Area Codes on modern number plates

[Der Amf]

Assuming I just counted correctly, there are 434 area codes for modern number plates.

There are 19 possible first letters (the seven not used: I J Q T U X Z) and 23 possible second letters (the three not used: I Q Z)

19 × 23 is 437, but three don't appear on the list: FO FU and GW.

The 434 pairs of letters are grouped by the 41 DVLA offices, but I can't find a more precise list online. Compiling one should take us no more than a couple of days, right? And what a useful resource it will be

So, tell me what you're certain of and I promise to update the list in a timely fashion. I know that the very last one, YY, includes central East Hull.

[Der Amf]

AA, AB, AC, AD, AE, AF, AG, AH, AJ, AK, AL, AM, AN —
Peterborough

AO, AP, AR, AS, AT, AU —
Norwich

AV, AW, AX, AY —
Ipswich

BA, BB, BC, BD, BE, BF, BG, BH, BJ, BK, BL, BM, BN, BO, BP, BR, BS, BT, BU, BV, BW, BX, BY —
Birmingham

CA, CB, CC, CD, CE, CF, CG, CH, CJ, CK, CL, CM, CN, CO —
Cardiff

CP, CR, CS, CT, CU, CV —
Swansea

CW, CX, CY —
Bangor

DA, DB, DC, DD, DE, DF, DG, DH, DJ, DK
Chester

DL, DM, DN, DO, DP, DR, DS, DT, DU, DV, DW, DX, DY —
Shrewsbury

EA, EB, EC, ED, EE, EF, EG, EH, EJ, EK, EL, EM, EN, EO, EP, ER, ES, ET, EU, EV, EW, EX, EY —
Chelmsford

FA, FB, FC, FD, FE, FF, FG, FH, FJ, FK, FL, FM, FN, FP —
Nottingham

FR, FS, FT, FV, FW, FX, FY —
Lincoln

GA, GB, GC, GD, GE, GF, GG, GH, GJ, GK, GL, GM, GN, GO —
Maidstone

GP, GR, GS, GT, GU, GV, GX, GY —
Brighton

HA, HB, HC, HD, HE, HF, HG, HH, HJ —
Bournemouth

HK, HL, HM, HN, HO, HP, HR, HS, HT, HU, HV, HX, HY —
Portsmouth

HW —
Isle of Wight

KA, KB, KC, KD, KE, KF, KG, KH, KJ, KK, KL —
Luton

KM, KN, KO, KP, KR, KS, KT, KU, KV, KW, KX, KY —
Northampton

LA, LB, LC, LD, LE, LF, LG, LH, LJ —
Wimbledon

LK, LL, LM, LN, LO, LP, LR, LS, LT —
Stanmore

LU, LV, LW, LX, LY —
Sidcup

MA, MB, MC, MD, ME, MF, MG, MH, MJ, MK, ML, MM, MN, MO, MP, MR, MS, MT, MU, MV, MW, MX, MY —
Manchester

NA, NB, NC, ND, NE, NF, NG, NH, NJ, NK, NL, NM, NN, NO —
Newcastle

NP, NR, NS, NT, NU, NV, NW, NX, NY —
Stockton

OA, OB, OC, OD, OE, OF, OG, OH, OJ, OK, OL, OM, ON, OO, OP, OR, OS, OT, OU, OV, OW, OX, OY —
Oxford

PA, PB, PC, PD, PE, PF, PG, PH, PJ, PK, PL, PM, PN, PO, PP, PR, PS, PT —
Preston

PU, PV, PW, PX, PY —
Carlisle

RA, RB, RC, RD, RE, RF, RG, RH, RJ, RK, RL, RM, RN, RO, RP, RR, RS, RT, RU, RV, RW, RX, RY —
Reading

SA, SB, SC, SD, SE, SF, SG, SH, SJ —
Glasgow

SK, SL, SM, SN, SO —
Edinburgh

SP, SR, SS, ST —
Dundee

SU, SV
SW (Aberdeen itself) —
Aberdeen

SX, SY —
Inverness

VA, VB, VC, VD, VE, VF, VG, VH, VJ, VK, VL, VM, VN, VO, VP, VR, VS, VT, VU, VV, VW, VX, VY —
Worcester

WA, WB, WC, WD, WE, WF, WG, WH, WJ —
Exeter

WK, WL —
Truro

WM, WN, WO, WP, WR, WS, WT, WU, WV, WW, WX, WY —
Bristol

YA, YB, YC, YD, YE, YF, YG, YH, YJ, YK —
Leeds

YL, YM, YN, YO, YP, YR, YS, YT, YU —
Sheffield

YV, YW
YX York
YY East Hull —
Beverley

[pete-r]

Ask DVLA via a freedom of information request

[DMC102]

This list shows them all I think.

[Der Amf]

This list shows them all I think.

That's the pre-2001 list. Hull, for example, was AG AT KH RH

For 2001 and on it just gives what I'm pasting in here.

[Der Amf]

YE includes Batley, I think

[bigbaddes]

just out of curiosity, why is this a matter of interest?
of what actual use is this information.
no, am not having a go - i just wonder what this data could be used for other than erm ... ???

[Kingstepper]

Assuming I just counted correctly, there are 434 area codes for modern number plates.

There are 19 possible first letters (the seven not used: I J Q T U X Z) and 23 possible second letters (the three not used: I Q Z)

19 × 23 is 437, but three don't appear on the list: FO FU and GW.

GW, what’s significance of that? Not an insult I’m aware of!

[Der Amf]

GW, what’s significance of that? Not an insult I’m aware of!

Yeah, that puzzled me, too! Maybe it's just missing from the list by accident?

[thieuster]

I didn't know about the Area Codes! Thanks, that's a big lesson on a wet Sunday!

[jwg663]

I think that the prefix 'SF' is only used for Police Scotland vehicles at present.

I may be wrong, though!

[stooo]

Why is this useful?

Trivia. Scotland has used TN during the 07 year codes.

[GraniteQuarry]

I think that the prefix 'SF' is only used for Police Scotland vehicles at present.

I may be wrong, though!

Yep I believe that’s correct, they all get registered SF through a central Glasgow depot or suchlike.

Aberdeen has SU listed but I don’t recall ever seeing one! Most are SW rather than SV too, I guess there’s excess capacity in place.

[jim]

Why is this useful?

Trivia. Scotland has used TN during the 07 year codes.

It wasn't Scotland, it was Edinburgh that used TN instead of SN with the 07 year. Some sensitive soul thought that SN07
looked too much like SNOT and therefore couldn't be used.

jim

[Tom-P]

This is the sort of things that dads used to know. I can remember my father whiling away long drives by saying "ooh, that car's a long way from home, Inverness", "ooh, that's the third car from Norwich in the last hour" etc etc.

[Ruggertech]

This is the sort of things that dads used to know. I can remember my father whiling away long drives by saying "ooh, that car's a long way from home, Inverness", "ooh, that's the third car from Norwich in the last hour" etc etc.

My dad still does, charming and tiresome at the same time, but he's 94, I hope to hear him do it for a few more years yet.

[hogthrob]

There's a Wiki page for this: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vehicl...al_memory_tags