The series around SMS
| Series | First open for bidding |
|---|
| SMP | July 2019 |
| SMQ | September 2019 |
| SMR | November 2019 |
| SMS | December 2019 |
| SMT | January 2020 |
| SMU | April 2020 |
| SMV | August 2020 |
Also from 2019: SMJ, SMK, SML, SMM, SMN, SMP, SMQ, SMR.
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 SMS car plate?
The SMS series first opened for bidding in December 2019. It was the newest series for 1 month, until SMT in January 2020. So a car with an SMS plate was registered in December 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 SMS plate?
No older than 6 years and 11 months (in November 2026), counted from December 2019, when the series first opened for bidding. It can be younger: the plate only says when the number came out.
When does an SMS car’s COE end?
A COE lasts 10 years from registration, so a car registered in December 2019, when the series first opened for bidding, has its first COE running to about December 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 SMS?
SMT, which first opened for bidding in January 2020, then SMU in April 2020. Before SMS came SMR (November 2019).
What letter does SMS 1234 end in?
SMS 1234 G. The last letter is a checksum worked out from the prefix and the number: SMS 1 T, SMS 88 T, SMS 8888 Z. Check any SMS plate.