The series around SFQ
| Series | First open for bidding |
|---|
| SFM | July 2004 |
| SFN | September 2004 |
| SFP | October 2004 |
| SFQ | November 2004 |
| SFR | December 2004 |
| SFS | January 2005 |
| SFT | March 2005 |
Also from 2004: SFG, SFH, SFJ, SFK, SFL, SFM, SFN, SFP, 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 SFQ car plate?
The SFQ series first opened for bidding in November 2004. It was the newest series for 1 month, until SFR in December 2004. So a car with an SFQ plate was registered in November 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 SFQ plate?
No older than 22 years (in November 2026), counted from November 2004, when the series first opened for bidding. It can be younger: the plate only says when the number came out.
When does an SFQ carโs COE end?
A COE lasts 10 years from registration, so a car registered in November 2004, when the series first opened for bidding, had its first COE run to about November 2014; one registered later, later still. So an SFQ 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 SFQ?
SFR, which first opened for bidding in December 2004, then SFS in January 2005. Before SFQ came SFP (October 2004).
What letter does SFQ 1234 end in?
SFQ 1234 A. The last letter is a checksum worked out from the prefix and the number: SFQ 1 L, SFQ 88 L, SFQ 8888 S. Check any SFQ plate.