Vehicle registration plates of Western Australia

Western Australian vehicle license plates

The state of Western Australia requires its residents to register their motor vehicles and display vehicle registration plates.[1] Current regular issue plates are to the standard Australian dimensions of 372 mm (14.6 in) in length by 134 mm (5.3 in) in height, and use standard Australian serial dies.[2]

As well as issuing general number plates, Western Australia also issues plates specific to the state's local government areas (LGAs). LGA specific plates can only be requested by vehicle owners who are resident within these LGAs. Western Australia also has a plate series for vehicles designated for off-road use only.

## Issuing authorities

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* Department for Planning & Infrastructure: early 2000s to 2009
* Department of Transport: 2009–2025
* Department of Transport and Major Infrastructure:[3] 2025 -

## General plates

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* Starting in the 1950s, WA released the U series plates, which commenced in a six character white-on-black design (example: UAA·000) and changed during their release to be of an inverted black-on-white design (example: UZZ·999) as would be seen continued in the release of the X-series plates (example: XAA·000). The letters "Q" and "V" were not issued in any combinations, due to these being easily mistaken for "O" or "0" and "U", "Q" was only used by Government of Western Australia departments. The X-series and U-series plates are now available again by request, as "retro" plates in either black-on-white, or white-on-black. UQB·nnn was reserved for Transperth buses with three-digit registration numbers usually corresponding to the bus fleet numbers. Since June 1990, Transperth buses have been issued green on white plates in the TP·nnnn range.[4] Other government vehicles also used "Q" as the second character until the new series in 1997.
* In October 1978, having exhausted the XAA - XZZ series a new series was released commencing at 6AA·000. The format used was black on yellow (example: 6AA·000), where the numbers preceding the letters ranged between 6 and 9.[5] This series ended at 9MZ·999 and the trailer series ended at 9RZ·999. As of February 2025, The Department of Transport has now reintroduced the old 6,7,8 & 9 series marketed as Nostalgia Series https://plateswa.com/#/choose-your-style/nostalgia
* The current standard issue series is blue on white, with an extra letter added to create a seven character registration plate standard (example: 1AAA·000). Introduced in September 1997, it commenced with the characters 1AAA·000, estimated at the time to reach 1ZZZ·999 in 2137.[6][7] The "1F" allocation has been reserved for silver-on-black slimline plates, (372mm in length by 100mm in depth) sold as platinum plates that were first issued in May 2016.[8][9][10] As at July 2025, the "1FCX-000" sequence was being issued.
* Government issued vehicles use the "1Q" series, with inverted colours (white characters on a blue background).[11]
* New car dealerships use the “1ZZ” series for new , pre-registered vehicles.
* Hire vehicles can use the "1Y" series, but is not compulsory.[11]
* Privately owned buses or designated school buses use the current series.
* Cmmercially operated buses and coaches carried red on white TC·nnnn (touring coach) plates. These were introduced in 1984.[12][13] Commencing in July 2016 these were recalled to be replaced with CVL·nnnn (Charter Vehicle) plates.[14]
* TAXI·nnnn plates are used for taxicabs. Originally in red on white and now into black on white non perpetual taxi plates.
* CT·nnnn plates are used for taxis outside of the metropolitan area (Perth).
* Limousines carry the plate SCV·nnn, SCV·nnnn and also use 1SCV·nnn, this is being withdrawn from the end of April 2017 and replaced with CVL−nnnn (Charter Vehicle).
* Private Taxi PT·123 issued to private taxis that this is being withdrawn from the end of April 2017 and replaced with CVL−nnnn (Charter Vehicle).
* Motorcycles have the plate 1AA·nnn (e.g.: 1AB·123).
* Stock Carrying Trucks have 'ST' as the second & third letters of the prefix; e.g., 6ST·123, 9ST·123, 1STA·123.
* Trailers, caravans etc. have 1Taa·nnn or 1Uaa·nnn (e.g.: 1TAB·123, 1UAB·123). Earlier series used 'R', 'S', 'T', 'U', 'W' and 'X' as the second character for trailers (e.g. 9RA·123, 8UA·123, 7WA·123, 6TA·123, XUA·123, UUU·123). Country Shire/Town trailer plates follow the normal shire prefix system, but only one plate is issued, some shires have a block of numbers for trailers, others issue the next available number.

