LIDDAT

SBB car plate: what year?

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

The SBB series came outFebruary 1985It was the newest series for 11 months, until SBC in January 1986.

A car with an SBB plate was registered in February 1985 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 thanFebruary 1985
So no older than41 years and 9 months (in November 2026)
COEnone when new, if registered before May 1990
Newest series untilJanuary 1986 (SBC)
Plates in the seriesSBB 1 M to SBB 9999 A

Check an SBB plateโ€™s last letter

The series around SBB

SeriesCame out
EYOctober 1983
EZFebruary 1984
SBAAugust 1984
SBBFebruary 1985
SBCJanuary 1986
SBDMarch 1987
SBEDecember 1987

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 SBB car plate?

The SBB series came out in February 1985. It was the newest series for 11 months, until SBC in January 1986. So a car with an SBB plate was registered in February 1985 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 SBB plate?

No older than 41 years and 9 months (in November 2026), counted from February 1985, when the series came out. It can be younger: the plate only says when the number came out.

When does an SBB carโ€™s COE end?

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

SBC, which came out in January 1986, then SBD in March 1987. Before SBB came SBA (August 1984).

What letter does SBB 1234 end in?

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

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