Nova Scotia License Plates 1969-present

NS 69 #20-23-92
Nova Scotia 1969 passenger issue. These plates were first issued at the end of 1968 and were valid without stickers through the end of 1969. They were then used with stickers through the end of 1971. Plates from 1941 through 1980 were issued in a 12-34-56 format.
NS 70 #25-58-52
Nova Scotia 1970 passenger issue (1969 base). Continuation of baseplate above, with 1970 sticker. Although all Nova Scotia plates of this era expired in December, the month of expiration was still printed on the sticker. This plate was originally the same yellow-on-black as the one above, but the yellow quickly faded after a short period of use on these plates.
NS 73 #8-05-83
Nova Scotia 1973 passenger issue. In 1972, new blue-on-white plates were issued featuring the slogan "Canada's Ocean Playground", still in use today. The first series of these plates was non-reflective (up to around 38-50-00) and used a lighter blue. These plates could be revalidated with stickers through early 1987.
NS 79 #48-90-67
Nova Scotia 1979 passenger issue. Starting around 1975, new plates were issued with a reflective backing and with a darker blue paint used. This format was used through the rest of the all-numeric bases, through approximately 1979. These plates were also replaced by early 1987.
NS 80 #AAE-355
Nova Scotia 1980/81 passenger issue. In 1979, plates in an ABC-123 format were first issued. This series started at AAA-001 and ran, through a couple minor base variations, through the end of the "BRS" series before a new base was introduced in 1989. These plates remain valid today with proper stickers, although they are fairly rare. 1980 Nova Scotia expirations are scarce due to the way staggered registration was implemented in the province.
NS 91 #BJN-432
Nova Scotia 1991 passenger issue. Continuation of the above series, plates from the mid "B" series forward were stamped on aluminum bases with significantly more squared edges than the older steel plates. Plates were made in this format until the end of this baseplate's run at plate number BRS-999.
NS 91 #BXJ 173
Nova Scotia 1991 passenger issue. In 1989, this new graphic was introduced. It features the standard "Canada's Ocean Playground" slogan, but added a graphic of a tall-masted Schooner (the "Bluenose") in the background. This series picked up at the "BRT" series, where the older non-graphic issue left off. This remains the current Nova Scotia issue, still working on the "D" series that started in 1998. This plate design tied with Oklahoma for ALPCA Plate of the Year in 1989.
NS 93 #CDW 720
Nova Scotia 1993 passenger issue. Continuation of the Bluenose issue, this plate uses slightly different serial dies, of the sort introduced by Waldale, Ltd. on the 1991 New Brunswick ship base. Waldale seems to have swapped back between the two die sets a few times on this plate (and, in fact, the "Nova Scotia" version seen above showed up for a spell on the New Brunswick plates as well.) Ordering data suggests that this die variety started at plate number CCW 001 and ran through CVW 999.
NS 98 #CXA 049
Nova Scotia 1998 passenger issue. On loan from my son Robbie's September, 1998 birthyear run, this plate shows the change back to the original set of dies seen on the Bluenose plate which occurred at the CVW/CVX break in the series. The difference in dies between these and the "New Brunswick" set is most obvious by looking at the "C" character. This die set remained in use through the end of the DAE series
NS 00 #DBJ 327
Nova Scotia 2000 passenger issue. Back to the "New Brunswick" die set for this plate. This variety, identical to the 1994 plate above, appeared again starting with the DAF series and ran to the end of the DDH series before the dies were monkeyed with once again.
NS 02 #DLA 301
Nova Scotia 2002 passenger issue. The original "Nova Scotia" dies were re-introduced once again starting with the DDJ series of plates. The dies have remained consistant since then, however. Nova Scotia is now the only jurisdiction still using these dies, as all other Waldale plates have switched to a new set first introduced on Manitoba plates in 1997. The new dies wouldn't fit on this plate due to design constraints, specifically the embossed sticker boxes. The stretch hasn't been entirely without variation, however, as at some point between DFT and DGB, the plates themselves became shorter by about 1/8". This may be due to Waldale re-tooling from a metric standard to a standard 6-inch plate size while chasing US contracts.
NS 14 #FBL 609
Nova Scotia 2014 passenger issue. Nova Scotia introduced a facelifted version of the bluenose plate in 2012, removing the outside border from the plate and switching to the narrower Mississippi die set now used by Waldale for several different jurisdictions. These changes were made in the early F series.
NS 20 #GHK 080
Nova Scotia 2020 passenger issue. In 2019, Nova Scotia began production of plates using 3M's HD sheeting, resulting in a slight change in appearance in the plates.

NU Ahead to Nunavut
NT Back to Northwest Territories

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Last Modified 8/16/2022 (added 2020 plate).