When does the ’74 reg plate come out?
The ’74 reg plates will be released in September. New plates are introduced twice annually: in March and September.
The ‘24 plate was released earlier this year in March.
The arrival of a new plate can often impact the value of your vehicle. Read on to find out more.
- What year is the DVLA ’74 plate?
- What’s the release date for the DVLA ’74 plate?
- How do the DVLA ’74 number plates work?
- What other features can be added to new ’74 plates?
- How do ’74 plates influence car value?
- Where can I get DVLA ’74 plates?
- Looking to sell your car?
What year is the DVLA ’74 plate?
After September 2024, cars will be issued a ’74 registration plate. However, vehicles registered in the same year before September will display a March registration plate, showing a ’24’ instead.
What’s the release date for the DVLA ’74 plate?
The DVLA will release the ’74 plate on September 1, 2024, as it does every year at the start of September.
The numbers on the plate are determined by adding 50 to the last two digits of the year. For example, in 2025, the plate will show ’75’.
How do the DVLA ’74 number plates work?
Cars purchased post-2001 are assigned a reg plate following this format:
- The first two indicate the region of registration—one for the general area and one for the specific office
- The following two numbers represent the registration year
- The last three letters are random
Here are examples of plates for a vehicle registered in London (L) at Borehamwood (represented by letters K, L, M, N, O, P, R, S, and T).
| Year of purchase | After March | After September |
| 2002 | LK02 MTW | LK52 MTW |
| 2003 | LK03 MTW | LK53 MTW |
| 2015 | LK15 MTW | LK65 MTW |
| 2023 | LK23 MTW | LK73 MTW |
Rules around the DVLA ’74 reg plate
The introduction of the ’74 plates will not change the general rules governing car registration plates. As well as being mandatory for registration plates to be displayed on both the front and rear of vehicles, other key regulations include:
- White plates are at the front, and yellow ones are at the back, unless the car predates 1973.
- Numbers and letters must be 79 millimetres tall.
- A gap is required between the numbers indicating the year/regional identifiers and the three random letters.
- All plates must adhere to a specific font called the ‘Charles Wright font’. Since 2001, it has been illegal for any vehicle to be used on the public highway with reg plates that do not conform to this font.
- Altering or obscuring your registration number is prohibited, with fines up to £1,000 possible. In fact, vehicles with dirty or unclear plates will fail MOT tests!
The DVLA has also released a list of banned ’74’ number plates considered too rude for public roads. The main issue seems to be with the number ‘4’ in ’74’, which looks similar to the letter ‘A’.
What other features can be added to new ’74 plates?
Depending on the intended driving location and vehicle type, certain features may be added to, or required on, a licence plate.
UK cars driven abroad require nationality identifiers. Until September 2021, it was ‘GB’, for ‘Great Britain’. However, the DVLA has subsequently changed this.
The nationality identifier for British cars is now ‘UK’ for ‘United Kingdom’. It’s either displayed on its own or with the Union flag.
Vehicles that produce zero CO2 emissions, such as electric cars, can use green tabs on their licence plates. These green tabs can either be used as the background colour for the nationality identification on the plate, or as a block-colour tab added to the end of the plate. However, this is optional.
How do ’74 plates influence car value?
The change in car value is not directly related to the ’74 plates themselves. They indicate the most recent models available on the market.
If you’re considering selling your car, it might be wise to do so before the new models are released in September 2024. Your vehicle might be worth more now than it will be after September because it will have to compete with newer models.
Where can I get DVLA ’74 plates?
Getting hold of the new ’74 plate doesn’t require buying a new car this September – you can get them without owning a car. All you need to do to get the new ’74 plate is order one online from the gov.uk website and keep it on a retention certificate.
However, this service is mainly used by drivers to log ‘personalised’ reg plates, meaning you are unlikely to encounter a ’74 plate without indicating the vehicle’s age.
Looking to sell your car?
If you’re looking to sell your car quickly and easily – before it loses value in September – Motorway offers a simple, and completely free, method of getting your best price.