Personalised number plates: Your guide to custom number plates in Australia

Personalisation has been a defining trend in the automotive world for the past decade. Everything from unique paint colours, trim options and even completely personalised cars can be created to make customers happy.

But one of the biggest and easiest ways to make your car feel special is with personalised number plates. Instead of having a randomly assigned set of numbers and letters in the state government’s preferred colour scheme, thanks to the trend for customisation your personalised number plate can say just about anything you want.

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You can have your name, nickname, support your favourite sporting team or just match your car. While there are some rules around inappropriate words, within reason you can have just about anything you want in a variety of colours - depending on which state you live in.

This is your guide to answering all the questions you have about custom number plates.

What are custom number plates? When did personalised number plates emerge historically? Why are they so popular?

For those unfamiliar, customised or personal plates are a combination of letters and numbers chosen specifically by the owner of the plates. Instead of accepting the randomly assigned combination, road authorities around the country began offering motorists choice back in the 1980s.

Initially there were special editions, like New South Wales’ ‘Bicentenary plates’ which were launched in 1988 and feature a unique design with a bicentennial logo on one side and were black lettering on white (instead of the traditional black on yellow). 

Several governments introduced slimmer plate designs in the late 1990s and early 2000s, which began the real upswing in personalised number plates. 

These days there are literally dozens of plate styles in every state, with customers able to choose their own colours, several sporting codes as well as European-style and ‘JDM’ Japanese-inspired plates.

How do you buy a custom number plate - does it differ from state to state?

Like all vehicle registration, each state has its own process for buying a personalised plate. Thanks to the popularity of custom plates, several state government road authorities run their own separately-branded businesses to deal with the demand. 

In Victoria personalised plates are ordered through VicRoads’ Vplates website, in NSW it’s called MyPlates, in Queensland you’ll need PPQ, in South Australia search for EzyPlates and Tasmania’s is under the TasPlates brand. In the A.C.T. and Northern Territory you simply go through the local road authorities.

Because it is run through the government, transferring personalised number plates to a new car is a straightforward process. You simply apply for and pay for your new plate as you would a traditional number plate and the custom version can be sent to you.

How much do they usually cost?

This is a tricky question to answer, similar to the old ‘how long is a piece of string?’ conundrum. That’s because the prices not only vary from state-to-state but also the kind of plate you choose. Some states only charge a one-off fee, while others will hit you with both an initial cost but also an annual payment to retain your unique plate.

For example, in NSW MyPlates offers ‘personalised’ plates (which means a letter/number combination in set formats) from $111 per year, while ‘custom’ plates (any combination of two-six letters/numbers) for $474 per year. 

Then there’s an additional one-off charge for a particular style of plate - in NSW there are dozens to choose from in a variety of colours and formats.

So, for example, if you wanted to add a custom plate in the green-on-white ‘JDM’ style to your new Nissan GT-R - and chose something like ‘GTR81’ - you would have to pay $474 per year plus an initial extra charge of $255 for the ‘JDM’ plate. In contrast, a similar plate in Queensland will cost you only $495. 

So, the cost of your plate will largely depend on how much you’re happy to spend to get precisely what you want. The PPQ has a range of plate options that stretch from $175 all the way past $3500, and it’s a similar story in the other states.

What types of custom plates are the most popular?

The sheer variety of custom plates available in each state means it’s difficult to select which is the most popular.

Certainly the slimmer, European-style plate has proven a popular addition around the country. That’s in addition to the previously mentioned Japanese style plates and some states offer an ‘American’ themed type.

Each state also offers local sporting clubs, so if you’re an AFL or Rugby League fan you can show your colours on your car.

Another popular trend is the brand specific plates, with the ability to get Ford, Holden, HSV and even Mustang specific versions. 

Most expensive resale of a custom number plate?

Depending on which state you live in you may need to hand back your personalised licence plate when you are done with it. However, there is a market for rare and historic low-digit plates around the country. 

In 2017 a local billionaire bought the NSW plate ‘4’ for a staggering $2.45m, which he installed on his Rolls-Royce and went along with his ‘2’ plate on his Ferrari. In 2019 Shannons Auctions sold the Victorian plate ‘59’ for $535,000.

However, given these plates typically trade privately, it’s unknown exactly how much Australia’s most expensive number plate is.

What is the best personalised number plate?

We’ve all seen a custom plate that has stood out in traffic. Like the BMW M3 with the plate ‘OM3’, the plate ‘4ME’ or alternatively ‘MR4MRS’ and the very appropriate ‘IMACAR’.

Let us know your favourite custom plate in the comments below.