Vehicle Registration Plates of Australia - New South Wales - General Series

General Series

• Car/Heavy Vehicles: aa·nn·aa and Slimline General Series aaa·nna

From 1910 to 1937, number plates were in numerals only. Prior to 1924, these were issued with black lettering on a white background, until recalled and subsequently replaced with the reverse colour format: white lettering on a black background. All contained an "NSW" insert from 1912. Registration was also kept with the vehicle corresponding to the given numberplate, these days as a sticker on the windscreen or side-windows of the vehicles.

In 1937, letters in numberplates were first introduced, using an aa-nnn format. This ran until 1951 with the "NSW" insert on the top of the plate. It is the beginning of Page embossed dies.

From 1951, plates were 3 characters and three numbers (as per the Federal scheme): AAA-000 to FZZ-999, issued on a yellow background with black lettering, with "NSW" insert on the top of the plate. From 1968, cancelled numbers in that range were reissued, but this did not last long, so the Department of Motor Transport DMT (now RTA) needed to fill in unissued plates containing I and Q on the 2nd and 3rd letter characters (e.g.: AIA-123, AMQ-123).

By 1972, NSW had reached the limit imposed by the Federal scheme: a new series started at GAA-000 and ran to ZLF-999 in July 2004. The "NSW" insert was struck from the top of the plate to be replaced by a state-personalised branding (or slogan) during this time.

Reflective black-on-yellow plates began from October 1980 and corresponded with slogan (exception: non-reflective from October 1996 to March 2001).

NSW plates attracted the following slogans, usually located at the bottom of the plate:

• October 1980 to November 1988: NSW - The Premier State
• November 1988 to March 1989: NSW (interim series)
• March 1989 to present: New South Wales legend at bottom of plates introduced. Standardised option from October 1996.
• June 1989 to September 1994: NSW - The First State
• September 1994 to September 1996: NSW - Towards 2000

By July 2004, combinations of the old 3-letter, 3-number series were practically exhausted. A new series starting at AA-00-AA replaced the old series, continuing the current reflective black-on-yellow plates and New South Wales legend.

• Trailers: a·nnnnn and a·nnnnn

Trailers and caravans have black-on-yellow plates, using a 1-letter, 5-number (a-nnnnn) format excluding I, O and T letters. Until August 1981, it was in Black on white format aa-nnnn, starting as T, R then A, B, C series from the 1940s until it was taken off. Currently in the Y-00000 series for black on yellow issues and X for black on white issues, the last letter to go will now be Z.

• Motorcycles: aaa·nn and aaa·nn

Motorcycles were numerics until 1937 when it changed to alpha numeric format as aa-nn then in 1951, changed from white-on-black to black-on-yellow aa-nnn, and by August 1989, it was taken off after exhausting in Z series by December 1985 & restarting at AA-050 until EE-999 and replaced by the new series ZXX-99 that go in reverse. Currently in Oaa-nn blocks. As of 30 November 2009, black on reflective white general series has been introduced.