The series around SFA
| Series | First open for bidding |
|---|
| SDX | January 2003 |
| SDY | March 2003 |
| SDZ | April 2003 |
| SFA | May 2003 |
| SFB | July 2003 |
| SFC | August 2003 |
| SFD | October 2003 |
Also from 2003: SDX, SDY, SDZ, SFB, SFC, SFD, SFE, SFF.
From LTAโs 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 SFA car plate?
The SFA series first opened for bidding in May 2003. It was the newest series for 2 months, until SFB in July 2003. So a car with an SFA plate was registered in May 2003 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 SFA plate?
No older than 23 years and 6 months (in November 2026), counted from May 2003, when the series first opened for bidding. It can be younger: the plate only says when the number came out.
When does an SFA carโs COE end?
A COE lasts 10 years from registration, so a car registered in May 2003, when the series first opened for bidding, had its first COE run to about May 2013; one registered later, later still. So an SFA car still on the road has had its COE renewed for 5 or 10 more years at the Prevailing Quota Premium: see the latest COE prices and PQP, and the PARF and COE rebates for scrapping it.
What comes after SFA?
SFB, which first opened for bidding in July 2003, then SFC in August 2003. Before SFA came SDZ (April 2003).
What letter does SFA 1234 end in?
SFA 1234 J. The last letter is a checksum worked out from the prefix and the number: SFA 1 X, SFA 88 X, SFA 8888 B. Check any SFA plate.