Vehicle registration plates in Northern Ireland use a modified version of the British national registration plate system that was initiated for the whole of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1903. Originally, all counties in the UK were allocated two identification letters. At that time, the whole of the island of Ireland was in the UK, and the letters I and Z were reserved for the Irish counties. The 'I' series was used first, but by the time it came to using the 'Z' series in 1926, the Irish Free State had already come into existence, and so it was agreed that the Northern Ireland would use the AZ – YZ series, while the Free State would use the ZA – ZZ series. In 1987, the Republic of Ireland broke away from the system altogether. As of 2002 there were reportedly 794,477 recorded registration plates in Northern Ireland, compared to only 50 for the island as a whole when the format was first introduced in 1903.
The full list of codes used in Northern Ireland appears below.
Format
As in Great Britain, each code originally ran from 1 to 9999, and when one was completed, another was allocated. All possible codes had been allocated by 1957, following which reversed sequences were introduced, the first county to do so being Antrim in January 1958 with 1 IA. These reversed sequences were completed quickly, leading to the introduction of the current "AXX 1234" format in January 1966, where "XX" is the county code and "A" is a serial letter. This format allowed capacity to be increased. Each county adopted it once they had completed their reversed sequences, the last one to do so being County Londonderry in October 1973 with AIW 1. From November 1985, the first 100 numbers of each series were withheld for use as cherished registrations. From April 1989, the numbers 101-999 were also withheld in this way. Even multiples of 1000 and 1111 ("four-of-a-kind") are deemed cherished by the DVLA and thus withheld. Each series ends at 9998 and follows on to the next letter/number combination in the series.
International vehicle registration code on the number plates The distinguishing code for the United Kingdom, including Northern Ireland is "UK". Prior to 28 September 2021, "GB" was used. Number plates featuring other codes, such as "NI" or "IRL" (the distinguishing code for Ireland) are unofficial. From October 2021 if an owner of a vehicle wishes to avoid attaching a separate black on white “UK” sticker, it is necessary for the number plates to display “UK” on the left side. If the vehicle is driven in a country not a party to the Vienna Convention, a separate sign (black on white “UK” sticker) also has to be displayed at the rear of the vehicle. Of the EU countries, a separate identifier is only needed when travelling in Cyprus, Malta, and Spain, as they are not party to the convention."Ireland is not a party of the Vienna Convention but no separate 'GB' sticker is required." Accessed in June 2021
While motorists with vehicles registered in Great Britain are permitted by the DVLA to use number plates carrying Euro-style bands with UK national flags and country codes (such as ENG, England or SCO), this is not possible in Northern Ireland. The Road Vehicles (Display of Registration Marks) (Amendment) Regulations 2009 state that "Paragraph (4) does not apply—(...) (b)if the relevant vehicle is recorded in the part of the register relating to Northern Ireland." Paragraph four reads "Subject to paragraphs (5) to (8), there may be displayed on a plate or other device an arrangement of letters corresponding with one of the sub-paragraphs of paragraph (9) and an emblem corresponding with one of the sub-paragraphs of paragraph (10)".
European Union symbol When the UK was a member state of the European Union, it was possible to choose to display number plates conforming to the common EU format introduced by Council Regulation (EC) No 2411/98, with a blue strip on the left side of the plate with the European Union symbol (circle of stars) above the international vehicle registration code of the member state (GB). This format can not be issued after the transition period ended. With Northern Ireland no longer being a part of the EU, the plates with the EU symbol are now no longer issued.
EU member states that require foreign vehicles to display a distinguishing sign of the country of origin are obliged by Article 3 of EU Regulation No. 2411/98 to accept this standard design as a distinguishing sign when displayed on a vehicle registered in another member state, making a separate sign unnecessary for vehicles registered in the EU.
After Brexit, other EU countries are no longer required to accept UK "Europlates", as the regulation only requires member states to accept the standard design as a distinguishing sign when displayed on a vehicle registered in another member state. After this, Euro-plates must be replaced by a number plate that features the UK code (GB before 28 September 2021) in order to be valid as a national identifier.
Administration The administrative counties of Northern Ireland were abolished by the Local Government Act (Northern Ireland) 1972, and their responsibility for issuing registrations was transferred to the NI Ministry of Home Affairs, and later the Department of the Environment NI. The former vehicle section in the county town of each local authority became a "local office" of the relevant departmental agency, formerly Driver and Vehicle Licensing Northern Ireland and latterly the Driver and Vehicle Agency (DVA) in Coleraine.
