LIDDAT

SBC car plate: what year?

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

The SBC series came outJanuary 1986It was the newest series for 1 year and 2 months, until SBD in March 1987.

A car with an SBC plate was registered in January 1986 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 1986
So no older than40 years and 10 months (in November 2026)
COEnone when new, if registered before May 1990
Newest series untilMarch 1987 (SBD)
Plates in the seriesSBC 1 H to SBC 9999 U

Check an SBC plateโ€™s last letter

The series around SBC

SeriesCame out
EZFebruary 1984
SBAAugust 1984
SBBFebruary 1985
SBCJanuary 1986
SBDMarch 1987
SBEDecember 1987
SBFJune 1988

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 SBC car plate?

The SBC series came out in January 1986. It was the newest series for 1 year and 2 months, until SBD in March 1987. So a car with an SBC plate was registered in January 1986 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 SBC plate?

No older than 40 years and 10 months (in November 2026), counted from January 1986, when the series came out. It can be younger: the plate only says when the number came out.

When does an SBC carโ€™s COE end?

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

SBD, which came out in March 1987, then SBE in December 1987. Before SBC came SBB (February 1985).

What letter does SBC 1234 end in?

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

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