# Vehicle registration plates of the Northwest Territories

This short description is INTENTIONALLY "none" &#x2D; please see WP:SDNONE before you consider changing it!
The Canadian territory of Northwest Territories first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display licence plates in 1941. As of 2022, plates are issued by the Northwest Territories Registrar of Motor Vehicles. Only rear plates have been required since June 1, 1993 and have been required thereafter.
In 1970, to celebrate the centennial of the territory, a unique polar bear-shaped plate was introduced. The basic bear shape has been retained ever since, and the plate is now a registered trademark of the Government of the Northwest Territories.
The current design, which consists of graphic and material updates, was rolled out on July 1, 2010. The blue-and-white plates prior to the update were made of steel and lack graphic sheeting technology that would make them visible in the dark. Current plates are made with aluminum and incorporated visual updates as well as a new slogan.

## Influence on Nunavut plate design

In April 1999, the territory of Nunavut was created from the eastern part of the Northwest Territories. The new territory adopted a virtually identical bear-shaped licence plate, following an agreement between the governments of the two territories. In 2011, the Government of Nunavut decided to discontinue the bear shape and replace it with a conventional rectangular design, which was introduced in July 2012.

## Passenger baseplates
### 1945 to 1974

In 1956, Canada, the United States, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for licence plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at 6 inches (15 cm) in height by 12 inches (30 cm) in width, with standardized mounting holes. The first Northwest Territories licence plate that complied with these standards was issued five years beforehand, in 1951. The current bear-shaped plates feature the standard mounting holes.
| Image | Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| 27 | 1945 | White on blue | none | 123 | 1 to approximately 180 | |
| 37 | 1946 | Orange on black | none | 123 | 1 to approximately 290 | |
| 277 | 1947 | Black on silver | none | 123 | 1 to approximately 400 | |
| 38 | 1948 | White on blue | none | 123 | 1 to approximately 590 | |
| 72 | 1949 | White on green | none | 123 | 1 to approximately 460 | |
| 727 | 1950 | Black on orange | none | 1234 | 651 to approximately 1350 | |
| 1722 | 1951 | Orange on black | none | 1234 | 1351 to approximately 2100 | First 6" x 12" plate. |
| 138 | 1952 | White on blue | none | 123 | 100 to approximately 650 | |
| 76 | 1953 | Black on orange | none | 123 | 100 to approximately 760 | |
| 378 | 1954 | Orange on black | Canada's Northland | 123 | 100 to approximately 870 | |
| 723 | 1955 | Black on orange | Canada's Northland | 123 | 100 to approximately 1300 | |
| 273 | 1956 | Orange on black | Canada's Northland | 1234 | 100 to approximately 1100 | |
| 762 | 1957 | Black on orange | Canada's Northland | 1234 | 100 to approximately 1400 | |
| 237 | 1958 | Orange on black | Canada's Northland | 1234 | 100 to approximately 2200 | |
| 27 | 1959 | Black on orange | Canada's Northland | 1234 | 100 to approximately 2300 | |
| 763 | 1960 | Orange on black | Canada's Northland | 1234 | 100 to approximately 2400 | |
| | 1961 | Black on orange | Canada's Northland | 1234 | 100 to approximately 3400 | |
| | 1962 | Orange on black | Canada's Northland | 1234 | 100 to approximately 4100 | |
| 287 | 1963 | Black on orange | Canada's Northland | 1234 | 100 to approximately 3900 | |
| 723 | 1964 | Orange on black | Canada's Northland | 1234 | 100 to approximately 4200 | |
| | 1965 | White on light green | Canada's Northland | 1-234 | 100 to approximately 4-900 | |
| | 1966–69 | Black on reflective orange; territorial shield at left | Canada's Northland | 12-345 | 100 to approximately 11-500 | Revalidated for 1967 with white-on-blue tabs, for 1968 with red-on-white tabs, and for 1969 with green-on-white tabs. |
| | 1970 | Bear-shaped; white on blue | Centennial | 1-234 | 1 to approximately 7-500 | First bear-shaped plate. Awarded inaugural "Plate of the Year" for best new licence plate of 1970 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association. |
| | 1971 | Bear-shaped; blue on white | none | 1-234 | 1 to approximately 8-500 | |
| | 1972 | Bear-shaped; white on blue | none | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 10-500 | |
| | 1973 | Bear-shaped; dark blue on white with yellow slogan, date, and border | RCMP Centennial | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 11-000 | |
| | 1974 | Bear-shaped; red on white | none | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 11-500 | |

