Global InformationVehicle registration plates of Newfoundland and Labrador information
 | |
| Current series | |
|---|---|
| Size | 12 in × 6 in 30 cm × 15 cm |
| Serial format | ABC 123 |
| Introduced | January 12, 2024 |
| Availability | |
| Issued by | Digital Government and Service NL, Motor Registration Division |
| Manufactured by | Waldale Manufacturing Limited, Amherst, Nova Scotia[1] |
| History | |
| First issued | 1925 |
Newfoundland and Labrador first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display licence plates in 1920, while still a British dominion. It became a province of Canada in 1949.
In 1956, Canada, the United States, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for licence plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at 6 inches (15 cm) in height by 12 inches (30 cm) in width, with standardized mounting holes.[2] The 1956 (dated 1957) issue was the first Newfoundland licence plate that fully complied with these standards: the issues from 1951 (dated 1952) through 1955 (dated 1956) were all 6 inches in height by 12 inches in width, but had non-standard mounting holes.
The last complete re-registration of all registered vehicles in Newfoundland and Labrador was in 1981, with a switch from a numerical system to an alphanumeric system.
All plates issued since 1982 (beginning AAA-001) remain valid today. Plates remain with the vehicle to which they are originally registered, rather than with the owner. Used vehicles with expired plates are issued new licence plates, while used vehicles with valid plates retain their original licence plate.
Since 1985, the province has not used the letters I, Q, U or Y on licence plates,[3] except on plates that use "VO1" (or "VO2" for Labrador) followed by two or three letters issued to Amateur radio operators.[4] However, the HAY series was issued on the 1996-97 Cabot 500 base, while the TFI series was issued on trailers in 2010. The letter I is skipped because it closely resembles the number 1, while the letter Q is skipped because it closely resembles the letter O (which the province does use) and the number zero.
Since September 1997, the province requires only a rear plate for most registrations, except for B, C, E and G plates (see below). Some older cars still display both front and rear plates. Some early "World of Difference" and Cabot 500 base plates were issued in duplicate for the front and rear.
In 2019 the province announced[5] it would be designing licence plates for electric "green" vehicles.
On Newfoundland licence plates, the first letter (or two letters) designates the registration class of the vehicle. For example, HMT-999 would be assigned to a passenger car, while TZD-019 would be assigned to a trailer.
Newfoundland and Labrador is the only province in Canada that does not allow vanity licence plates to be registered.
- ^ Drost, Philip (April 19, 2018). "Peel... in this place: Why thousands of licence plates are being recalled". CBC News. Retrieved November 11, 2020.
- ^ Garrish, Christopher (October 2016). "Reconsidering the Standard Plate Size". Plates. Vol. 62, no. 5. Automobile License Plate Collectors Association.
- ^ Tanner, Eric N. "Newfoundland and Labrador Passenger License Plates". allaboutlicenseplates.com. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
- ^ "VO Plates". Society of Newfoundland Radio Amateurs. Retrieved 2021-05-14.
- ^ "Provincial Government Highlights Prototype of Electric Vehicle Licence Plates". Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. Retrieved 2021-08-03.