You’re looking at a license plate in the format AA-123-AA and wondering whether the car dates from 2012 or 2018. The plate offers a clue, but it doesn’t tell the whole story. The plate indicates when a number was assigned in France, not necessarily when the vehicle was manufactured or first driven.
SIV license plates and a vehicle’s actual age: why they’re not the same thing
Since 2009, the vehicle registration system (SIV) has assigned each vehicle a unique number for life, in the format two letters, three digits, two letters. Numbers are assigned in sequential order. The first combinations (AA-001-AA) were issued in 2009, and the series has progressed as new numbers have been assigned.
In theory, the letter combination can help you estimate when the number was assigned. A plate starting with “DQ” or “DR” corresponds to a different period from one starting with “FG” or “FH”. But this estimate relies on one assumption: that the car received its SIV number when it was first put on the road.
That assumption doesn’t hold true in several real-world cases. A vehicle imported from Germany, Japan or Belgium receives a French SIV number when it is registered in France, even if it has been on the road for several years. A car manufactured in 2015 and imported in 2024 will have a plate from the 2024 series. So, to find out a car’s year from its license plate, you need to understand that the plate dates its entry into the French registration system, not the vehicle’s manufacture.
Another pitfall: a vehicle still registered under the old FNI format (such as 1234 AB 75) switches to the SIV system when ownership changes or an administrative detail is updated. It then receives a recent number that reflects neither its year of manufacture nor when it was first put on the road.
Reading SIV letter series to estimate a registration period
The SIV assigns combinations in strict alphabetical order. The first two letters on the plate change as new numbers are issued, which makes it possible to estimate roughly when the number was assigned.
Here’s how the sequential system works:
- Plates starting with AA have been assigned since April 2009, when the SIV system was launched.
- The letters then progress through AB, AC, AD, and so on, skipping certain reserved combinations (I, O and U are excluded to avoid visual confusion).
- The further along the alphabet the letters are, the more recent the plate. A plate starting with “GA” is therefore newer than one starting with “DA”.
The first pair of letters gives the most reliable indication of the time period. The second pair of letters (after the digits) helps refine the estimate, but is less important.
This method gives you a rough timeframe, not an exact date. Two plates assigned in the same month may have very similar combinations, while a series can span several months depending on the number of registrations.
Old FNI system: the department number as the only geographical reference
Before the SIV, the FNI format used a different structure: digits, then letters, then the department number. Under this system, you couldn’t determine the year of registration directly from the plate.
With the FNI, each department had its own number series. Two vehicles registered in the same year in different departments had numbers with no connection to each other. The only way to date a vehicle with this format was to consult reference tables linking departmental series to assignment periods.
These tables are still available online, but their reliability varies. They are based on historical data that may be incomplete. For a vehicle still registered under the FNI format, the registration certificate is the most reliable source.
Switching from FNI to SIV when a vehicle is sold
One thing many buyers don’t know: when an FNI-registered vehicle changes owners, it automatically receives an SIV number. The new SIV plate says nothing about the vehicle’s actual age. Buyers who rely solely on the plate to estimate a vehicle’s age could be off by several years, or even more than a decade.
Box B on the registration certificate: the only reliable date for a vehicle’s year
Have you noticed that people talk a lot about the plate, even though it never gives an exact date? That’s normal. The plate is only a rough indicator. Box B on the registration certificate shows the date the vehicle was first put on the road.
This is the date the vehicle was first put on the road, regardless of the country. For an imported vehicle, box B shows the original date, not the date it was registered in France. This information determines:
- The vehicle’s value on the used-car market, since its actual age affects depreciation.
- The cost of the registration certificate, as regional tax is reduced for vehicles over ten years old.
- The insurance premium, which takes the vehicle’s age into account when calculating risk.
The HistoVec service, provided by the Ministry of the Interior, allows owners to generate a vehicle history report. This report includes the date of first registration and can be shared with a potential buyer. It’s a free service, accessible using the license plate number and the owner’s details.
Check the history before buying a used car
When buying a car, always ask for the original registration certificate and check box B. If the seller can’t provide this information, the absence of a legible registration certificate is a red flag. Then compare the date in box B with the SIV plate series. A difference of several years between the two could indicate an import or a recent change of ownership. This isn’t necessarily a problem, but it does warrant an explanation.
A license plate is still a useful first-pass tool for quickly spotting inconsistencies. But only the registration certificate gives the exact date. A well-informed buyer always cross-checks both pieces of information before making a decision.
