In New Zealand, vehicle registration plates (usually called number plates) contain up to six alphanumeric characters, depending on the type of vehicle and the date of registration. To be operated on (or parked on) any public road, most types of motor vehicles and trailers must be registered and display the corresponding registration plate(s). One plate must be affixed to the rear of the vehicle, and except in the case of a motorcycle, moped, tractor, or trailer, a second plate must be affixed to the front of the vehicle.
If the visibility of a regular number plate is obstructed, for example by a bike rack mounted to a car's trailer hitch, a supplementary plate with the same registration number must be obtained and affixed to the obstruction (or the vehicle) such that it will be visible from the same direction as the regular number plate would have been.
Standard numbering sequences
Cars and heavy vehicles 1964–1987: AAnnnn 1987–2001: AAnnnn 2001–present: AAAnnn
Private cars, taxis, and heavier road vehicles in New Zealand have number plates with up to six characters. From 1964 until March 2001 these number plates had two letters followed by one to four numbers (format LLnnnn), the sequence having started with AA1 and continuing through to ZZ9989 chronologically (for example, XE3782 would have been issued in 1998). An observer can therefore ascertain the approximate date of the first registration of a vehicle using the number plate.
By the end of 2000, this system had reached the end of the alphabet (ZZ). The series officially ended with plate ZZ9989 the sequence ZZ9990 to ZZ9999 had appeared as personalized plates years earlier. A new system began in April 2001, with three letters (starting with AAA) followed by three numbers starting at 100. Land Transport New Zealand also issued AAA100 to AAA103 as personalized plates, officially meaning that the first plate in the new series read AAA104.
Starting with CEA, the number ranges started with 1, as in the old system. The authorities issued this series according to the first two letters – the third letter and numbers did not necessarily get issued in sequence.
Unlike in many countries, observers cannot normally identify a location of registration by simply looking at the number plate. One exception to this rule occurred when Ln plates first appeared in 1964: most plates went to the regions in batches, starting with the AA series in Southland and moving progressively north. For some time one could reasonably infer that an AF plate hailed from Dunedin, an AI plate from South Canterbury, and so on. In some later instances issuers coded plates to the area of registration, such as in 1966 with the allocation of plates beginning with CE to the Manawatu-Wanganui region, in 1974–1976 with the allocation of plates beginning with HB to the Hawke's Bay region, in May 1989 with the allocation of plates beginning with OG to Wellington region, and in July 2000 with the allocation of plates beginning with ZI to Auckland region.
Motorcycles and tractors
These vehicles use one of several five-character systems. Since 2009 the system has consisted of one letter, followed by one number followed by three letters; for example A2ATL.
The previous system consisted of one or two numbers followed by three letters. The system incremented the number sequence first, so after plate 12ABC came 13ABC, and 99ABC preceded 1ABD. In July 2009, these plates had reached the ZUU range.
Caravans and trailers , caravan and trailer number plates have the format nLLnn (1AB12, introduced in 2024). The previous formats were, in order: (LnnnL A123A, introduced in 2002), (nLnnn 1A123, introduced in 2014), (nnLnn 12A12, introduced in 2019), and (nnnLn 123A1, introduced in 2021).
Two older formats are the Lnnnn format and the nnnnL format which were issued on black-on-white and silver-on-black plates (e.g. 1234A, A1234). Some black-on-white plates issued in 2002 have the format (excluding W, Y and Z as the second letter) (e.g. 123AA), in preparation of the new LnnnL format launched later that year. Also, silver-on-black plates were issued to trailers with motorcycle plates before the RNA range in 1990.
Dealer/trade plates Xnnnn
nnnnX
Businesses involved in the sale, manufacturing, repair and maintenance of vehicles may obtain a trade plate (also known as a dealer plate). As of 2026, these plates are black characters on a yellow, reflective background. They begin or end with the letter 'X' in addition to four numerals, and are valid until 31 December of the year shown on the plate. These plates are available for vehicles under and over 3500kg, standard and heavy trailers and motorcycles and mopeds.
History
Before 1925 vehicle registration took place on a regional rather than on a country-wide basis. Vehicles displayed their registration numbers on the right-hand side of the vehicle, often painted on. From 1925, the authorities issued steel plates to vehicle-owners annually. The first plates were United States-made green with white numbers prefixed with NZ (nnn-nnn).New motor regulations, Press, Volume LXI, Issue 18270, 2 January 1925, Page 4 The 1926–1927 year was black with white numbers with the following plates black with orange numbers (nnn*nnn).New Zealand number plates This system changed when steel supplies became limited during World War II: from 1941 plates remained valid for five years.
