Car registration in Ireland, explained
Every Irish vehicle registration reads year-county-serial, like 261-D-123. Here's what each part means, what has to appear on your plates, and how to replace a plate without touching your registration.
Quick answer
Irish registrations are issued by Revenue in the format year code, county letter, sequence number — for example 261-D-123. The year code shows the half of the year (261 = first half of 2026) and the letter shows the county of first registration. Plates displaying your reg cost from €17 here.
Last updated · Irish Car Plates, Ireland
- Year code: 261 = Jan–Jun 2026, 262 = Jul–Dec 2026
- County code: D for Dublin, C for Cork, G for Galway
- Serial number issued per county, per period
- Pre-2013 regs use a single two-digit year (05-D-12345)
- Registration stays with the vehicle for life
- Replacement plates from €17, posted same working day
Why order from us
Posted nationwide
Arrives in 1-2 working days by tracked post.
Road-legal
Reflective sheet, official Irish specification.
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Order before 2pm, posted the same working day.
The three parts of an Irish registration
Since 1987 Irish registrations have been built from a year code, a county code and a serial number. The year code tells you when the vehicle was first registered — since 2013 it carries a third digit for the half of the year, so 261 is January–June 2026 and 262 is July–December 2026. Before 2013 there was a single two-digit year, as in 05-D-12345. The middle letters identify the registering county, and the numerals are the running serial for that county and period.
Vehicle registration versus number plate
People use the words interchangeably, but they are different things. The vehicle registration number is the mark assigned to the car. The number plate is the physical, reflective plate that displays that mark front and rear. When a plate cracks, fades or peels you replace the plate — your registration number does not change and no re-registration is needed.
What Irish law requires on the plate
An Irish plate must show black characters on a white reflective background, with the county name in Irish along the top and the EU band with twelve gold stars and IRL down the left side. Character height, width, stroke and spacing are all fixed by the official Irish specification, and a plate that departs from them can fail the NCT or draw a roadside penalty. Every plate we print is made to that specification.
New registration periods and reg changes
Because the year code changes twice a year, demand for new plates spikes in January and again in July. If you are taking delivery of a car in a new period, or you have bought a private-sale car with tired plates, you can order fresh plates showing the same registration at any time.
Custom and personalised marks in Ireland
Ireland has no personalised registration scheme and no market in transferable marks — your registration is issued to the vehicle and stays with it. What you can legally control is the plate itself: it must display your assigned registration in the official style. Anything else is display-only and not road-legal.
Ordering plates for your registration
Enter your year code, county code and numerals in the designer, check the live preview, and pay. A single plate is €17 and a matched front-and-rear pair is €29. Order before 2pm on a working day and it goes out the same working day by tracked post, usually arriving in 1-2 working days.
Frequently asked
How does car registration work in Ireland?
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A vehicle registered in Ireland is issued a registration mark made of three parts: a year code, a county code and a serial number — for example 261-D-123. That mark must be displayed on a plate at the front and rear of the vehicle for its whole life, unless it is legally re-registered.
What does 261-D-123 mean?
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261 is the year code: the last two digits of the year (26 for 2026) followed by 1 for a January–June registration or 2 for July–December. D is the county code for Dublin. 123 is the serial number issued in that county for that period.
Is a vehicle registration number the same as a number plate?
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No. The registration number is the mark assigned to your vehicle. The number plate is the physical plate that displays it. If a plate is damaged, faded or missing, you replace the plate — the registration number stays the same.
Do I need paperwork to replace my plates?
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For a standard replacement plate showing the registration already on your vehicle, we do not require a log book or proof of ownership. Only order plates for a vehicle you own.
Can I change my registration number in Ireland?
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Ireland does not operate a personalised or transferable registration scheme like the UK. Your registration is tied to the vehicle, so there is no legal way to buy a custom mark for road use here.
What must an Irish registration plate show?
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Black characters on a white reflective background, the county name in Irish along the top, and the EU band with twelve gold stars and IRL on the left, all at the character height and spacing set out in the official Irish specification.