Does New Jersey require a front license plate?

Yes. Most vehicles registered in New Jersey must display plates on the front and the rear.

What does a New Jersey plate number look like?

Current standard plates are a letter, two numbers and three letters, like A12-BCD. Older plates like ABC-12D are still common.

How long is a New Jersey temporary tag good for?

Thirty days. Current temporary tags are printed on grey security paper with a holographic MVC logo.

What do I do with my New Jersey plates when I sell my car?

Transfer them to another vehicle in your name, or surrender them at a motor vehicle agency or by mail.

Can I get a VIN from a New Jersey license plate?

Yes. Enter the license plate number with New Jersey selected and the lookup returns the VIN of the vehicle it is registered to, with the year, make, model and trim.

Can I find the owner of a New Jersey license plate?

Not through a public lookup. Owner details in New Jersey vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and released only for purposes the law allows, such as by court order or to an insurer handling a claim.

New Jersey License Plate Lookup

Enter a New Jersey plate number to get the vehicle’s VIN, year, make, model and trim.

New Jersey has the MVC, not a DMV, and its offices are called motor vehicle agencies. The current standard serial is a letter, two numbers and three letters, and older plates going back decades stay valid as long as the car stays registered.

New Jersey plate to VIN

A New Jersey platenumber points to one current registration, and the registration records the vehicle’s 17-character VIN. Enter the plate above to get the VIN with the year, make, model, trim, body and engine. It is the quickest way to get the VIN of a car you are not standing next to: one in a listing, one you are quoting a repair for, or your own when the title is in a drawer somewhere.

New Jersey license plate formats

Standard passenger plates use these formats. Personalized, specialty, commercial and motorcycle plates follow their own rules, and every format works in the lookup.

Format	What it is
A12-BCD	A letter, two numbers and three letters. Issued since 2010.
ABC-12D	The format before it, issued from 1999 to 2010 and still common.

New Jersey requires plates on the front and the rear.

Who issues plates in New Jersey

Plates and registrations in New Jersey come from the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, and people go in person to motor vehicle agencies run by the MVC, where titling and registration need an appointment. Plate Decoder is an independent service and is not affiliated with the MVC or any other government agency.

Temporary tags in New Jersey

New Jersey dealers issue paper 30-day temporary tags. Since August 2024 they are printed on grey security paper with a reflective holographic MVC logo, which makes fakes easier to spot.

Personalized and specialty plates

Personalized plates need at least three letters and can have up to seven characters. They are ordered online through MyMVC.

Surrender the plates if you are not reusing them

Plates stay with the owner. If you are not moving them to another car in your name, you must surrender them at an MVC agency or by mail. Inspection stations will not take them.

What a New Jersey plate lookup can and can’t show

You get the vehicle: VIN, year, make, model, trim, body and engine. You do not get the person. See what a plate lookup shows for the full list.

What we don’t show, and why

No owner names, addresses, phone numbers or photos. Owner details in DMV records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, and looking someone up out of curiosity is not a purpose it allows. Any site that promises the owner of a plate for a few dollars is either breaking that law or not going to deliver.

Who can get owner records, and what to do instead

FAQ

New Jersey plate lookup questions

Does New Jersey require a front license plate?: Yes. Most vehicles registered in New Jersey must display plates on the front and the rear.
What does a New Jersey plate number look like?: Current standard plates are a letter, two numbers and three letters, like A12-BCD. Older plates like ABC-12D are still common.
How long is a New Jersey temporary tag good for?: Thirty days. Current temporary tags are printed on grey security paper with a holographic MVC logo.
What do I do with my New Jersey plates when I sell my car?: Transfer them to another vehicle in your name, or surrender them at a motor vehicle agency or by mail.
Can I get a VIN from a New Jersey license plate?: Yes. Enter the license plate number with New Jersey selected and the lookup returns the VIN of the vehicle it is registered to, with the year, make, model and trim.
Can I find the owner of a New Jersey license plate?: Not through a public lookup. Owner details in New Jersey vehicle records are protected by the federal Driver’s Privacy Protection Act and released only for purposes the law allows, such as by court order or to an insurer handling a claim.