Dateless number plates

What are dateless number plates?

When number plates were first issued in 1903, they were issued as they were needed. The letter combinations were allocated to specific areas in the country, and the numbers were just used up as they were needed. Areas that were more heavily populated generally had more cars, so more registration numbers were issued.

Why are they called dateless number plates?

Before 1963 the letters and numbers gave no indication of when the registration number was issued (called a year identifier). So there's no easy way of knowing what year they were issued. That's where the term dateless comes from

Because these registration numbers have no year associated with them, it means they can be transferred to any vehicle whatever its age. That makes them perfect for hiding the age of your car.

It also makes them very desirable.

What do they look like?

These can start with letters or numbers.

They start with one, two, or three letters...followed by up to four numbers. Or they can start with up to four numbers, followed by a maximum of 3 letters.

There are some examples on this page.

Find dateless number plates for sale

Are they worth anything?

Absolutely.

Dateless car registration numbers are sought after because they have no year identifier. So they can be used to disguise the age of a vehicle. They're old of course - pre 1963. And they are much more difficult to get hold of.

Added to which, they just look great.

Got a dateless number plate to sell? Ask us for a free number plate valuation.

How much is a dateless number plate worth?

Well this depends the letters and numbers.

Short names like SUE or JON will fetch £1000's. The exact amount will depend on the numbers alongside.. Common initials will have a lot of value too. A lot is dependent on how popular the letters are, and how many have been issued.

Even obscure letter combinations can attract £500+.

Cheapest dateless number plates

Other UK number plate styles and formats