LIDDAT

ES car plate: what year?

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

The ES series came outNovember 1981It was the newest series for 5 months, until ET in April 1982.

A car with an ES plate was registered in November 1981 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 thanNovember 1981
So no older than45 years (in November 2026)
COEnone when new, if registered before May 1990
Newest series untilApril 1982 (ET)
Plates in the seriesES 1 M to ES 9999 A

Check an ES plateโ€™s last letter

The series around ES

SeriesCame out
EPSeptember 1980
EQJanuary 1981
ERJune 1981
ESNovember 1981
ETApril 1982
EUAugust 1982
EVDecember 1982

Also from 1981: EQ, ER.

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 ES car plate?

The ES series came out in November 1981. It was the newest series for 5 months, until ET in April 1982. So a car with an ES plate was registered in November 1981 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 ES plate?

No older than 45 years (in November 2026), counted from November 1981, when the series came out. It can be younger: the plate only says when the number came out.

When does an ES carโ€™s COE end?

The COE system began in May 1990, after the ES 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 ES?

ET, which came out in April 1982, then EU in August 1982. Before ES came ER (June 1981).

What letter does ES 1234 end in?

ES 1234 B. The last letter is a checksum worked out from the prefix and the number: ES 1 M, ES 88 M, ES 8888 T. Check any ES plate.

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