Happy birthday, dear number plates...
Car number plates were introduced in Britain with the passing of The Motor Car Act, 1903. The Act set out specific requirements for driving licences, speed limits and the registration of motor vehicles. The last was an idea borrowed from France, which had become the first country to adopt national registration plates in 1893.
From these bureaucratic beginnings, car number plates have become a part of British life, and a source of great enjoyment for generations of plate-spotters and personal number plate enthusiasts. To celebrate this British institution, Regtransfers, the UK's leading private car registrations specialist, is proud to announce the inaugural UK Number Plate Day on 23rd November 2025.
Why 23rd November?
It is commonly, and mistakenly, believed that A 1 was the first British registration issued. It was certainly the first issued in London; Earl Russell is said to have queued up all night long outside the London County Council’s offices to acquire the number. Russell managed to secure it but, by that time in December 1903, other numbers had already been issued elsewhere.
DY 1, which was issued on 23 November 1903 in Hastings, is, in fact, the earliest registration for which records still exist. This is why November 23rd is marked as the anniversary of the introduction of British number plates.
The very first plate
That historic DY 1 number was issued to Julius Fontaine Mastin, born January 1868 and residing at ‘Homesdale’, St Helen’s Park Hastings. It was assigned to his red 8hp Argyll ‘Tonneau’. Argyll was a Scottish automobile manufacturer. The term “Tonneau’ describes the rear-entrance, open-body style.
Where is DY 1 now?
Many early registrations were lost when vehicles were scrapped. However, DVLA public records tell us that DY 1 is currently on a green 2025 Aston Martin DBX. Our pictures are mock-ups, but if you own the real one or spot it anywhere, please do let us know!
Follow the timeline and learn more about the history of UK number plates
122 years of UK registrations
So, we celebrate UK Number Plate Day on 23rd November, marking 122 years of UK registrations - and Regtransfers have been there for over a third of them! With over a million satisfied customers to date, we are firmly established as the UK’s largest private dealer.
And here’s our MD, Tony Brown, pictured some years ago with a splendid vehicle sporting the C 5 plate, issued by Yorkshire West Riding County Council in January 1904.