From 21 July 2014, vehicle registration in Northern Ireland became the responsibility of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency DVLA in Swansea, which also administers the system used in Great Britain. The pre-1972 format of Northern Ireland registration plates continues unchanged in Northern Ireland.
County codes in alphabetical order All the codes from IA to IZ, and from AI to WI (except for those containing G, Q, S and V, plus II), were allocated throughout the island of Ireland in 1903, in alphabetical order of counties and then of county boroughs. Hence, Antrim was allocated IA and Armagh IB, while County Dublin, now in the Republic of Ireland, was allocated IK, in between IJ for Down and IL for Fermanagh. Shortly before the partition of Ireland in 1922, Belfast completed OI and was thus allocated the next available code, XI, while YI and then ZI were allocated to Dublin City. After the partition, all codes with Z as the first letter (ZA, ZB etc.) were allocated in the Republic of Ireland, while all codes with Z as the second letter (AZ, BZ etc.) were allocated in Northern Ireland with the exception of County Mayo which had originally been allocated IZ. IG was allocated to Fermanagh in 2004. VI was allocated to City of Derry/Londonderry in 2023.
Code County or City Code County or City Code County or City AZ Belfast IL Fermanagh SZ Down BZ Down IW County Londonderry TZ Downpatrick (from 2025 reassigned from Belfast) CZ Belfast JI Tyrone UI City of Derry DZ Antrim JZ Down UZ Ballymena (from 2025 reassigned from Belfast ) EZ Belfast KZ Antrim VI City of Derry FZ Belfast LZ Armagh VZ Tyrone GZ Belfast MZ Belfast WZ Armagh (from 2025 Reassigned from Belfast) HZ Tyrone NZ County Londonderry XI Belfast IA Antrim OI Belfast XZ Armagh IB Armagh OZ Belfast YZ County Londonderry IG Fermanagh PZ Belfast QNI Cars with indeterminate age, kit cars. IJ Down RZ Antrim LTZ Buses built in Northern Ireland for Transport for London
Series per administrative county / DVA licensing local office For each DVA licensing local office (administrative county before 1974) the two-letter sequences are shown first, followed by the reversed two-letter sequences, then the three-letter sequences.
CCcode CC number range number CC range ACC–YCC number range number range ACC–YCC County Antrim / Ballymena IA 1 to 9999 Dec 1903 – Mar 1932 1 to 9999 Jan 1958 – Jun 1960 1 to 9998 Jan 1966 – Jul 1985 1001 to 9998 Likely next DZ 1 to 9999 Mar 1932 – Jan 1947 301 to 9999 Jun 1960 – Sep 1962 101 to 9998 Jul 1985 – May 1998 KZ 1 to 9999 Jan 1947 – Feb 1954 1 to 9999 Sep 1962 – Jun 1964 1001 to 9998 May 1998 – May 2010 RZ 1 to 9999 Feb 1954 – Jan 1958 501 to 9999 Jun 1964 – Jan 1966 1001 to 9998 May 2010 – current County Armagh / Armagh IB 1 to 9999 Dec 1903 – Aug 1947 301 to 9999 Apr 1962 – Nov 1965 1 to 9998 Mar 1972 – Nov 1996 1001 to 9998 Likely next LZ 1 to 9999 Jan 1947 – Nov 1957 1 to 9999 Nov 1965 – Mar 1969 1001 to 9998 Nov 1996 – May 2010 XZ 1 to 9999 Nov 1957 – Apr 1962 1 to 9999 Mar 1969 – Mar 1972 1001 to 9998 May 2010 – current Belfast County Borough / Belfast City OI 1 to 9999 Jan 1904 – Jan 1921 1000 to 9999 Jun 1958 – Jun 1959 1 to 9999 Apr 1969 – Apr 