Direct Car Check

F number plates: Forest and Fens area codes

A current number plate starting with F was first registered in the Forest and Fens region. The second letter shows which of 2 DVLA office areas it comes from: Nottingham and Lincoln.

F area codes and office areas

Office areaArea codes
NottinghamFA FB FC FD FE FF FG FH FJ FK FL FM FN FO FP
LincolnFR FS FT FV FW FX FY

Area code questions

Where is an FA number plate from?

FA plates come from the Nottingham office area, in the Forest and Fens region. The memory tag shows where the car was first registered, not where it is kept now.

Does the area code tell you where the car has been kept?

No. The memory tag is set when the car is first registered and stays with the registration, so a car can be kept anywhere in the country for its whole life. A private plate can also carry a memory tag from anywhere.

What do the other parts of the number plate mean?

The two numbers after the memory tag are the age identifier, which shows when the car was first registered, and the last three letters are chosen at random so that every registration is unique.

Other regions

Last updated 11 November 2026. Memory tags: DVLA leaflet INF104, Vehicle registration numbers and number plates. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.