Vehicle registration plates of New Zealand

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

A vehicle registration plate of New Zealand in the optional 'Europlate' style

History

1926 national number plate

Old New Zealand silver-on-black plate, issued in 1973

Current New Zealand black-on-white plate, issued in 2006

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).^[1] The 1926/27 year was black with white numbers with the following plates black with orange numbers (nnn*nnn).^[2] This system changed when steel supplies became limited during World War II: from 1941 plates remained valid for 5 years.

The issue of permanent registration-plates started in 1964. These new plates had silver letters and numbers on black aluminium plates, and started with "AA100". The LLnnnn system started at this time. An example, a 1969 police car with an FB plate, can be viewed at MOTAT Auckland. Plates beginning with the letters "DC" "CC" "CR" were reserved for government use only.

Reflectorised white plates with black characters replaced silver-on-black plates in November 1986, officially starting with "NA1", though an earlier limited trial run had taken place during the "MZ1-MZ999" run some weeks earlier.

The old silver-on-black plates remain valid and in use, though only on older vehicles. Vehicle-owners in New Zealand do not have to change registration plates when ownership of a vehicle changes, which means one can buy a pre-1987 used car which still has old silver-on-black plates on it. If old silver-on-black plates on a vehicle become irreparably damaged, the newer black-on-white plates may supplant them.

The font used remained the same during the change from silver-on-black plates to black-on-white plates. From "PC1Ø" onwards (approximately 1989-1990), zeroes have a slash through them (e.g. PP52Ø9, UO8ØØØ).

Plates used sans-serif lettering until the start of the letter codes beginning "DFN" (March 2006), since when plates have used a heavier, partially serifed font, squarer and thicker-lined. WhatTheFont does not recognise the new "based on a German design" style. The free font Licenz replicates the style and spacing of this design. The authorities introduced the new font in order to foil attempts to cut out letters and put them back in upside-down when forging license plates.

Design

Later plates with a white background may feature a holographic pattern on the white field, observed from the XDnnnn-series. 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.

Most plates come in rectangular form with all the code characters on a single horizontal line. Plates for motorcycles may split the code 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.

Notes/exceptions

The registration system avoids several combinations of letters. Since 1971 the letter V has appeared only in personalised plates, as it could easily lead to confusion with U (no series-plates containing GV past FV exist).

The issuers did not use the letter "Q" as the first letter; after the PZ series came RA instead of QA. Q does exist as the second letter, for example "RQ1152".

Between 1996 and 2001, number-plates with the prefix "UR" to "ZZ" with the exception of "WS","WT","WU" had 4-digit numbers after the letters, numbers starting from 1ØØØ instead of from 1. In the LLLnnn system between 2001 and 2004, number-plates with the prefix "AAA" to "CDZ" had 3-digit numbers after the letters, numbers starting from 1ØØ instead of 1.

The LLnnnn system deliberately reserved plates starting with the combinations "CC", "DC" and "FC" for diplomatic vehicles. Mayoral and ministerial vehicles used the prefix "CR" (CRown). The Prime Minister receives plate CR1^[3] while the 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.

Plates starting with "MN" do not appear: that series (MN1-MN9999) went to the Cook Islands in 1985. Other combinations skipped include "FA", "FO", "FU", "II", and "IO" in the LLnnnn system.

Since the change to the LLLnnn format, the letters I,O and X have appeared only on plates starting with "AAI", "AAO", and "AAX" respectively; presumably the potential for confusing these letters with numbers and other similar looking letters was only realised after those initial series. Current plates eschew the letters I, O, V, and X.

The issuers have avoided some three-letter combinations, mainly to avoid offence. Excluded combinations include:

ARS, ASS, BAD, BAG, BAT, BRA, BUM, BUT, CNT, CUM, CUN, DUM, FAG, FAK, FAT, FCK, FKN, FKQ, FKU, FQM, FQN, FUC, FUK, FUQ, FUZ, HAG, JAP, JEW, KFC, KGB, KKK, KLL, KNT, KUM.

