What the letters and number stand for

Here are how each region will be represented on the new UK registration plates:

AA-AN:-Anglia-Peterborough, AO-AU:-Anglia-Norwich, AV-AY:-Anglia-Ipswich, BA-BY:-Birmingham-Birmingham, CA-CO:-Cymru-Cardiff, CP-CV:-Cymru-Swansea, CW-CY:-Cymru-Bangor, DA-DK:-Deeside to Shrewsbury-Chester, DI-DY:-Deeside to Shrewsbury-Shrewsbury, EA-EY:-Essex-Chelmsford, FA-FP:-Forest and Fens-Nottingham, FR-FY:-Forest and Fens-Lincoln, GA-GO:-Garden of England-Maidstone, GP-GY:-Garden of England-Brighton, HA-HJ:-Hampshire and Dorset-Bournemouth, HK-HV:-Hampshire and Dorset-Portsmouth, HW:-Hampshire and Dorset-Portsmouth (Isle of White), HX-HY:-Hampshire and Dorset-Portsmouth, KA-KL:-Luton, KM-KY:-Northampton, LA-LJ:-London-Wimbledon, LK-LT:-London-Stanmore, LU-LY:-London-Sidcup, MA-MY:-Manchester and Merseyside-Manchester, NA-NO:-North-Newcastle, NP-NY:-North-Stockton, OA-OY:-Oxford-Oxford, PA-PT:-Preston-Preston, PU-PY:-Preston-Carlisle, RA-RY:-Reading-Reading, SA-SJ:-Scotland-Glasgow, SK-SO:-Scotland-Edinburgh, SP-ST:-Scotland-Dundee, SU-SW:-Scotland-Aberdeen, SX-SY:-Scotland-Inverness, VA-VY:-Severn Valley-Worchester, WA-WJ:-West of England-Exeter, WK-WL:-West of England-Truro, WM-WY:-West of England-Bristol, YA-YK:-Yorkshire-Leeds, YL:-Yorkshire-Sheffield

How the age is shown

Vehicles registered between March and August will carry the year as the age identifier. Those registered between September and February will carry the year plus 50. In 2050 the plates will be reversed.

So…02-49 = March–August, 2002–2049 and 51-99 = September–February, 2001–2050.

Each September the registration will show the year plus 50. Each March will simply show the year. So a March 2004 bike will be 04 while a September 2004 bike will be 54.