The Canadian province of Nova Scotia first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1907. Registrants provided their own licence plates for display until 1918, when the province began to issue plates.

, plates are issued by the Nova Scotia Registry of Motor Vehicles. Only rear plates have been required since 1997.

Passenger baseplates

1918 to 1959 In 1956, Canada, the United States, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for licence plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at in height by in width, with standardized mounting holes. The first Nova Scotia licence plate that complied with these standards was issued fifteen years beforehand, in 1941.

No slogans were used on passenger plates during the period covered by this subsection. ImageDates issuedDesignSerial formatSerials issuedNotes1918White serial on green flat metal plate; "NOVA SCOTIA", provincial shield and "1918" at left12341 to approximately 90001919Black serial on yellow flat metal plate; "NOVA SCOTIA", provincial shield and "1919" at left123451001 to approximately 120001920Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA", provincial shield and "1920" at left123451001 to approximately 12500First embossed plate.1921Black serial on light green flat metal plate; "NOVA SCOTIA", provincial shield and "1921" at left123451001 to approximately 135001922Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "NS 22" at left12-3451-001 to approximately 15-5001923Embossed red serial on gray plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA 1923" at right12-3451-001 to approximately 17-0001924Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "NS 24" at right12-3451-001 to approximately 19-0001925Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA–25" at bottom12-3451-001 to approximately 21-0001926Embossed white serial on dark green plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA 1926" at bottomL12-345L1-001 to approximately L11-500'L' prefix used for vehicles weighing 3,000 lb or less, and 'H' prefix for vehicles above 3,000 lb. This happened again in 1927.H12-345H15-001 to approximately H24-5001927Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA 1927" at bottomL12-345L1-001 to approximately L19-000H12-345H19-001 to approximately H29-5001928Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; "1928" and "NOVA SCOTIA" centred at top and bottom respectively12-34510-001 to approximately 27-500No letter prefix used for vehicles weighing 3,000 lb or less.H12-345H40-001 to approximately H52-5001929Embossed white serial on red plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA 29" at bottom12-34510-001 to approximately 41-5001930Embossed red serial on white plate with border line; "30 NOVA SCOTIA" at bottom12-34540-001 to approximately 85-0001931Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA 31" at top12-345Coded by county group (1)1932Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "NOVA SCOTIA 32" at bottom12-345Coded by county group (1)1933Embossed orange serial on black plate; "33 NOVA SCOTIA" at bottom12-345Coded by county group (1)1934Embossed white serial on dark blue plate; "NOVA SCOTIA 34" at bottom12-345Coded by county group (1)1935Embossed dark blue serial on white plate; "35-NOVA SCOTIA" at bottom12-345Coded by county group (1)1936Embossed white serial on red plate; "NOVA SCOTIA 36" at top12-345Coded by county group (1)1937Embossed yellow serial on black plate; "37-NOVA SCOTIA" at bottom12-345Coded by county group (1)1938Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "NOVA SCOTIA" and "1938" centred at top and bottom respectively12-345Coded by county group (1)1939Embossed white serial on green plate; "NOVA" and "SCOTIA" centred at top and bottom respectively; vertical "1939" at right12-345Coded by county group (1)1940Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "NOVA" and "SCOTIA" centred at top and bottom respectively; vertical "1940" at right12-345Coded by county group (1)1941Embossed black serial on cream plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '41" at bottom1-23-45Coded by county group (1)First 6" x 12" plate.1942Embossed black serial on pale green plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA" and "1942" centred at top and bottom respectively1-23-45Coded by county group (1)Produced in pairs but only single plates issued; the remaining plates were restamped and repainted for use in 1943 and 1944, due to metal conservation for World War II.Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA" and "1943" centred at top and bottom respectively1-23-45Coded by county group (1)Restamped and repainted 1942 plates. Revalidated for 1944 with windshield stickers.1945Embossed black serial on cream plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '45" at bottom1-23-45Coded by county group (1)1946Embossed black serial on gray plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '46" at top1-23-45Coded by county group (1)1947Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '47" at bottom1-23-45Coded by county group (1)1948Embossed black serial on pale green plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '48" at bottom1-23-45Coded by county group (1)1949Embossed black serial on cream plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '49" at top1-23-45Coded by county group (1)1950Embossed black serial on gray plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA - 50" at bottom1-23-45Coded by county group (1)1951Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA - 51" at top1-23-45Coded by county group (1)1952Embossed black serial on unpainted aluminum plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA - 52" at bottom1-23-45Coded by county group (1)Revalidated for 1953 with light blue tabs, for 1954 with black tabs, for 1955 with white tabs, and for 1956 with dark green tabs.1953As above, but with "NOVA SCOTIA - 53" at bottom10-00-00 to Issued only to new registrants. Validated for 1954, 1955 and 1956 in the same manner as for 1952 plates.1953–56As above, with "NOVA SCOTIA - 52" at bottom11-00-00 to approximately 16–49–001957Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '57" at top1-23-4512-34-562-00-00 to approximately 13–34–001958Embossed light yellow serial on black plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '58" at bottom1-23-4512-34-562-00-00 to approximately 13–83–001959Embossed black serial on light yellow plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '59" at top1-23-4512-34-562-00-00 to approximately 14–70–00

1960 to present ImageDates issuedDesignSloganSerial formatSerials issuedNotesEmbossed light yellow serial on black plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '60" at bottomnone1-23-4512-34-562-00-00 to approximately 18–37–00Revalidated for 1961 with windshield stickers.1962–63Embossed black serial on light yellow plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '62" at topnone1-23-4512-34-562-00-00 to approximately 20–33–00Revalidated for 1963 with windshield stickers.1964–65Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '64" at topnone1-23-4512-34-562-00-00 to approximately 22–49–00Revalidated for 1965 with windshield stickers.1966–68Embossed black serial on yellow plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA" at bottom, offset to left; black box at bottom right containing debossed "66"none1-23-4512-34-562-00-00 to approximately 28–20–001969–71Embossed yellow serial on black plate; border lines around plate and around bottom corners; "NOVA SCOTIA" centred at bottom; "69" at bottom leftnone1-23-4512-34-562-00-00 to approximately 29–75–001972–75Embossed light blue serial on non-reflective white plate; border lines around plate and around top corners; "NOVA SCOTIA" centred at top"CANADA'S OCEAN PLAYGROUND" at bottom1-23-4512-34-562-00-00 to38-49-99Letters I, O and Q not used in the ABC-123 serial format. Material changed from steel to aluminum in 1986.1975–79As above, but reflective and with darker blue elements12-34-5638-50-00 to66-39-991979–89AAA-001 to BRS-9991989–2011Embossed blue serial on reflective white plate; border lines around plate and around top corners; light blue graphic of the Bluenose screened in the centre; "NOVA SCOTIA" screened in blue centred at top"CANADA'S OCEAN PLAYGROUND" screened in blue at bottomABC 123BRT 001 to FAD 999Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new licence plate of 1989 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the first and, to date, only time Nova Scotia has been so honored. Co-recipient with Oklahoma.2011–presentAs above, but without border lines, and with narrower serial diesFAE 001 to HTH 021

Specialty plates