Designs

| Design | Years | Notes | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rear plate (yellow) | 2001 to today | Black characters on a yellow background at the back (S.I. 2001/561 Sch 2 Part A1 para 3). | https://vehiclesdb.com/plates/gb/gb-standard-2001.svg |
| Front plate (white) | 2001 to today | Black characters on a white background at the front (S.I. 2001/561 Sch 2 Part A1 para 2). | https://vehiclesdb.com/plates/gb/gb-standard-2001.svg?design=front |
| Rear plate with the EU band | 2001 to 2020 | The optional left band (blue, EU stars, GB) of BS AU 145d plates; since 2021 lawful only on plates fitted before then (reg 16(3)). | https://vehiclesdb.com/plates/gb/gb-standard-2001.svg?design=rear-euro-band |
| Front plate with the EU band | 2001 to 2020 | The optional left band (blue, EU stars, GB) of BS AU 145d plates; since 2021 lawful only on plates fitted before then (reg 16(3)). | https://vehiclesdb.com/plates/gb/gb-standard-2001.svg?design=front-euro-band |
| Rear plate with the UK identifier and Union flag | 2021 to today | The UK identifier under the Union flag, printed at the left of the plate (reg 16(9)-(10)); the GB identifier stopped being valid abroad on 28 September 2021. | https://vehiclesdb.com/plates/gb/gb-standard-2001.svg?design=rear-uk-flag |
| Front plate with the UK identifier and Union flag | 2021 to today | The UK identifier under the Union flag, printed at the left of the plate (reg 16(9)-(10)). | https://vehiclesdb.com/plates/gb/gb-standard-2001.svg?design=front-uk-flag |
| Rear plate with a blue UK and Union flag device | 2021 to today | The UK identifier and Union flag on a blue device at the left (reg 16(4)-(7): at most 50 mm wide). | https://vehiclesdb.com/plates/gb/gb-standard-2001.svg?design=rear-uk-flag-band |
| Rear plate with the GB identifier and Union flag | 2009 to 2021 | GB under the Union flag on a blue device (S.I. 2009/811); replaced abroad by UK from 28 September 2021. | https://vehiclesdb.com/plates/gb/gb-standard-2001.svg?design=rear-gb-flag |
| Rear plate with the England flag (ENG) | 2009 to today | ENG under the Cross of Saint George on a blue device (reg 16(9)-(10)); not valid as a national sign abroad. | https://vehiclesdb.com/plates/gb/gb-standard-2001.svg?design=rear-england |
| Rear plate with the Scotland flag (SCO) | 2009 to today | SCO under the Saltire on a blue device (reg 16(9)-(10)); not valid as a national sign abroad. | https://vehiclesdb.com/plates/gb/gb-standard-2001.svg?design=rear-scotland |
| Rear plate with the Wales flag (CYM) | 2009 to today | CYM under the Red Dragon on a blue device (reg 16(9)-(10)); not valid as a national sign abroad. | https://vehiclesdb.com/plates/gb/gb-standard-2001.svg?design=rear-wales |

## What each position encodes

- characters 1-2: DVLA memory tag (region of FIRST registration)
- characters 3-4: age identifier (six-month issue period)
- characters 5-7: three letters chosen at random

## About this plate

The MARK did not change, the colours did not change and the character metrics did not change; what changed is the plate-manufacturing standard and the supplier-marking and border rules.

## How the region is encoded

Characters 1-2 are the memory tag. The FIRST letter is a postal area, the SECOND selects the DVLA office inside it, and the pair together names the office where the vehicle was FIRST registered, never its current location and never the keeper's address. The table is DVLA's, published in INF104 § 05 and in no statutory instrument: VERA 1994 § 23(4) does not empower regulations over the composition of a mark, only over its size, shape, character and display.

## How numbers are issued

The age identifier advances twice a year, on 1 March and 1 September (INF104 § 05). Within a six-month period the random triple advances; DVLA does not publish the intra-period allocation order. Because a mark may be transferred to any vehicle (INF104 § 02) and may never make a vehicle "appear younger than it actually is" (§ 04), the age identifier is an UPPER bound on a vehicle's age and never a lower one.

## Separators

The gap is a MEASUREMENT, not a glyph: Table B line 5 requires 33 mm of horizontal space between the age identifier and the random letters at 79 mm character height (38 mm at 89 mm, 30 mm at 64 mm).

## Before and after

| Relation | Series | Years |
|---|---|---|
| It replaced | [Prefix](https://vehiclesdb.com/license-plates/united-kingdom/prefix-1984) | documented 1984 to 2001 |

## 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)
- [Prefix](https://vehiclesdb.com/license-plates/united-kingdom/prefix-1984) (documented 1984 to 2001)

## Use it

- Plate image (SVG): https://vehiclesdb.com/plates/gb/gb-standard-2001.svg
- Make it with your own text: https://vehiclesdb.com/license-plate-generator/uk?series=gb-standard-2001
- API: `GET https://vehiclesdb.com/api/v1/plates/gb` returns this series as the entry with `"id": "gb-standard-2001"` (https://vehiclesdb.com/api)

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