A woman made a 'mind blowing' revelation about UK number plates that left her - and countless others - stunned.
While most drivers might view registration plates as little more than a jumble of letters and numbers, it turns out they hold a lot more information than meets the eye.
Courtney Wright, a mum and TikTok user posting under the handle @courtneywrightxxx, shared her discovery in a viral clip, admitting that she was shocked to learn what the letters on car's number plates really mean.
"I've just learnt something new this morning. I actually can't believe it," she said in the video. "Apparently, the first two letters on your number plate - so, like, my old car was MV - mean that car was registered in Manchester.
"They all have different codes, so it goes from MA to M- whatever, and that's all from Manchester."
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Courtney went on to explain: "The first two letters actually mean something. You've got where the car was registered, the year it was registered, and then just a random sequence. I'm literally mind blown."
Her video has since sparked a flurry of comments, with other people either sharing her amazement or confessing they had no idea about the system themselves.
One user wrote: "How did I not know this? Mind blown too," while another joked: "I've been driving for years, and this just made me feel like I missed an entire class on life."
What do UK number plates actually mean?
If you've ever wondered about the seemingly random assortment of characters on UK number plates, Jon Kirkbright, the sales director of Private Number Plates, broke it down.
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Speaking to Diamond Advanced Motorists last year, Jon said: "To the untrained eye, number plates may look like a random combination of letters and numbers.
"While many people are aware that the numbers indicate the year the car was made and registered, fewer people realise that the letters better them serve as 'regional identifiers.' These refer to the DVLA office where the car was registered."
For instance, plates beginning with MV, MA, or MB originate from the Manchester and Merseyside region, LA, LB, LV, etc., are assigned to London and BA, BB and BC indicate registration in Birmingham.
"This may be why your number plates start with the same letters if you buy more than one car from the same dealership - it's not just a coincidence," Jon added.
What are the rules around private plates?
For those with private plates, the rules are a little stricter. Jon highlighted that while it's legal to make a car seem older using a dateless plate, it's illegal to make it look newer.
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"For example, you cannot put an '11' number plate on a car registered in 2007," he said. "It is an offence to misrepresent the registration in any way."
Those wanting to hide the age of their car often opt for dateless plates, which allow for complete customisation while avoiding this issue.
If you're curious about your own car's registration, you can find a full list of regional number plate identifiers online - and join the ranks of those whose minds have been well and truly blown by the hidden meaning behind UK plates.
Sara Keenan