Local Car Registration Letters



CP letters for car registrations were introduced in December 1903. The first car registration letters are discussed in a separate entry.

The letters CP were first used by the Halifax Motor Taxation Department in 1904, commencing with CP1. CP 1 was issued Dr John Crossley Wright, of Park Road, for his 20 horsepower Darracq which he used for his rounds. A second CP 1 plate was issued to another doctor, E. W. S. Hoyles, for his motorcycle.

When CP9999 was reached in 1933, the letters JX were allocated, and a new series commenced at JX1.

After JX9999 was reached in 1947, three letter combinations were issued: ACP1 to 999, then AJX1 to 999, BCP1 to 999, BJX1 to 999, and so on.

This system had just reached UCP in 1964, when the new year-suffix system was started. The three-letter/up to three number combinations started again, but with a B-suffix to indicate 1964, for example, ACP 1 B to ACP 999 B, AJX 1 B to AJX 999 B, BCP 1 B to BCP 999 B, and so on.

At the start of each new year, the current three letter combination was abandoned, and the next one started, with a new suffix. 1965 issues were BJX-C, CCP-C and CJX-C. 1966 issues were DCP-D, DJX-D, ECP-D and EJX-D. 1967 issues were FCP-E, FJX-E and GCP-E until the end of July.

The system changed, and it was decided that the suffix should change on 1st August each year, starting with GJX-F in August 1967.

In 1974, the Halifax Motor Taxation department was closed, and the Huddersfield office took over the responsibility for licensing vehicles in Huddersfield, Halifax and Dewsbury, using the letters CX and VH (formerly Huddersfield), CP and JX (formerly Halifax) and HD (formerly Dewsbury)




© Malcolm Bull 2021
Revised 15:13 / 15th May 2021 / 3812

Page Ref: MMC281

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