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Vehicle registration plates of the Northwest Territories

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Vehicle registration plates of the Northwest Territories

The Canadian territory of Northwest Territories first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display licence plates in 1941.

Contents

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.

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 plates 1963 to present

In 1956, the U.S. states and Canadian provinces came to an agreement with the Automobile Manufacturers Association that fixed the size for licence plates for vehicles, except those for motorcycles, at six inches in height by twelve inches in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the Northwest Territories' first licence plate that complied with these standards. The current bear-shaped plates feature the standardized mounting holes.

References

Vehicle registration plates of the Northwest Territories Wikipedia