UK Number Plate Generator
Preview / mockup only — not a real or registrable plate. A current UK number is a memory tag, an age identifier, and three random letters.
ONLY
2 letters (memory tag) + 2 digits (age identifier) + 3 random letters, e.g. AB12 CDE. Input limit: 7.
Documented styles: White front, yellow rear, black characters; optional blue band (pre-2021 GB/EU) or UK identifier with flag
Colour choices are preview concepts; registration rules and availability remain with the issuing authority. Preview / mockup only — not a real or registrable plate.
Plate formats by region
12 formats. Examples are previews only.
| Region | Pattern and example | Characters | Styles | Authority and sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Japan | Region kanji + class code + hiragana + 4 digits (e.g. 足立 500 き 21-41)足立 500 き 21-41 | Kanji office name, hiragana, digits 0-9. Limit: 4 digits plus prefix. | White/green (private car), green/white (commercial), yellow/black (kei private), black/yellow (kei commercial), 字光式 illuminated | MLIT Land Transportation Offices 2 sources. Checked 2026-11-09. |
| Saudi Arabia | 3 Arabic letters + up to 4 Arabic-Indic digits, with Latin/numeral transliterationا ب د 1234 | 17 Arabic letters only; digits 0-9. Limit: 3 letters + 4 digits. | White base; coloured strip (coat of arms, KSA, seal) on the right at 335x155 mm or centred at 550x110 mm | Government Printing Press, Riyadh (issued via MOI / Absher) 1 source. Checked 2026-11-09. |
| United Kingdom | 2 letters (memory tag) + 2 digits (age identifier) + 3 random letters, e.g. AB12 CDEAB12 CDE | A-Z excluding I and Q in the random block; area codes exclude I, Q, Z. Limit: 7. | White front, yellow rear, black characters; optional blue band (pre-2021 GB/EU) or UK identifier with flag | DVLA 2 sources. Checked 2026-11-09. |
| Germany | 1-3 letter area code + 1-2 letters + 1-4 digits, e.g. B-AB 1234B AB 1234 | A-Z including umlauts Ä, Ö, Ü in area codes; digits 0-9. Limit: 8 total including the area code. | White with black FE-Schrift; blue EU band with D; red expiry bar on export (Ausfuhrkennzeichen) plates | German district registration authorities; register held by KBA (ZFZR) 3 sources. Checked 2026-11-09. |
| Europe (EU common format) | Varies by member state; the common element is the blue band with 12 stars and the country codeD · B AB 1234 | Varies by member state. Limit: Varies by member state. | White or yellow base; blue band on the left with EU stars above the country code | National registration authorities under Council Regulation (EC) No 2411/98 2 sources. Checked 2026-11-09. |
| Czech Republic | Digit + region letter + digit + 4 digits (1x0 0001 series), later 1xa 0000 two-letter series1A0 1234 | A-Z excluding G, CH, O, Q, W on personalised plates; digits 0-9. Limit: 7 (standard), 8 (personalised XXX-XXXXX). | White with black characters; blue EU band with CZ since 2004; motorcycle plates two-line | Ministry of Transport / regional registration offices 2 sources. Checked 2026-11-09. |
| California | 1ABC123 (1980-2026), 123ABC1 (from March 2026)123ABC1 | A-Z and 0-9; I, O, Q only allowed as the second letter. Limit: 7. | White with red script 'California' (current), 1960s Legacy black with yellow lettering, blue/yellow legacy variants | California Department of Motor Vehicles 2 sources. Checked 2026-11-09. |
| Michigan | ABC1234 (three letters, four digits); Mackinac Bridge plates use ABC123ABC1234 | A-Z and 0-9. Limit: 7 standard; personalised up to 6 or 7 depending on plate type. | Pure Michigan base; special-cause and university plates use the same base with an emblem | Michigan Secretary of State 2 sources. Checked 2026-11-09. |
| New Jersey | A12-BCD (letter, two digits, three letters)A12 BCD | A-Z and 0-9. Limit: 7. | White with blue/yellow gradient band; front and rear plates required for most classes | New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission 2 sources. Checked 2026-11-09. |
| Ontario | ABCD-123 (four letters, three digits)ABCD 123 | A-Z and 0-9. Limit: 7 standard; personalised 2-8 characters. | White with blue lettering; over 60 graphic options (loon, trillium, sports teams) | ServiceOntario 2 sources. Checked 2026-11-09. |
| Montana | County code + 6 characters: 1-12345A or 10-1234A1-12345A | A-Z and 0-9. Limit: 6 after the county code. | White with blue lettering; optional plates use ABC123 since 2003 | Montana Department of Justice, Motor Vehicle Division 2 sources. Checked 2026-11-09. |
| Russia | Letter + 3 digits + 2 letters + 2-3 digit region code, e.g. А777АА 77А777АА 77 | 12 Cyrillic letters that resemble Latin: А, В, Е, К, М, Н, О, Р, С, Т, У, Х. Limit: 6 characters plus region code. | White with black characters and the RUS flag/code on the right; trailers use 2 letters + 4 digits | GIBDD / traffic police registration units 2 sources. Checked 2026-11-09. |
Preview / mockup only — not a real or registrable plate. The full format list remains readable without JavaScript.
Memory tag, age, random block
GOV.UK’s page on displaying number plates is the rule for how a plate must look, and the Wikipedia UK article is where the area mnemonics are written out. I use British wording on purpose: number plate, not license plate. The current car format is two letters, two digits, three letters, as in AB12 CDE. The first two letters are the memory tag. The first of those is a regional mnemonic — A is the example given for East Anglia, and O is used for Oxford. The digit pair is the age identifier. It tells you the six-month period when the number was issued. A personalised plate may wear an older age identifier. It may not wear a newer one than the vehicle.
The random block excludes I and Q. Area codes also skip I, Q, and Z. That is why the button draws from an alphabet with those letters removed. The standard car size quoted is 520×111 mm. Some imports use 305×152 mm, and motorcycles have a 9×7 inch option. The front plate is white, the rear plate is yellow, and the characters are black. A blue band on the left can show the UK identifier and the flag. The older GB/EU mark is the pre-2021 version of that band. I draw a plain sketch, not a legal Charles Wright rendering. GOV.UK is the page that says which typeface and spacing a real plate needs.
Private plate shops are a market, and this site does not join it. DVLA sells and transfers registrations. The button cannot tell you if AB12 CDE is for sale, what it costs, or whether it is already on a car. If that is the question, leave this page and use DVLA. I also skip show plates that are meant to be bolted on illegally. The PNG says PREVIEW ONLY so it is a bad candidate for that job.
Related format essays, if you are comparing layouts, are the EU band and Germany. The UK left the EU identifier behind; the blue band can still be a national flag band.
Related plate previews
Compare European layouts, German district codes. Open all formats, random mockups or the custom plate maker.
RUS
Questions
What is an age identifier?
The two digits in the middle. They mark the half-year the number was issued. A personalised plate can be older than the car and must not be newer.
Can you sell me a private plate?
No. DVLA handles transfers. This page only draws the current pattern.
Sources
- GOV.UK — displaying number plates — checked 2026-11-09
- Wikipedia — UK plates — checked 2026-11-09
Checked 2026-11-09. How these pages are checked.