Northwest Territories
STATUS: Territory of Canada
CAPITAL: Yellowknife
WORLD LOCATION: Arctic North America
FIRST LICENSE PLATES IN USE: 1941
MOTOR VEHICLES CURRENTLY REGISTERED: Approx. 25,000
CURRENT SLOGAN: "Explore Canada's Arctic"
FORMER SLOGANS: "Canada's Northland" (1954 to 1969), "Centennial 1970" (1970), "RCMP Centennial 1973" (1973), "Canada" (1971-72, 1974-83).
GRAPHICS USED: Territorial crest was used from 1966 to 1969.
PLATES ARE: O
There are currently about 40,000 registered motor vehicles in the NWT in Canada, and plates (since 1970) are of a unique design, in that they are die-cut to the shape of a polar bear. Plates are issued in pairs. In 1984, "baby bear" motorcycle plates came into use. The first year for license plates in NWT was 1941, when a dark green on white embossed steel plate was introduced, with N.W.T. 41 across the top of the plate. From 1947 through 1950, the year was spelled out in full, i.e. N.W.T. 1947. From 1951 through 1965, the date was split over the territorial name, i.e. 19 N.W.T. 51. From 1966 through 1969, the plates had the full legend NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, with CANADA'S NORTHLAND across the bottom of the plate. The territorial crest was also included in the design. Metal date tabs were used to update the plates. In 1970, the bear shaped plates came into use, with CENTENNIAL 1970 across the bottom on the first issue. The following issues had CANADA and the date across the bottom, except for 1973, when the R.C.M.P. CENTENNIAL 73 legend was used, with a blue and gold on white color scheme. Bear shaped plates with an fluorescent orange border were special plates, issued to vehicles with restricted use, for areas with no road links to the rest of the territory. They were only valid from April 1st to October 31st of each year. Since 1986, NWT plates have had the slogan EXPLORE CANADAS ARCTIC across the top, and the dies were narrowed and rounded, compared to the earlier "block style" dies.
The following types of plates are known, by prefix/suffix:
C - Commercial (trucks) D - Dealer E - Exempt (Public Service)
G - Government Owned MLA - Member of Legislature
P - Public Service
R - Rental Vehicle
S - School Bus
T - Trailer
VE8 - Amateur Radio
Number 1 - The Commissioner
of NWT
A Crown - Visiting Dignitaries
M - Motorcycle, small
plate (since 1966)
S - Snowmobile, small
plate
There are also various small plates for use on All Terrain Vehicles, with
the name of the local community on the plate.
Colors on NWT plates are as follows:
1941 - Dark Green on White
1942 - Black on Orange
1943 - Yellow on Black
1944 - None known - probable windshield sticker in use
1945 - White on Dark Blue
1946 - Orange on Black
1947 - Black on Silver
1948 - White on Blue
1949 - White on Dark Green
1950 - Black on Orange
1951 - Orange on Black
1952 - White on Dark Blue
1953 - Black on Orange
1954 - Orange on Black
1955 - Black on Orange
1956 - Orange on Black
1957 - Black on Orange
1958 - Orange on Black
1959 - Black on Orange
1960 - Orange on Black
1961 - Black on Orange
1962 - Orange on Black
1963 - Black on Orange
1964 - Orange on Black
1965 - White on Kelly Green
1966 - Black on Orange
1967 - Date Tab
1968 - Date Tab
1969 - Date Tab (green on white)
1970 - White on Turquoise Blue
1971 - Blue on White
1972 - White on Blue
1973 - Blue/Gold on White
1974 - Red on White
1975 - Light Blue on White
1976 - Date Sticker
1977 - Red on White
1978 - Date Sticker
1979 - Blue on White
1980 - Date Sticker
1981 - Red on White
1982 - Date Sticker
1983 - Blue on White
1984 - Date Sticker
1985 - Date Sticker
1986 - Blue on White
1987 - Date Sticker
1988 - Date Sticker
1989 - Date Sticker
1990 - Date Sticker
1991 - Date Sticker
1992 - Date Sticker
1993 - Date Sticker
1994 - Date Sticker
1995 - Date Sticker
1996 - Date Sticker
SINGLE PLATES OR PAIRS: Pairs
OVAL: UAE
CARS DRIVE ON: Right
Header
plate photo from the PL8S Magazine archive.
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