Prefix registrations are easily recognisable by the single year identifying letter at the beginning of the plate, which is followed by one, two or three digits and three letters. An example of a typical prefix registration plate is T9 WTB.

Originally, the final three letters were used to identify where the registration was issued. In the case of this example, the WTB indicates that it originated from Liverpool.

The numbers in prefix registrations have no other purpose than to differentiate one registration plate from the hundreds of others with the same prefix and suffix letters.

The prefix on this type of registration plate is used to identify the year the vehicle was manufactured. With regards to the example registration, T9 WTB, the ‘T’ identifies the year of manufacture as 1999. An ‘A’ prefix identifies the year 1983, B identifies 1984 and so on. From 1999 onwards, there were two registrations released each year. The prefix letter format ended with the Y registration in 2001. There were no I, O or U prefix registrations, while the ‘Q’ prefix indicates that the age and origin of the vehicle is unknown.

Prefix number plates can only be applied to a vehicle of the same age or older and it is not possible to use a prefix registration to make your vehicle appear more recent than it is. Therefore, the example registration T9 WTB could be used on a vehicle manufactured in 1999 or later. It could not be applied to any vehicle manufactured prior to this date.