Vehicle registration plates of Nova Scotia
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 currently issued by the Nova Scotia Registry of Motor Vehicles.
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 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.
| Image | Dates issued | Description | Serial format | Serials issued | Notes |
| 1918 | White serial on green flat metal plate; "NOVA SCOTIA", provincial shield and "1918" at left | 1234 | 1 to approximately 9000 | ||
| 1919 | Black serial on yellow flat metal plate; "NOVA SCOTIA", provincial shield and "1919" at left | 12345 | 1001 to approximately 12000 | ||
| 1920 | Embossed white serial on dark blue plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA", provincial shield and "1920" at left | 12345 | 1001 to approximately 12500 | First embossed plate. | |
| 1921 | Black serial on light green flat metal plate; "NOVA SCOTIA", provincial shield and "1921" at left | 12345 | 1001 to approximately 13500 | ||
| 1922 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "NS 22" at left | 12-345 | 1-001 to approximately 15-500 | ||
| 1923 | Embossed red serial on gray plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA 1923" at right | 12-345 | 1-001 to approximately 17-000 | ||
| 1924 | Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "NS 24" at right | 12-345 | 1-001 to approximately 19-000 | ||
| 1925 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA–25" at bottom | 12-345 | 1-001 to approximately 21-000 | ||
| 1926 | Embossed white serial on dark green plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA 1926" at bottom | L12-345 | L1-001 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. | |
| 1926 | Embossed white serial on dark green plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA 1926" at bottom | H12-345 | H15-001 to approximately H24-500 | '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. | |
| 1927 | Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA 1927" at bottom | L12-345 | L1-001 to approximately L19-000 | ||
| 1927 | Embossed yellow serial on black plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA 1927" at bottom | H12-345 | H19-001 to approximately H29-500 | ||
| 1928 | Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; "1928" and "NOVA SCOTIA" centred at top and bottom respectively | 12-345 | 10-001 to approximately 27-500 | No letter prefix used for vehicles weighing 3,000 lb or less. | |
| 1928 | Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; "1928" and "NOVA SCOTIA" centred at top and bottom respectively | H12-345 | H40-001 to approximately H52-500 | No letter prefix used for vehicles weighing 3,000 lb or less. | |
| 1929 | Embossed white serial on red plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA 29" at bottom | 12-345 | 10-001 to approximately 41-500 | ||
| 1930 | Embossed red serial on white plate with border line; "30 NOVA SCOTIA" at bottom | 12-345 | 40-001 to approximately 85-000 | ||
| 1931 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA 31" at top | 12-345 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1932 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "NOVA SCOTIA 32" at bottom | 12-345 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1933 | Embossed orange serial on black plate; "33 NOVA SCOTIA" at bottom | 12-345 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1934 | Embossed white serial on dark blue plate; "NOVA SCOTIA 34" at bottom | 12-345 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1935 | Embossed dark blue serial on white plate; "35-NOVA SCOTIA" at bottom | 12-345 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1936 | Embossed white serial on red plate; "NOVA SCOTIA 36" at top | 12-345 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1937 | Embossed yellow serial on black plate; "37-NOVA SCOTIA" at bottom | 12-345 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1938 | Embossed black serial on yellow plate; "NOVA SCOTIA" and "1938" centred at top and bottom respectively | 12-345 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1939 | Embossed white serial on green plate; "NOVA" and "SCOTIA" centred at top and bottom respectively; vertical "1939" at right | 12-345 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1940 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "NOVA" and "SCOTIA" centred at top and bottom respectively; vertical "1940" at right | 12-345 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1941 | Embossed black serial on cream plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '41" at bottom | 1-23-45 | Coded by county group | First 6" x 12" plate. | |
| 1942 | Embossed black serial on pale green plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA" and "1942" centred at top and bottom respectively | 1-23-45 | Coded by county group | 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 respectively | 1-23-45 | Coded by county group | Restamped and repainted 1942 plates. Revalidated for 1944 with windshield stickers. | ||
| 1945 | Embossed black serial on cream plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '45" at bottom | 1-23-45 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1946 | Embossed black serial on gray plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '46" at top | 1-23-45 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1947 | Embossed white serial on black plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '47" at bottom | 1-23-45 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1948 | Embossed black serial on pale green plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '48" at bottom | 1-23-45 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1949 | Embossed black serial on cream plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '49" at top | 1-23-45 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1950 | Embossed black serial on gray plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA - 50" at bottom | 1-23-45 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1951 | Embossed black serial on orange plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA - 51" at top | 1-23-45 | Coded by county group | ||
| 1952 | Embossed black serial on unpainted aluminum plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA - 52" at bottom | 1-23-45 | Coded by county group | Revalidated for 1953 with light blue tabs, for 1954 with black tabs, for 1955 with white tabs, and for 1956 with dark green tabs. | |
| 1953 | As above, but with "NOVA SCOTIA - 53" at bottom | 10-00-00 to | Issued only to new registrants. Validated for 1954, 1955 and 1956 in the same manner as for 1952 plates. | ||
| 1953–56 | As above, with "NOVA SCOTIA - 52" at bottom | 11-00-00 to approximately 16-49-00 | Issued only to new registrants. Validated for 1954, 1955 and 1956 in the same manner as for 1952 plates. | ||
| 1957 | Embossed black serial on white plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '57" at top | 1-23-45 12-34-56 | 2-00-00 to approximately 13-34-00 | ||
| 1958 | Embossed light yellow serial on black plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '58" at bottom | 1-23-45 12-34-56 | 2-00-00 to approximately 13-83-00 | ||
| 1959 | Embossed black serial on light yellow plate with border line; "NOVA SCOTIA '59" at top | 1-23-45 12-34-56 | 2-00-00 to approximately 14-70-00 |