On a current-format Great Britain plate, the first letter is a regional memory tag. M is the tag DVLA associates with Manchester and Merseyside for the area where a registration was first issued. It does not show where the vehicle is kept now, or who the keeper is.
This page is about that current format, introduced on 1 September 2001: two letters, a two-digit age identifier and three random letters. Prefix plates, used before then, put a year letter at the beginning. Suffix plates, used before 1983, put a year letter at the end. An M on one of those older plates is not this regional memory tag.
Browse M Registration Prefixes
These are the local memory tags in DVLA’s published M range, MA to MY, excluding MN. DVLA reserves MN, and the separate mark MAN, for the Isle of Man. I, Q and Z are not used as local memory tag letters, so MI, MQ and MZ are not listed.
A prefix page is open when it has enough published vehicles to be useful on its own.
What Does an M Registration Mean?
The M memory tag marks the region of first registration. DVLA’s registration numbers leaflet lists it as Manchester and Merseyside. The second letter is the local identifier within that region. Neither letter tells you the town the vehicle is in today, or the name or address of the keeper.
A registration can also be moved onto another vehicle, so the letters describe the plate’s area code. They do not prove that the vehicle, or its keeper, is in Manchester or Merseyside now.
How to Check an M Registration
Type the full registration into the search at the top of this page and choose Check Registration. VehicleScore® uses the same registration check as the car registration check. The letter M on its own is not a vehicle lookup.
What Vehicle Information Can You Check?
Where the records exist, the free check can show MOT history, tax or SORN status, mileage readings, and vehicle details such as make, model and year. A detail appears only when it is available for that registration. The check does not show the keeper’s name or address.