LIDDAT

EU car plate: what year?

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

The EU series came outAugust 1982It was the newest series for 4 months, until EV in December 1982.

A car with an EU plate was registered in August 1982 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 thanAugust 1982
So no older than44 years and 3 months (in November 2026)
COEnone when new, if registered before May 1990
Newest series untilDecember 1982 (EV)
Plates in the seriesEU 1 C to EU 9999 P

Check an EU plateโ€™s last letter

The series around EU

SeriesCame out
ERJune 1981
ESNovember 1981
ETApril 1982
EUAugust 1982
EVDecember 1982
EWMarch 1983
EXJuly 1983

Also from 1982: ET, EV.

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 EU car plate?

The EU series came out in August 1982. It was the newest series for 4 months, until EV in December 1982. So a car with an EU plate was registered in August 1982 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 EU plate?

No older than 44 years and 3 months (in November 2026), counted from August 1982, when the series came out. It can be younger: the plate only says when the number came out.

When does an EU carโ€™s COE end?

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

EV, which came out in December 1982, then EW in March 1983. Before EU came ET (April 1982).

What letter does EU 1234 end in?

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

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