Northern Irish Number Plates explained
Northern Irish number plates offer a practical solution to the issue of revealing a vehicle's age through its registration. Unlike plates from other parts of the UK, Irish plates do not contain obvious year codes in the same way as registrations from other parts of the UK do. So effectivley dateless, an Irish number plate will give no clue to the age of your car, and it can be assigned to any age of vehicle because of this. This stands in stark contrast to plates issued in England, Scotland, and Wales, which include a year identifier. These plates are only permitted on vehicles first registered in or after the year indicated by the registration's year code. Opting for an Irish number plate offers a relatively affordable means of obtaining a dateless registration.
It's important to note that when referring to Irish number plates used on UK cars, it typically pertains to Northern Irish plates. As Northern Ireland is part of the UK, registration numbers issued there can also be displayed on cars in England, Scotland, and Wales.
What year is Northern Ireland car registrations?
Northern Irish car registrations consist of a combination of letters followed by a number ranging from 1 to 9999. Notably, there is no year identifier attached to these Irish numbers, rendering them dateless. This makes them a popular and cost-effective choice for concealing a car's age. Northern Irish numbers always include either the letter I or the letter Z, as these are local code letters.
Previously, it was feasible to export car registrations from the Republic of Ireland (ROI) to the UK and then register them on UK vehicles. However, in 1987, all the regulations changed, prohibiting any further transfers of numbers from ROI to the UK. Although any ROI numbers that were exported to the UK before 1987 are still eligible for transfer between UK cars.
Can You Hide the Age of Your Car with an Irish Number Plate?
Yes, as all Irish plates are dateless so having one on your car would give no indication as to the age of your vehicle.
Can You Use Irish Registration Marks on UK Vehicles?
As part of the UK, Northern Ireland number plates can legally disaplyed on a UK car, but the same doesn't apply for plates from the Republic of Ireland. It is relatively simple to distinguish between the two at a glance, as unlike plates in the UK, Northern Irish registrations begin with letters rather than numerals, while in the Republic of Ireland, they always start with numbers.
The Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) has integrated with its Northern Irish counterpart, the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency Northern Ireland (DVLANI), and as a result, Northern Irish plates are now also issued by the DVLA in Swansea, Wales. When the term "Irish plates" is used, it typically refers to Northern Irish plates that are valid for use by drivers in mainland UK.
Deciphering Irish plates isn't complicated, but as previously mentioned, unlike current UK number plates, you won't be able to determine a car's age from its registration.
On an Irish plate, the first character is simply a letter in a sequence, while the following two letters denote the region where the car was registered. These two characters always include either an I or a Z to represent Ireland, along with another letter indicating the issuing county or council. The subsequent numbers are issued sequentially and hold no specific meaning.
Are Irish number plates legal in UK?
Plates from the Republic of Ireland are not legal in the UK, however, plates from Northern Ireland, often referred to as "Irish number plates," can be legally assigned to vehicles registered in Scotland, England, Wales, and, of course, Northern Ireland itself.
Republic of Ireland (‘Southern Irish’) number plates
Registrations in the Republic of Ireland only feature black and white plates, differing from the yellow plates seen on UK roads, which serve to distinguish between the front and rear of a vehicle. While the alphanumeric characters on these registrations are consistently black on a white reflective background, unlike in Northern Ireland, there is no requirement for a standardised font such as the Charles Wright font used on UK plates. Consequently, a wide variety of styles can be observed across Republic of Ireland number plates.
It is common to find the letters "IRL" and the European Union flag, consisting of 12 gold stars arranged in a circle, on a background with a blue reflective finish, positioned alongside Republic of Ireland number plates. This emblem must always be situated on the left-hand side of the alphanumeric characters. Additionally, when the county name is displayed above the registration characters on a number plate, it must be written in Irish. For instance, the city of Dublin must be depicted as ‘Baile Atha Cliath’.
In contrast to Northern Irish registrations, determining the age of a Republic of Ireland car using the current number plate format is straightforward if you understand how to interpret them. The current format for plates commences with a three-character age identifier, enabling you to ascertain a car's age within a six-month period, similar to plates issued in the UK today.
Since January 2013, the Republic of Ireland has adopted a system of two registration terms per year. Number plates exhibit a distinct three-number year identifier for both the first and second six months of a year. For instance, a car number plate issued in the first half of 2018 will start with the digits "181", while those issued in the second half will begin with "182".
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