1982 XI 1 to 9999 Jan 1921 – Feb 1928 1000 to 9999 Jun 1959 – Apr 1960 1 to 9998 Apr 1982 – Feb 1993 AZ 1 to 9999 Feb 1928 – Nov 1932 1 to 9999 Apr 1960 – Mar 1961 1001 to 9998 Feb 1993 – Mar 1999 CZ 1 to 9999 Nov 1932 – Oct 1935 1 to 9999 Mar 1961 – Apr 1962 1001 to 9998 Mar 1999 – Sep 2004 EZ 1 to 9999 Oct 1935 – Oct 1938 1 to 9999 Apr 1962 – Apr 1963 1001 to 9998 Sep 2004 – Sep 2009 FZ 1 to 9999 Oct 1938 – May 1942 1 to 9999 Apr 1963 – Jan 1964 1001 to 9998 Sep 2009 – Nov 2015 GZ 1 to 9999 May 1942 – Dec 1947 1 to 9999 Jan 1964 – Sep 1964 1001 to 9998 Nov 2015 – Feb 2023 MZ 1 to 9999 Dec 1947 – Jun 1950 1 to 9999 Sep 1964 – May 1965 1001 to 9998 Feb 2023 – current OZ 1 to 9999 Jun 1950 – Jan 1953 1 to 9999 May 1965 – Mar 1966 1001 to 9998 Likely next PZ 1 to 9999 Jan 1953 – Aug 1954 1 to 9999 Mar 1966 – Jan 1967 TZ 1 to 9999 Aug 1954 – Oct 1955 1 to 9999 Jan 1967 – Oct 1967 Mid-2013 – current UZ 1 to 9999 Oct 1955 – Mar 1957 1 to 9999 Oct 1967 – Jun 1968 WZ 1 to 9999 Mar 1957 – Jun 1958 1 to 9999 Jun 1968 – Apr 1969 County Down / Downpatrick IJ 1 to 9999 Dec 1903 – Apr 1930 101 to 9999 Oct 1958 – May 1961 1 to 9998 May 1967 – May 1987 1001 to 9998 Likely next BZ 1 to 9999 Apr 1930 – Oct 1946 201 to 9999 May 1961 – Nov 1963 101 to 9998 May 1987 – Sep 2000 JZ 1 to 9999 Oct 1946 – Aug 1954 201 to 9999 Nov 1963 – Jul 1965 1001 to 9998 Sep 2000 – Nov 2016 SZ 1 to 9999 Aug 1954 – Oct 1958 1 to 9999 Jul 1965 – May 1967 1001 to 9998 Nov 2016 – current County Fermanagh / Enniskillen IL 1 to 9999 Jan 1904 – Feb 1958 51 to 9999 Feb 1958 – Aug 1966 1001 to 9998 Aug 1966 – Dec 2004 1001 to 9998 Likely next IG 1001 to 9998 Dec 2004 – current 1001 to 9998 Dec 2004 – currentCounty Londonderry / Coleraine IW 1 to 9999 Dec 1903 – Jan 1949 100 to 9999 Sep 1962 – Oct 1966 1 to 9998 Oct 1973 – Jul 2000 1001 to 9998 Likely next NZ 1 to 9999 Jan 1949 – Dec 1957 1 to 9999 Oct 1966 – Nov 1970 1001 to 9998 Jul 2000 – Jan 2020 YZ 1 to 9999 Dec 1957 – Sep 1962 1 to 9999 Nov 1970 – Oct 1973 1001 to 9998 Jan 2020 – currentLondonderry County Borough / Derry City UI 1 to 9999 Jan 1904 – Aug 1963 100 to 9999 Aug 1963 – Apr 1973 1 to 9998 Apr 1973 – Oct 2023 VI 1001 to 9998 Oct 2023 – current County Tyrone / Omagh JI 1 to 9999 Dec 1903 – Feb 1944 100 to 9999 Apr 1961 – Oct 1964 1 to 9998 Jun 1971 – Dec 1999 HZ 1 to 9999 Feb 1944 – Apr 1956 200 to 9999 Oct 1964 – Mar 1968 1001 to 9998 Dec 1999 – Jun 2021 VZ 1 to 9999 Apr 1956 – Apr 1961 200 to 9999 Mar 1968 – Jun 1971 1001 to 9998 Jun 2021 – current
Current issue per administrative county / DVA licensing local office The current three-letter sequence issued by each DVA licensing local office:
Code County or City First Issued YRZ Ballymena July 2026 WXZ Armagh August 2026 MMZ Belfast City August 2026 KSZ Downpatrick February 2026 YIG Enniskillen December 2024 EYZ Coleraine April 2026 BVI Derry City July 2025 DVZ Omagh October 2026 (Updated: October 2026)
Three-letter sequences not issued The following sequences were deemed inappropriate and will never be issued:
County or CityCodes Ballymena ARZ Enniskillen KIL NIG PIG Derry City FUI
The following sequences were never issued:
County or CityCodes Belfast City IOI OOI
See also