Vehicles bearing the current style registration mark all have two letter identifiers on the number plate to show the region in which the vehicle was originally registered.

The current style vehicle registration marks were introduced back in September 2001 and are issued twice a year. They are in the format AB58 CDE, ie: 2 letters, then 2 numbers followed by 3 final letters.

The two NUMBERS contained in the registration mark indicate the date in which the registration number was issued.

The first two LETTERS of the current style registration mark give an indication of whereabouts the registration number was first issued. Every area of the United Kingdom has been allocated a two LETTER combination which would be issued to the vehicle when first registered.

For example: a vehicle bearing the registration mark OV57 VYS would have been first registered in Oxford, we are able to tell this as the first two letters on the registration number are OV.

Below we have compiled a list of the various two letter combinations that appear at the start of the current style registration marks along with the areas in which they would have been issued to a vehicle.

A
AA, AB, AC, AD, AE, AF, AG, AH, AJ, AK, AL, AM, AN     Anglia     Peterborough
AO, AP, AR, AS, AT, AU     Anglia     Norwich
AV, AW, AX, AY     Anglia     Ipswich

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

C
CA, CB, CC, CD, CE, CF, CG, CH, CJ, CK, CL, CM, CN, CO     Cymru     Cardiff
CP, CR, CS, CT, CU, CV     Cymru     Swansea
CW, CX, CY     Cymru     Bangor

D
DA, DB, DC, DD, DE, DF, DG, DH, DJ, DK     Deeside to Shrewsbury   Chester
DL, DM, DN, DO, DP, DR, DS, DT, DU, DV, DW, DX, DY     Deeside to Shrewsbury

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

F
FA, FB, FC, FD, FE, FF, FG, FH, FJ, FK, FL, FM, FN, FP     Forest and Fens     Nottingham
FR, FS, FT, FV, FW, FX, FY     Forest and Fens     Lincoln

G
GA, GB, GC, GD, GE, GF, GG, GH, GJ, GK, GL, GM, GN, GO     Garden of England     Maidstone
GP, GR, GS, GT, GU, GV, GX, GY     Garden of England     Brighton

H
HA, HB, HC, HD, HE, HF, HG, HH, HJ     Hampshire and Dorset     Bournemouth
HK, HL, HM, HN, HO, HP, HR, HS, HT, HU, HV     Hampshire and Dorset     Portsmouth
HW     Hampshire and Dorset  exclusive to Isle of Wight
HX, HY     Hampshire and Dorset     Portsmouth

K
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

L
LA, LB, LC, LD, LE, LF, LG, LH, LJ     London     Wimbledon
LK, LL, LM, LN, LO, LP, LR, LS, LT     London     Stanmore
LU, LV, LW, LX, LY     London     Sidcup

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

N
NA, NB, NC, ND, NE, NF, NG, NH, NJ, NK, NL, NM, NN, NO     North     Newcastle
NP, NR, NS, NT, NU, NV, NW, NX, NY     North     Stockton

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

P
PA, PB, PC, PD, PE, PF, PG, PH, PJ, PK, PL, PM, PN, PO, PP, PR, PS, PT     Preston     Preston
PU, PV, PW, PX, PY     Preston     Carlisle

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

S
SA, SB, SC, SD, SE, SF, SG, SH, SJ     Scotland     Glasgow
SK, SL, SM, SN, SO     Scotland     Edinburgh
SP, SR, SS, ST     Scotland     Dundee
SU, SV, SW     Scotland     Aberdeen
SX, SY     Scotland     Inverness

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

W
WA, WB, WC, WD, WE, WF, WG, WH, WJ     West of England     Exeter
WK, WL     West of England     Truro
WM, WN, WO, WP, WR, WS, WT, WU, WV, WW, WX, WY     West of England     Bristol

Y
YA, YB, YC, YD, YE, YF, YG, YH, YJ, YK     Yorkshire     Leeds
YL, YM, YN, YO, YP, YR, YS, YT, YU     Yorkshire     Sheffield
YV, YW, YX, YY     Yorkshire     Beverley