Plate age
The 71 plate
Checked on 7 September 2026.DVLA, INF104: vehicle registration numbers and number plates (as of 7 September 2026)
What does a 71 number plate mean?
It is the age identifier for september 2021 to february 2022. Autumn series identifiers are the year plus 50, so 71 is 2021 plus 50 and covers September 2021 to February 2022.
The scheme changes twice a year, on 1 March and 1 September, which is why British new car sales have two enormous months and ten quiet ones.
What a car of this season pays to tax
| Tax system | First year rate by CO2, then a flat standard rate |
| Standard rate, 2026/27 | £200 |
| Expensive car supplement | £440 a year for 5 years, if the list price was above the threshold |
Emissions standard and clean air zones
| Fuel | Euro standard | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Petrol | Euro 6 | Section D.2 of the V5C is the authority, and some manufacturers certified early. |
| Diesel | Euro 6 | The pass mark for a diesel in every UK zone is Euro 6. |
Compliant
Petrol: No Euro figure is recorded, so we have read it from the first registration date of 1 September 2021. New cars had to meet Euro 6 from 1 September 2015. Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) asks Euro 4 of a petrol car, so there is nothing to pay.
Compliant
Diesel: No Euro figure is recorded, so we have read it from the first registration date of 1 September 2021. New cars had to meet Euro 6 from 1 September 2015. Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) asks Euro 6 of a diesel car, so there is nothing to pay.
Where a plate of this season could have been issued
The age identifier says nothing about where the car came from. That is the memory tag, the two letters in front of it, and all 19 regions were issuing marks in this period.
Common questions
- What year is a 71 plate?
- A 71 registration was issued september 2021 to february 2022, so the car behind it was first registered between 1 September 2021 and 28 February 2022. Most people call it a 2021 car.
- How is a 71 plate car taxed?
- First year rate by CO2, then a flat standard rate. That means £200 a year from the second licence, whatever it emits, plus the expensive car supplement if it listed above the threshold.
- Is a 71 plate diesel ULEZ compliant?
- No Euro figure is recorded, so we have read it from the first registration date of 1 September 2021. New cars had to meet Euro 6 from 1 September 2015. Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) asks Euro 6 of a diesel car, so there is nothing to pay.
- Does the 71 tell me anything about the car itself?
- No. The identifier records when the mark was issued and nothing else. A private plate transferred onto an older car hides its age entirely, which is exactly what many of them are bought to do.
Sources
- DVLA, INF104: vehicle registration numbers and number plates (as of 7 September 2026)
- DVLA, V149: rates of vehicle tax from 1 April 2026 (as of 1 April 2026)
- GOV.UK, Budget 2025 overview of tax legislation and rates, Annex A: rates and allowances (as of 1 April 2026)
- Transport for London, Ultra Low Emission Zone (as of 8 April 2019)