The series around SMQ
| Series | First open for bidding |
|---|
| SMM | April 2019 |
| SMN | June 2019 |
| SMP | July 2019 |
| SMQ | September 2019 |
| SMR | November 2019 |
| SMS | December 2019 |
| SMT | January 2020 |
Also from 2019: SMJ, SMK, SML, SMM, SMN, SMP, 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 SMQ car plate?
The SMQ series first opened for bidding in September 2019. It was the newest series for 2 months, until SMR in November 2019. So a car with an SMQ plate was registered in September 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 SMQ plate?
No older than 7 years and 2 months (in November 2026), counted from September 2019, when the series first opened for bidding. It can be younger: the plate only says when the number came out.
When does an SMQ car’s COE end?
A COE lasts 10 years from registration, so a car registered in September 2019, when the series first opened for bidding, has its first COE running to about September 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 SMQ?
SMR, which first opened for bidding in November 2019, then SMS in December 2019. Before SMQ came SMP (July 2019).
What letter does SMQ 1234 end in?
SMQ 1234 S. The last letter is a checksum worked out from the prefix and the number: SMQ 1 D, SMQ 88 D, SMQ 8888 J. Check any SMQ plate.