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Ordering numberplates


In the ACT your vehicle must display numberplates. Operating a vehicle with unregistered numberplates, defective or damaged numberplates, or not displaying numberplates is against the law.

Most vehicles receive a standard ACT ‘Y’ series numberplate. These have blue characters on a reflective white background and begin with the letter ‘Y’.

You can also buy non-standard numberplates.

Public, government, diplomatic and heavy vehicles have special numberplates.

Electric, hybrid or hydrogen-powered vehicles built after 1 January 2019 must also display an EV label.

Types of numberplate orders

For a fee, you can order:

  • different standard ACT numberplates, for any reason
  • remakes of your current numberplates if they’ve been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed
  • different types of numberplates
  • bike rack numberplates.

Change your numberplates

If your current numberplates are standard ACT ‘Y’ series numberplates and:

  • you don’t like the number you were issued, or
  • they’ve been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed

you can order new standard ACT ‘Y’ series numberplates with a different number.

You will receive the next available number in the series – you can’t pick one out of order.

How to order

You will need to visit an Access Canberra Service Centre.

If you are the registered operator of the vehicle the numberplate belongs to, bring with you:

If you’re not the registered operator of the vehicle, you’ll need to bring a completed Authority to act as an agent [PDF 184KB] form.

There is a fee for changing numberplates.

After making your order you can request to change or cancel your order within the 3 day cooling off period.

Order remakes of your current numberplates

If your current numberplates have been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed you can order remakes for a fee.

How to order

You will need to visit an Access Canberra Service Centre.

If you are the registered operator of the vehicle the numberplate belongs to, bring with you:

If you’re not the registered operator of the vehicle, you’ll need to bring a completed Authority to act as an agent [PDF 184 KB] form.

After making your order you can request to change or cancel your order within the 3 day cooling off period.

Order remakes with a rainbow design

You can order remakes of your current ACT standard ‘Y’ series numberplate with a rainbow design added.

There is a fee for rainbow design remakes. They can only be ordered online and collected from an Access Canberra Service Centre.

Use the Application to Remake Standard ACT Numberplates with Rainbow Design form.

Order a rainbow design numberplate remake

Order new numberplates

You can order numberplates in different materials, sizes and colours.

Metal numberplates

You can order metal numberplates and choose:

  • the plate category (e.g., Y series, personalised, Raiders/Brumbies, business name etc)
  • a slogan (e.g., Canberra – The Bush Capital, Feel the Power of Canberra)
  • the size (e.g., standard, motorbike, slimline).

All metal numberplates, unless part of a special series, only come with blue characters on a white background.

Plastic numberplates

You can order plastic numberplates and choose:

  • if you want holes predrilled in the plate so you can attach it to your vehicle
  • the colours (e.g., white characters on a pink background, black characters on a white background etc)
  • the plate category (e.g., Y series, personalised, business name etc)
  • a slogan (e.g., Canberra – The Bush Capital, Feel the Power of Canberra, or your own slogan)
  • a logo (e.g., your business logo)
  • the size (e.g., standard, motorbike, slimline front).

Custom slogans and logos incur additional fees.

Read about non-standard numberplates.

European-style numberplates

You can order European-style numberplates and choose:

  • between blue characters on a white background or white characters on a black background
  • the plate category (e.g., personalised or standard euro, business name etc)
  • between regular or slimline front.

How to order

You will need to visit an Access Canberra Service Centre.

If you are the registered operator of the vehicle the numberplate belongs to, bring with you:

If you’re not the registered operator of the vehicle, you’ll need to bring a completed Authority to act as an agent [PDF 184KB] form.

There is a fee for new numberplates.

After making your order you can request to change or cancel your order within the 3 day cooling off period.

Bike rack numberplates

You need bike rack numberplates if, when the bike rack is mounted, you can’t see the numberplate on the vehicle it’s attached to.

Read more about numberplate visibility.

Bike rack numberplates must match the numberplate on the vehicle they're attached to. If you have multiple cars that you use the bike rack on, you will need a bike rack numberplate to match each vehicle.

How to order

To buy bike rack numberplates, call Access Canberra on 13 22 81 or visit an Access Canberra Service Centre.

Access Canberra will need to confirm your identity.

This can be done with an ACT Driver Licence. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to provide full proof of identity.

There is a fee for bike rack numberplates.

After making your order you can request to change or cancel your order within the 3 day cooling off period.

Cooling off period

There is a 3 business day cooling-off period for numberplate orders. During this time, you can amend or cancel your order. This includes any changes to the:

  • size
  • format
  • colour
  • slogan
  • logo.

After 3 days, the numberplates are ordered from the manufacturer and can't be amended or cancelled for a refund.

To make any change after the cooling-off period you'll need to apply again and pay the fee.

Collecting numberplates

For all numberplate orders Access Canberra needs to confirm your identity first.

This can be done with an ACT Driver Licence. If you don’t have one, you’ll need to provide full proof of identity.

You also need to choose an Access Canberra Service Centre to collect your order from.

Orders take between 4-6 weeks. Access Canberra will send you a letter when they’re ready for collection. You have 56 days to pick them up before they’re reclaimed by Access Canberra.

Attaching numberplates

Access Canberra does not provide screwdrivers or screws. Make sure you bring one to attach or remove your numberplates.

There are rules about how numberplates are attached so they are visible on the car.

Read more about numberplate visibility.