LIDDAT

EM car plate: what year?

When the EM series came out, how old a EM car can be, and when its COE runs out.

The EM series came outJanuary 1980It was the newest series for 4 months, until EN in May 1980.

A car with an EM plate was registered in January 1980 or later. A number can be bid for after its series opens, or kept from an older car, so the car can be newer than its plate, never older.

Registered no earlier thanJanuary 1980
So no older than46 years and 10 months (in November 2026)
COEnone when new, if registered before May 1990
Newest series untilMay 1980 (EN)
Plates in the seriesEM 1 U to EM 9999 G

Check an EM plateโ€™s last letter

The series around EM

SeriesCame out
EJOctober 1978
EKApril 1979
ELOctober 1979
EMJanuary 1980
ENMay 1980
EPSeptember 1980
EQJanuary 1981

Also from 1980: EN, EP.

From LTAโ€™s list of car prefixes on DataMall: from SDQ (December 2001) on, the month a series first opened for bidding; before that, the month it came out. Every series is on the car plate page, and in one CSV.

Questions

What year is an EM car plate?

The EM series came out in January 1980. It was the newest series for 4 months, until EN in May 1980. So a car with an EM plate was registered in January 1980 or later: a number can be bid for after its series opens, or kept from an older car, so the car can be newer than its plate, never older.

How old is a car with an EM plate?

No older than 46 years and 10 months (in November 2026), counted from January 1980, when the series came out. It can be younger: the plate only says when the number came out.

When does an EM carโ€™s COE end?

The COE system began in May 1990, after the EM series came out, so a car registered before then needed none when new. From May 1990 a new car gets a 10-year COE, renewable for 5 or 10 years at the Prevailing Quota Premium: see the latest COE prices and PQP.

What comes after EM?

EN, which came out in May 1980, then EP in September 1980. Before EM came EL (October 1979).

What letter does EM 1234 end in?

EM 1234 H. The last letter is a checksum worked out from the prefix and the number: EM 1 U, EM 88 U, EM 8888 A. Check any EM plate.

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