The series around SMJ
| Series | First open for bidding |
|---|
| SMF | August 2018 |
| SMG | October 2018 |
| SMH | November 2018 |
| SMJ | January 2019 |
| SMK | February 2019 |
| SML | March 2019 |
| SMM | April 2019 |
Also from 2019: SMK, SML, SMM, SMN, SMP, SMQ, SMR, SMS.
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 SMJ car plate?
The SMJ series first opened for bidding in January 2019. It was the newest series for 1 month, until SMK in February 2019. So a car with an SMJ plate was registered in January 2019 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 SMJ plate?
No older than 7 years and 10 months (in November 2026), counted from January 2019, when the series first opened for bidding. It can be younger: the plate only says when the number came out.
When does an SMJ car’s COE end?
A COE lasts 10 years from registration, so a car registered in January 2019, when the series first opened for bidding, has its first COE running to about January 2029; 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 SMJ?
SMK, which first opened for bidding in February 2019, then SML in March 2019. Before SMJ came SMH (November 2018).
What letter does SMJ 1234 end in?
SMJ 1234 D. The last letter is a checksum worked out from the prefix and the number: SMJ 1 R, SMJ 88 R, SMJ 8888 X. Check any SMJ plate.