* Pre-1978 standard series

* Standard issue (without slogan), 1978–1997

* Standard issue, 1997–present

* Standard issue government, 1997–present

* Standard issue motorcycle, 1997–present

* Transperth

* Red Taxi replaced in 2019 black on white

* Charter vehicle

* Consular Corps

## Outside metropolitan Perth

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* There are 143 registration districts (mostly shire or town councils) which each issue number plates using the form "loc·n" (for shires) and "loc n" (for towns or cities) – for example, "A nnnn" would be a plate issued by the City of Albany, while "AU·nnnn" would be issued by the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River. A full list has been published near the back of the government-produced Metropolitan Street Directory/Streetsmart each year since 1985. Special number plate versions for shires, cities and towns have been made available to purchase. They are in the format "nnn*loc" with the shire-, city- or town-crest between the numbers and letters.[15]
* In recent years towns within shires have been allocated number plates. Examples include "FR·nnn" for Frankland in Shire of Cranbrook and "KND·nnn" for Kendenup in the Shire of Plantagenet.[16]

* Regional plate (Denmark), 1990-2000

* Regional plate (York), 2000–present

## Other general and optional plates

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Western Australia also offers the largest number of characters in a personalised registration plate, offering up to nine characters.[17] Western Australian government plates are the same pattern as standard issue, however colours are inverted.

From 6SS·000 in 1984, the slogan WA Home of the America's Cup was introduced.[18] This was replaced in 1987 by WA The Golden State.[19] Slogans were abandoned in the early 1990s.

Slogans

* WA State of Excitement

* WA Home of the America's Cup

* WA The Golden State

Optional

* Retro

* Platinum

* Prestige (white)

* Prestige (black)

* Frangipani

* Rottnest Channel Swim

* Custom Slimline

* Personalised

* Sport team (Fremantle Dockers)

* Biz series

Euro-style

* Euro standard

* Euro Custom

* Euro Custom Plus

* Euro Premium

## Withdrawn plates

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* Small Charter Vehicle

* Transperth UQB plate

* Touring Coach

* Taxi

* Perth Central Area Transit plate

## Skipped Combinations

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* Old General Series 1956–1997 (U,X,6–9)AB-123: UAQ, UAV, UBQ, UBV, up to UZQ, UZV, UVA–UVZ, XAQ, XAV, XBQ, XBV, up to XZQ, XZV, XVA–XVZ, 6AQ, 6AV, 6BQ, 6BV up to 9MQ, 9MV, 6VA–6VZ, 7VA–7VZ, 8VA–8VZ, 9NA–9QZ, 9RQ, 9RV, 9SA–9SS, 9SU-9ZZ.

* 1997 series: 1AQA-1AQZ, 1BQA-1BQZ, 1IIA-1IIZ.

## References

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1. ^ http://www.worldlicenseplates.com/world/PA_AUST.html [dead link]
2. ^ "Western Australia Y2K".
3. ^ https://www.transport.wa.gov.au
4. ^ Transperth Fleetline issue 182 September 1990 page 147
5. ^ Registration Notes Fleetline issue 41 December 1978 page 4
6. ^ Unveiling of new generation of vehicle licence plates Department of Transport 5 July 1997
7. ^ Western Australia Fleetline issue 252 January 1998 page 31
8. ^ McNeill, Heather (19 April 2016). "WA Department of Transport skips on 'F' series number plates". WAtoday. Retrieved 22 April 2016.
9. ^ "Platinum series plates". Department of Transport. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016.
10. ^ "New platinum series number plates available for WA motorists". 6mm. 23 May 2016. Archived from the original on 2 June 2016. Retrieved 2 June 2016.
11. ^ a b Government/Commercial plates Department of Transport
12. ^ TC Plates for Buses Rattler issue 141 April 1984 page 29
13. ^ Western Australia Fleetline issue 108 July 1984 page 116
14. ^ End of the road for TC plates Rattler issue 456 April 2016 page 38
15. ^ Services Regional WA
16. ^ Country Cars Regional WA
17. ^ Designer plates, Department of Transport, retrieved 23 January 2010
18. ^ Registration Notes Fleetline issue 105 April 1984 page 71
19. ^ Numberplate News Fleetline issue 144 July 1987 page 165