The production year of a vehicle is determined based on its identification number. The identification number is unique for each vehicle and it represents a succession of characters (letters and numbers), by which the manufacturer provides coded information about the vehicle (the manufacturer, the body type, the motorization, the production series and, in most of the cases, the production year).
The identification number is punched by the manufacturer on the main resistance element of each vehicle (body or chassis). It is recommended to use the standardized identification number, consisting of 17 letters. Among the vehicle manufacturers which adopted the standardized identification number, most of them use one of its characters (usually, the 10th) to code the production year. More precisely, for commercial reasons, the code the vehicle “model year”, allotted to the vehicles made in the second half of each calendar year and to the ones made in the first period of the following year. The correspondence between this character and the model year is presented in the table below:
Year
|
Code
|
Year
|
Code
|
Year
|
Code
|
1971
|
1
|
1991
|
M
|
2011
|
B
|
1972
|
2
|
1992
|
N
|
2012
|
C
|
1973
|
3
|
1993
|
P
|
2013
|
D
|
1974
|
4
|
1994
|
R
|
2014
|
E
|
1975
|
5
|
1995
|
S
|
2015
|
F
|
1976
|
6
|
1996
|
T
|
2016
|
G
|
1977
|
7
|
1997
|
V
|
2017
|
H
|
1978
|
8
|
1998
|
W
|
2018
|
J
|
1979
|
9
|
1999
|
X
|
2019
|
K
|
1980
|
A
|
2000
|
Y
|
2020
|
L
|
1981
|
B
|
2001
|
1
|
2021
|
M
|
1982
|
C
|
2002
|
2
|
2022
|
N
|
1983
|
D
|
2003
|
3
|
2023
|
P
|
1984
|
E
|
2004
|
4
|
2024
|
R
|
1985
|
F
|
2005
|
5
|
2025
|
S
|
1986
|
G
|
2006
|
6
|
2026
|
T
|
1987
|
H
|
2007
|
7
|
2027
|
V
|
1988
|
J
|
2008
|
8
|
2028
|
W
|
1989
|
K
|
2009
|
9
|
2029
|
X
|
1990
|
L
|
2010
|
A
|
2030
|
Y
|
For the brands for which the model year is not coded in the identification number, the Romanian Automotive Register determines the production year based on some very well established criteria, using production histories sent by the vehicle manufacturers.
Pursuant to the Government Ordinance no. 78/2000, the production age is no longer a requirement for granting the individual approval in view of its first registration in Romania.