In 1961, the last non-permanent plates were issued. They were yellow with black numbers in the format nnn•nnn. Plates were issued in numerical order starting from Wellington and progressing up the North Island to Whangarei, before jumping to Blenheim and progressing down the South Island to Invercargill. +1961 plate distributionAreaFromToTotal platesWhangarei422•601441•70019,100Auckland302•601422•600120,000Thames273•101302•60029,500Hamilton208•901 238•001236•999273•10063,199Gisborne195•001208•00013,000Napier165•501195•00029,500New Plymouth136•001165•50029,500Wanganui116•001136•00020,000Palmerston North80•501116•00033,500Masterton70•00180•50010,500Wellington10•00170•00060,000Blenheim600•001607•8007,800Nelson607•801622•40014,600Westport622•401624•4002,000Greymouth624•401630•5006,100Christchurch630•501710•50080,000Timaru710•501726•40015,900Oamaru726•401733•0006,600Dunedin733•001771•00038,000Invercargill771•001802•50031,500 Issuance of permanent registration plates commenced in 1964. These new plates were made of aluminium and had silver serials on a black background. Serials consisted of two letters and up to four numbers, and were issued sequentially, the first serial being AA100. Certain two-letter series were banned or reserved for government or diplomatic use, while use of the letter V was discontinued after 1971 and later, Q was not used as the first letter (see Exceptions below).
In November 1986, the plate design officially changed to black serials on a reflectorised white background, following a trial run some weeks earlier. The first official plate of this design had the serial MX100. Silver-on-black plates remain valid and in use, and it is possible to buy a pre-1987 used car with such plates, as vehicle owners in New Zealand do not have to change plates when ownership of a vehicle changes. However, black-on-white plates may be used to replace silver-on-black plates that are irreparably damaged. The serial font initially remained unchanged following the design change. In mid-1990, a slash was added to the zero character; the first plate to feature a slashed zero had the serial PC10.
In September 2022, Kiwi Plates (the only company authorised to produce New Zealand number plates) announced the relaunch of black number plates. After extensive work with Waka Kotahi and the New Zealand Police to ensure the plates were compatible with traffic and toll cameras, the new plates were approved with black backgrounds and an option of silver or white lettering. All new black plates include an 'NZ' hologram to allow officers to confirm validity on the road.
Plates used sans-serif lettering until the letter code DFN (March 2006). Plates since then use a thicker-lined partially-seriffed font based on FE-Schrift. The authorities introduced the new font in order to foil attempts to cut out letters and put them back in upside-down when forging licence plates.
Design Most plates come in rectangular form with all the characters of the serial on a single horizontal line. Plates for motorcycles may split the serial between two horizontal lines, or may be a smaller version of the car plate. Plates on the front mudguards of motorcycles can take the overall form of an arc, although this form is no longer issued. All plates consist of a pressed aluminium plate with the characters and a surrounding border embossed, rather than printed. Only plates issued by Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency and its agents are legal. Plates purchased anywhere else are unacceptable.
Later plates with a white background may feature a holographic pattern on the white field, observed from the XD series of serials onwards. This design, visible only from certain angles and under appropriate lighting conditions, displays strips of silver roundels with a stylised silver fern pattern in silhouette.
Newly launched black number plates feature a black background with white or silver lettering. Unlike white plates, these do not feature a holographic pattern on the background field, and instead use a small 'NZ' logo at the bottom righthand corner to confirm validity.
The alphanumeric characters on current standard car plates measure 78 mm tall by 45 mm wide. The previous series of black on white plates (superseded in 2006) and the earlier silver on black plates shared the same font, with characters that were 84 mm tall by 48 mm wide.
Exceptions
The registration system avoids several combinations of letters.
In the two-letter serial format, use of the letter V was discontinued following the FV series in 1971, as it could be easily confused with the letter U. The letter Q was not used as the first letter (the RA series thus followed the PZ series in 1991), although it was used as the second letter.
The MN series was skipped in 1985 as it was reserved for the Cook Islands. Other two-letter series skipped include BO, FA, FO, FU, II, and IO.
From late 1996 until the end of the two-letter format in April 2001, each series (with three exceptions) started from 1000 instead of from 1, meaning that serials were strictly six characters in length. The UR series was the first such series; the three exceptions were the WS, WT and WU series. The strict use of six-character serials continued into the three-letter format, with each series starting from 100, up to and including the CDZ series in 2004.
The LLnnnn system deliberately reserved plates starting with the combinations CC, DC and FC for diplomatic vehicles. DC plates are registered to vehicles owned by foreign embassies and high commissions in Wellington, CC plates are registered to vehicles owned by foreign consulates in Auckland and Christchurch, and FC plates are registered to vehicles owned by foreign ambassadors and their family members. Mayoral and ministerial vehicles used the prefix CR (Crown). The Prime Minister receives plate CR1 while plate DC1 is reserved for the British High Commissioner to New Zealand.
As the official representative of the monarch in New Zealand, the Governor General's primary vehicle carries no number plate but instead displays the royal crown. It is the only standard car permitted to operate on New Zealand roads without a number plate. However, in the NZTA System, the combination CROWN is used, and was issued in 1986, predating all other personalised plates by two years.