GAY was one combination allowed as it was deemed not to be offensive, but the NZTA shortly afterwards recalled several plates in the GAY series because they were combined with undesirable number combinations, such as plates GAY690 through GAY699.^[4]

BMW dealers have bought up the complete range starting with the letters "BMW" for use as semi-personalised plates. Kia cars have appeared with "KIA"-prefixes, and Hyundai cars with "HYU"-prefixes. The issuers have reserved plates starting with "CCC" and "DCC", presumably for diplomatic vehicles. The combinations EBA, FCC, and FNA-FNZ,G(A-H)A were excluded for as yet unknown reasons.

Car-dealers use a separate temporary series of yellow-coloured plates. These use one of several combinations of letters and numbers, most often a letter X followed by up to 4 digits. Originally black, these plates later became yellow in colour.

^[5]

Plate series with approximate year issued

Commemorative plates

In general, numbers in the systems do not have leading zeroes, starting with 1ØØØ in the LLnnnn system and 1ØØ and later 1 in the LLLnnn system. A commemorative series of plates celebrating New Zealand's national rugby union team, the All Blacks, follows the LLnnnn system but with a leading zero after the letters "AB" (for "All Blacks"), giving them the format "ABØnnn".

In 1990 a special series of commemorative plates marked the country's sesquicentenary. These had the format nnnnNZ, with the lettering in red on white.

Personalised plates

Rights to unique combinations of up to six characters can be purchased from a private company licensed by the NZ Transport Agency. The purchaser may acquire any unique combination that falls outside the standard numbering sequences (apart from derogatory, obscene, or intentionally confusing combinations^[6]) or standard numbers that have fallen into disuse. New Zealand does not require associating the plate with a vehicle, and allows outright sale rather than just a periodic lease.

Although plate character/number combinations can contain "spaces", they do not form part of the unique identification and are typically not stored (for example, in Police computer-systems). Therefore, if a personalised plate such as "I A I" exists an owner cannot purchase a combination such as "IAI", and vice versa.

The most sought-after combinations available as personalised plates (such as "A1" or "AAAAAA") became special "collector plates", with lettering in blue on white. These plates are often offered for sale at a significant premium to standard plates.^[7]

As of 2018 prospective buyers can order a personalised set of plates as:^[8]

• Standard Colour Plates in various colours including; black, cyan, gold, green, orange, pink, purple, red & silver.
• American Plates, featuring the design of the US flag and a message on standard plates. Slimline plates of this category are also available.
• Kiwi Colour Plates that feature the signature New Zealand fern available in colours including; black, cyan, gold, green, orange, pink, purple, red & silver.
• Kiwi Slim, a slimmed down version of Kiwi Colour Plates available in colours including; black, cyan, gold, green, orange, pink, purple, red & silver.
• Camouflage Plates, available with blue, green & pink camouflage print.
• Tough Plates, featuring graphic Grille & Checker Plate designs.
• European Slim Plates, the slimline versions of the European Plates, available in black, blue , gold and silver.
• European Plates, elongated to fit the recess of European cars, these plates are available in navy, black, gold & silver.
• Heritage Plates, featuring native maori designs, available in black & red.
• Team Plates, containing imagery of the team supporting with the plate on the car. Available in All Blacks, Vodafone Warriors, Auckland Blues, Waikato Chiefs, Wellington Hurricanes, Canterbury Crusaders and Otago Highlanders.
• Chick Plates, featuring glam lace graphics. Available in black, gold, pink, purple, red & silver.
• Message Plates, where customers can place any text at the top or bottom of the plates.

Special issues of personalised plates include 'I Love Plates' which was available from 1 February to 12 March 2018.

Number-plate accessories

A number of companies provide alternatives to the standard message plate. Number-plate frames attach to the plate and provide space for messages above and/or below the license number, thus potentially perpetrating advertising. Several Maori iwi promote identity and traditional graphic designs in frames.

Number-plate lookup systems

Several New Zealand web sites now offer Number-plate lookup systems to access the data stored when registering a vehicle. Most of these services are free and available to the public.

References

External links

• Collection of New Zealand numberplates from many eras
• Nichols, Lane (31 August 2010). "Aryan1 licence plate all about love, not hate". Stuff.co.nz. Fairfax NZ.