Transfer the right to display number plates

All vehicle number plates are the property of the Motor Vehicle Registry (MVR) office.

These include general, commemorative, personalised and special series number plates.

In the Northern Territory (NT), permission to display number plates on your vehicle is called the right to display.

When you have the right to display

When you register your vehicle, you have the right to display your number plates.

You'll continue to have this 12 months after your registration expires.

You lose the right to display when:

• registration has expired or been cancelled for more than 12 months
• number plates have been on hold at MVR for more than 12 months.

When you lose the right to display, the personalised number plates will be available for other customers to order.

When to apply

You can apply when you want to:

• sell your vehicle with the number plates attached
• sell your vehicle but keep the number plates to attach to another vehicle you own
• transfer your number plates to someone else
• swap your number plates with plates you have on hold with MVR
• swap number plates between 2 vehicles registered in your name.

If you're not the registered owner of the vehicle, you must provide written permission from the owner confirming you have consent to act on their behalf.

Apply to transfer the right to display

To find out how you can transfer the right to display, answer the questions below.