The series around SMA
| Series | First open for bidding |
|---|
| SLW | December 2017 |
| SLX | January 2018 |
| SLZ | February 2018 |
| SMA | April 2018 |
| SMC | May 2018 |
| SMD | June 2018 |
| SME | July 2018 |
Also from 2018: SLX, SLZ, SMC, SMD, SME, SMF, SMG, SMH.
From LTA’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 SMA car plate?
The SMA series first opened for bidding in April 2018. It was the newest series for 1 month, until SMC in May 2018. So a car with an SMA plate was registered in April 2018 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 SMA plate?
No older than 8 years and 7 months (in November 2026), counted from April 2018, when the series first opened for bidding. It can be younger: the plate only says when the number came out.
When does an SMA car’s COE end?
A COE lasts 10 years from registration, so a car registered in April 2018, when the series first opened for bidding, has its first COE running to about April 2028; one registered later, later still. After that it’s deregistered, or 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 SMA?
SMC, which first opened for bidding in May 2018, then SMD in June 2018. Before SMA came SLZ (February 2018).
What letter does SMA 1234 end in?
SMA 1234 B. The last letter is a checksum worked out from the prefix and the number: SMA 1 M, SMA 88 M, SMA 8888 T. Check any SMA plate.