What year is a 02 plate?
A 02 plate car was first registered between 1 March 2002 and 31 August 2002. The two numbers in the middle of a UK number plate are the age identifier, which changes every March and September: a March plate carries the last two digits of the year and a September plate adds 50, so 02 is the March 2002 plate and 52 is the one that followed in September 2002. That makes a 02 plate car about 24 years old today.
- First registered
- 1 March 2002 to 31 August 2002
- Matching plate
- 52 plate, same year
- First MOT due
- 1 March 2005 to 31 August 2005
When is a 02 plate car's MOT due?
A car's first MOT is due by the third anniversary of its registration, so a 02 plate car needed its first test between March 2005 and August 2005, and it has been due every year since on the anniversary of its last MOT. The exact date depends on when that test was done, which a free MOT check shows.
Is a 02 plate car ULEZ compliant?
A petrol 02 plate car may meet the ULEZ standard of Euro 4, but it is not a safe assumption: TfL says compliant petrol cars are generally those first registered as new after 2005, although they have been available since 2001.
A diesel 02 plate car is unlikely to meet the ULEZ standard of Euro 6, since TfL says compliant diesels are generally those first registered as new after September 2015. Some earlier diesels were built to Euro 6, so check the individual car.
Electric cars are not charged. A free ULEZ check reads the car's actual Euro standard from the DVLA record, which is the real answer for any one car.
How is a 02 plate car taxed?
A 02 plate car is taxed under the system for cars registered between 1 March 2001 and 31 March 2017, where the annual rate depends on the car's CO2 band, from nothing for the cleanest cars to several hundred pounds a year for the dirtiest. A free car tax check shows whether a particular car is taxed and when it is due.
Check a 02 plate car
The age identifier only tells you when a car was first registered. To see a particular car's MOT history, mileage, tax and likely ULEZ status, enter its registration.
Number plate questions
Is a 02 plate newer than a 52 plate?
No. Both are from 2002, but the 02 plate was issued from March to August and the 52 plate from September, so a 52 plate car is the newer of the two by up to six months.
Can a private number plate make a car look newer than it is?
No. The DVLA does not allow a registration to be put on a car if it would make the car look newer than it is. A private plate can make a car look older, so the plate is a guide to age, not proof. The free check shows the first registration date from the DVLA record.
What do the first two letters of a 02 plate mean?
They are the DVLA memory tag, which shows the region where the car was first registered. The first letter is the area, such as L for London or M for Manchester, and the second identifies the local office. The last three letters are chosen at random.
Nearby plates
Last updated 11 November 2026. Age identifiers: DVLA leaflet INF104. ULEZ standards: Transport for London. MOT and vehicle tax rules: GOV.UK. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.