LIDDAT

SBE car plate: what year?

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

The SBE series came outDecember 1987It was the newest series for 6 months, until SBF in June 1988.

A car with an SBE plate was registered in December 1987 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 thanDecember 1987
So no older than38 years and 11 months (in November 2026)
COEnone when new, if registered before May 1990
Newest series untilJune 1988 (SBF)
Plates in the seriesSBE 1 Y to SBE 9999 J

Check an SBE plateโ€™s last letter

The series around SBE

SeriesCame out
SBBFebruary 1985
SBCJanuary 1986
SBDMarch 1987
SBEDecember 1987
SBFJune 1988
SBGOctober 1988
SBHJanuary 1989

Also from 1987: SBD.

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 SBE car plate?

The SBE series came out in December 1987. It was the newest series for 6 months, until SBF in June 1988. So a car with an SBE plate was registered in December 1987 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 SBE plate?

No older than 38 years and 11 months (in November 2026), counted from December 1987, when the series came out. It can be younger: the plate only says when the number came out.

When does an SBE carโ€™s COE end?

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

SBF, which came out in June 1988, then SBG in October 1988. Before SBE came SBD (March 1987).

What letter does SBE 1234 end in?

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

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