### 1975 to present

| Dates issued | Design | Slogan | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| 1975–76 | Bear-shaped; turquoise on white | none | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 18-000 | Revalidated for 1976 with stickers. |
| 1977–78 | Bear-shaped; red on white | none | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 21-500 | Revalidated for 1978 with stickers. |
| 1979–80 | Bear-shaped; turquoise on white | none | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 21-500 | Revalidated for 1980 with stickers. |
| 1981–82 | Bear-shaped; red on white | none | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 21-000 | Revalidated for 1982 with stickers. |
| 1983–85 | Bear-shaped; blue on white | none | 12-345 | 1 to approximately 30-500 | Last dated plate. Revalidated for 1984 and 1985 with stickers. |
| 1986–2010 | Bear-shaped; blue on white | Explore Canada's Arctic | 123456 | 1 to approximately 126000 | Monthly staggered registration introduced 1990. Front and rear plates issued through May 31, 1993 (serials 1 through 51700); only rear plates issued thereafter. |
| 2010–present | Bear-shaped; nature scene | Spectacular | 123456 | 300000 to 378949 (as of November 5, 2024) | |

## Commercial plates

| First issued | Design | Serial format | Serials issued |
| 1967 | | CV1234 | |
| 1968 | | CV123 | |
| 1969 | | CV123 | |
| 1970 | | CV1234 | |
| 1971 | | CV123 | |
| 1972 | | CV123 | |
| 1973 | | CV1234 | |
| 1974 | | CV123 | |
| 1975-76 | | CV1234 | |
| 1977-78 | | CV1234 | |
| 1979-80 | | CV1234 | |
| 1981-82 | | CV1234 | |
| 1983-85 | | CV1234 | |
| 1986 | | CV1234 | CV100 to CV9999 |
| 1991 | As 1986 passenger base | C12345 | C10000 to approximately C29999 |
| 2010 | As Spectacular passenger base | C12345 | C30000 to C48571 (as of June 3, 2022) |

## Non-passenger plates

| Type | First issued | Design | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| Government | 2010 | As Spectacular passenger base | G12345 | G8000 to G12291 (as of June 1, 2022) | |
| Dealer | 2010 | Bear-shaped; black on white; "DEALER" at top, "NORTHWEST TERRITORIES" at bottom. | D1234 | unknown to D2323 (as of October 1, 2022) | |
| Public Service | 1986 | Bear-shaped; blue on white; "EXPLORE CANADA'S ARTIC" at top, "NORTHWEST TERRITORIES" at bottom. | PS1234 | | Issued to taxis and busses. |
| Public Service | 2010 | As Spectacular passenger base | P12345 | | |
| Motorcycle | 1986 | Bear-shaped; blue on white; "NWT" at top | 1234 | 100 to approximately 9999 | |
| Motorcycle | 2010 | Similar to Spectacular passenger base | 12345 | 10000 to 13075 (as of May 14, 2022) | |
| ATV / Off-road | 1986 | | | | |
| ATV / Off-road | 2010 | Bear-shaped; orange on white; "NWT" at top | 12345 | | |
| Trailer | 1991 | | T12345 | T40000 to present | |
| Trailer | 2010 | As Spectacular passenger base | T12345 | T40000 to present | |

## Veteran plate

| Image | First issued | Design | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| | 2010 | Bear-shaped; red on white; poppy icon at very bottom, "LEST WE FORGET" at top and "NORTHWEST TERRITORIES" at bottom. | VET123 | VET001 to VET512 (as of October 1, 2022) | |