Transport guide · New Zealand
Selling a Car with Personalised Plates in NZ
Decide whether to keep or include personalised plates when selling a car in New Zealand, then document the deal and complete each required notification.
Key points
Decide what happens to the plate before the listing goes live
State clearly whether the vehicle price includes the personalised plate entitlement.
If you keep the plates, arrange ordinary replacement plates before the buyer takes the vehicle.
If the buyer gets the plates, complete a separate transfer of entitlement.
Both parties still need to complete the normal vehicle sale and acquisition notifications.
Recommended next step
Generate personalised plate ideas
Create a plate idea, copy the combination and check its current KiwiPlates availability.
Say clearly whether the plate is included
A personalised plate can look like part of the car, especially in photographs of a classic, business vehicle or enthusiast build. Decide whether you are keeping it before you advertise. Do not leave a buyer to infer the answer from the photos.
Use a plain sentence: “Personalised plate ABC123 is included,” or “Personalised plate is not included; ordinary plates will be fitted before handover.” Repeat the same wording in the sale agreement.
Keeping the plate
Arrange for the vehicle to receive ordinary plates through an NZTA agent before it changes hands. The New Zealand Government advises buyers to ask the seller to have this done when the seller is retaining the plates.
If you want to use the combination on another vehicle, follow NZTA’s transfer process. Taking the metal plates off the sold car is only the physical part of the job; the register details also need to be correct.
Transfer or move personalised platesUnderstand the plate entitlement
Including the plate in the sale
Agree on the plates separately and complete the Transfer of Entitlement form. The normal notice that the vehicle has been sold changes the registered person; it does not replace the entitlement process.
Include the exact combination and any separately agreed value in the sale agreement. Keep a copy of the completed transfer and confirmation so neither party has to reconstruct the deal later.
The usual vehicle-sale jobs still apply
Tell NZTA as soon as the vehicle has been sold and wait for evidence that the buyer has notified the acquisition before handover. Check the current WoF and other seller responsibilities rather than treating the plate decision as the whole sale.
Remove the vehicle from toll and other linked accounts where relevant, and keep a dated written sale agreement. The plate decision is one line in that wider handover, not a replacement for it.
A tidy order for the handover
Settle the keep-or-include decision first. Then make the advertisement match, arrange any replacement plates, prepare the entitlement paperwork if needed, and complete the normal vehicle notifications. A photograph of the plates on the car is a useful condition record, but it is not proof of entitlement.
If the LicenSys record or the agreement is unclear, sort it out before final payment and handover. Once the car and buyer are in different places, a small ambiguity becomes much harder to fix.
Frequently asked questions
Do personalised plates automatically go with a car when it is sold?
No. The parties should agree separately whether the plate entitlement is included and complete the required transfer if it is.
What if I want to keep my plates?
Arrange ordinary replacement plates for the vehicle before handover, then use the correct NZTA process to move your personalised plates.
Is telling NZTA about the vehicle sale enough for the plates?
No. The plate entitlement transfer is separate from notifying the sale and acquisition of the vehicle.
Should the plate be mentioned in the sale agreement?
Yes. Record the exact combination and state clearly whether its entitlement is included or excluded.
Can I advertise the car with the plate but keep it?
You can, but make the exclusion prominent in the advertisement and agreement so a buyer does not reasonably expect the plate to be included.
Your next step
Turn your idea into a result you can use
Create a plate idea, copy the combination and check its current KiwiPlates availability.
More useful tools