The series around SFM
| Series | First open for bidding |
|---|
| SFJ | April 2004 |
| SFK | May 2004 |
| SFL | June 2004 |
| SFM | July 2004 |
| SFN | September 2004 |
| SFP | October 2004 |
| SFQ | November 2004 |
Also from 2004: SFG, SFH, SFJ, SFK, SFL, SFN, SFP, SFQ, SFR.
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 SFM car plate?
The SFM series first opened for bidding in July 2004. It was the newest series for 2 months, until SFN in September 2004. So a car with an SFM plate was registered in July 2004 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 SFM plate?
No older than 22 years and 4 months (in November 2026), counted from July 2004, when the series first opened for bidding. It can be younger: the plate only says when the number came out.
When does an SFM carโs COE end?
A COE lasts 10 years from registration, so a car registered in July 2004, when the series first opened for bidding, had its first COE run to about July 2014; one registered later, later still. So an SFM 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 SFM?
SFN, which first opened for bidding in September 2004, then SFP in October 2004. Before SFM came SFL (June 2004).
What letter does SFM 1234 end in?
SFM 1234 X. The last letter is a checksum worked out from the prefix and the number: SFM 1 H, SFM 88 H, SFM 8888 M. Check any SFM plate.