Records
The most expensive number plates sold in Australia and New Zealand
The most valuable plates in Australia are not clever words. They are tiny numbers with a long history. Here are the biggest sales on record, each with its source.
Australia's biggest sales
| Plate | Price (AUD) | Sold | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| NSW 1 | $11.505m hammer (about $12.4m with premium) | Lloyds, January 2024 | [1][2] |
| Q1 (Queensland) | $5.655m hammer (about $6.08m with premium) | January 2024 | [1][2] |
| 20 (Victorian heritage) | $2.54m | 2024, private sale | [3] |
| 4 (NSW) | $2.45m | Shannons, August 2017 | [4] |
| 14 (Victorian heritage) | $2,270,500 plus premium | Shannons, May 2022 | [5][6] |
| 29 (NSW) | $745,000 | Shannons | [7] |
| 2 (NSW) | $689,000 | 2003 | [7] |
| FERRARI (Victoria, 7 characters) | $328,000 | VicRoads auction, May 2026 | [8] |
| 8888888 (Victoria) | $270,000 | VicRoads auction, May 2026 | [8] |
| Q (single letter) | $181,000 | Shannons, October 2019 | [9] |
Why tiny numbers sell for millions
The record-breakers share three traits. They are among the first plates ever issued in their state. There can only ever be one of each. And their supply is fixed, so the "joining fee" for a low-number plate, as Shannons puts it, "has risen steadily" [7]. NSW "2" sold for $689,000 in 2003. Fourteen years later, NSW "4" made $2.45 million [7][4].
Word plates are a newer market. Victoria's first seven-character plates went to auction in May 2026, and FERRARI's $328,000 shows that a famous word can fetch serious money too [8].
New Zealand
New Zealand has no official record of the highest price paid for a personalised plate, and no auction market like Australia's heritage sales. The best-documented sale is BUGGER, which sold for $34,100 on Trade Me in May 2015, in an NZTA charity auction for Surf Life Saving New Zealand [10]. NZ prices you see reported are often asking prices, not sales. A plate once owned by Kim Dotcom, MAORI, was listed with a $99,000 reserve in 2011, then relisted in 2018 with no reserve and a $49,000 starting bid, and had drawn no bids when that was reported [11].
If you've sold a plate, tell us the price (we'll only publish it with your permission), so buyers and sellers have real numbers to work from.
Quick answers
What is the most expensive number plate sold in Australia?
NSW 1 sold at a Lloyds auction in January 2024 for a hammer price of $11.505 million, about $12.4 million including buyer's premium.
What is the most expensive personalised plate sold in New Zealand?
There's no official public record. The best-documented high price is BUGGER, which sold for $34,100 on Trade Me in 2015 in an NZTA charity auction for Surf Life Saving New Zealand.
Sources
- Driven: Historic NSW 1 number plate sold for record millions
- Regtransfers: Australian number plate NSW 1 sale, 2024
- Vplates: Fascination with custom plates
- WhichCar: NSW number plate 4 sells for $2.45 million
- 3AW: Victorian heritage number plate sells for record sum
- VicRoads: Lunar New Year heritage plates auction 2025
- Shannons: Record $745,000 paid for NSW number plate 29
- VicRoads: Victoria's first 7-character licence plates
- Shannons: Motorclassica plate auction delivers $2.4m result
- Driven: BUGGER number plate sells for $34,100 on Trade Me
- Driven: MAORI personalised plate for sale
Fees and rules were checked against these sources in October 2026. Spotted something out of date? Tell us and we'll fix it.