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Your Complete Guide to Australian Number Plates
Transfer guides, fee calculators, valuation tools and scam prevention — everything you need before buying or selling.
Not all plates are created equal. Here's what drives value in the Australian market, from million-dollar heritage plates to everyday customs.
Single numbers from original state issue. Only 9 possible per state. These sell at major auctions and make national news.
Double & triple digits (10–999). Highly collectible with documented provenance. Regular fixtures at heritage auctions.
Short letter plates. Scarcity and readability drive premium. State-abbreviation plates (NSW, VIC) sit at the top of this tier.
Real names or dictionary words with broad appeal. The more people who'd want it, the more it's worth.
Brand-specific plates tied to marque prestige. Value depends on the car community and how iconic the model is.
Custom combinations with moderate or niche appeal. Most sit unsold. If it's still available from the state authority, it has minimal resale value.
Six factors that determine what a plate is worth. The bars show relative impact on price.
Heritage plates from original state issues carry a provenance premium custom plates can't match.
Shorter = rarer = more valuable. A 1-character plate is exponentially rarer than a 6-character plate.
NSW and VIC plates generally command higher prices due to larger populations and collector bases.
Plates with universal appeal sell for more than niche references only a few would want.
If someone can't read your plate from 20 metres, it loses value. Clean combinations always win.
Plates with 8s or repeating numbers (888, 111) attract premium bids from specific buyer segments.
Most personalised plates are worth less than their owners think. If a plate is still available to purchase from the state authority, it has minimal resale value.
Listing price ≠ sale price. Check what plates have actually sold for, not what people are asking. The gap can be enormous.
Heritage plates with auction records are the easiest to value. For everything else, treat your plate as a passion purchase first and an investment second.