--- title: "Licence plate sticker and registration in Nova Scotia" url: "https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/nova-scotia" description: "Register a vehicle and renew licence plates in Nova Scotia: handled by Registry of Motor Vehicles. Compare all 13 provinces and territories." site: "Canada Service Map" author: "Mahmoud Halat" publisher: "Space & Story" lastReviewed: "2026-10-13" licence: "Built entirely from public data: open data and official government pages. Each record keeps the licence of its source, listed at https://canadaservicemap.ca/data." --- # Licence plate sticker and registration in Nova Scotia Nova Scotia · Driving and vehicles Compiled by Mahmoud Halat, checked 13 October 2026. Not a government website. The official page always has the final word. ## Short answer In Nova Scotia, Registry of Motor Vehicles (Service Nova Scotia) handles it. Renewals can be done online; first registration and plates are done at an Access Nova Scotia or RMV office. Who handles it: [Registry of Motor Vehicles (Service Nova Scotia)](https://canadaservicemap.ca/bodies/the-government-of-nova-scotia). Handles it in Nova Scotia. ## Official links - [Renew your vehicle permit](https://www.novascotia.ca/renew-your-vehicle-permit), checked 12 October 2026 - [Get a vehicle permit](https://novascotia.ca/sns/paal/rmv/paal272.asp), checked 12 October 2026 ## Who can apply - Anyone who owns a motor vehicle and wants to drive it on public roads in Nova Scotia needs a vehicle permit, including cars, vans, SUVs, trucks, trailers and motorhomes. Source: [novascotia.ca](https://novascotia.ca/sns/paal/rmv/paal272.asp), checked 13 October 2026. - When you move to Nova Scotia, you have 90 days to get a vehicle permit and Nova Scotia plates. Source: [novascotia.ca](https://novascotia.ca/sns/paal/rmv/paal272.asp), checked 13 October 2026. ## Steps 1. You become the owner when the previous owner signs over the registration certificate to you. Take it to a Registry of Motor Vehicles counter to get a new certificate, a vehicle permit and plates if needed. Source: [novascotia.ca](https://novascotia.ca/sns/paal/rmv/paal272.asp), checked 13 October 2026. ## What you need - Insurance information is required whenever a plate is issued or renewed for a motorized vehicle. In person or by mail, you fill in a Statement of Insurance form. Source: [novascotia.ca](https://novascotia.ca/sns/paal/rmv/paal272.asp), checked 13 October 2026. - To renew, have your permit or renewal notice, your master number or driver's licence number, and your insurance company, policy number and dates. Pay any outstanding fines first. Source: [novascotia.ca](https://www.novascotia.ca/renew-your-vehicle-permit), checked 13 October 2026. ## Where to go - Renew online, by mail, or in person at a Registry of Motor Vehicles or Access Nova Scotia office. Some special plates, like firefighter and prorate plates, cannot be renewed online. Source: [novascotia.ca](https://www.novascotia.ca/renew-your-vehicle-permit), checked 13 October 2026. ## In every province and territory The same service across Canada: who handles it and the official link. Nova Scotia is marked. | Province or territory | Who handles it | Official link | Good to know | |---|---|---|---| | [British Columbia](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/british-columbia) | ICBC (through Autoplan brokers) | [Register a vehicle](https://icbc.com/vehicle-registration/buy-vehicle/registering-a-vehicle-in-B-C), checked 12 October 2026 | Register and get plates at any Autoplan broker; B.C. plates no longer need a renewal decal, you renew the insurance. | | [Alberta](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/alberta) | Alberta registry agents (Government of Alberta) | [Register a vehicle](https://www.alberta.ca/register-vehicle), checked 12 October 2026 | New registrations and plates are done at a registry agent; renewals can also be done online or by mail. | | [Saskatchewan](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/saskatchewan) | SGI (Saskatchewan Government Insurance) | [Renew your registration](https://sgi.sk.ca/renew-registration), checked 12 October 2026 | Register or renew at a motor licence issuer, or renew online in MySGI. | | [Manitoba](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/manitoba) | Manitoba Public Insurance (MPI) | [Register a vehicle](https://www.mpi.mb.ca/registering-your-vehicle/), checked 12 October 2026 | Register, get plates and renew at any Autopac agent or MPI Service Centre. | | [Ontario](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/ontario) | ServiceOntario (Ministry of Transportation) | [Register a vehicle](https://www.ontario.ca/page/register-vehicle-permit-and-licence-plate), checked 12 October 2026 | Most passenger vehicle, motorcycle and moped plates now renew automatically at no cost; commercial and some other vehicles still renew each year. | | [Quebec](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/quebec) | Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec (SAAQ) | [Register a vehicle](https://saaq.gouv.qc.ca/en/vehicle-registration/registering-vehicle), checked 12 October 2026 | | | [New Brunswick](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/new-brunswick) | Service New Brunswick | [Renew registration online](https://www.pxw1.snb.ca/snb9000/product.aspx?ProductID=A001P780000&l=e), checked 12 October 2026 | Plate stickers stopped on April 1, 2026, but registration must still be renewed every year. | | Nova Scotia (this page) | Registry of Motor Vehicles (Service Nova Scotia) | [Renew your vehicle permit](https://www.novascotia.ca/renew-your-vehicle-permit), checked 12 October 2026 | Renewals can be done online; first registration and plates are done at an Access Nova Scotia or RMV office. | | [Prince Edward Island](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/prince-edward-island) | Access PEI (Highway Safety Division, Government of PEI) | None on record | | | [Newfoundland and Labrador](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/newfoundland-and-labrador) | Motor Registration Division (Government Services, Government of Newfoundland and Labrador) | [How to register a vehicle](https://www.gov.nl.ca/motorregistration/vehicle-ownership/registration-of-a-new-vehicle/), checked 12 October 2026 | | | [Yukon](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/yukon) | Motor Vehicles (Government of Yukon) | None on record | New registrations are done at a Motor Vehicles office; renewals can be done online. Yukon no longer issues plate stickers. | | [Northwest Territories](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/northwest-territories) | Driver and Vehicle Services (Department of Infrastructure, Government of the Northwest Territories) | [Renew a vehicle registration](https://www.idmv.inf.gov.nt.ca/Vehicles/Registration/Renew-or-cancel-a-vehicle-registration), checked 12 October 2026 | | | [Nunavut](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/nunavut) | Motor Vehicles Division (Government of Nunavut) | [Register a private vehicle](https://www.gov.nu.ca/en/service-nunavut/private-vehicle-registration-nunavut), checked 12 October 2026 | | ## Questions people ask ### How much does it cost to renew a vehicle permit in Nova Scotia? The fee depends on your vehicle's weight, and it is printed on your renewal notice. Online, you pay by credit card, Visa Debit or Debit Mastercard. Source: [novascotia.ca](https://www.novascotia.ca/renew-your-vehicle-permit), checked 13 October 2026. ### Can I renew my Nova Scotia vehicle permit online? Yes, if the permit expires within 2 months or has already expired and you have no unpaid fines. You need an email address, and the form only works from inside Canada. Source: [novascotia.ca](https://www.novascotia.ca/renew-your-vehicle-permit), checked 13 October 2026. ### Can I drive while waiting for my new Nova Scotia permit and sticker? Yes. Keep your renewal confirmation and old permit in the vehicle. The confirmation lets you drive for up to 30 days, and you should leave the plate on even if the old sticker has expired. Source: [novascotia.ca](https://www.novascotia.ca/renew-your-vehicle-permit), checked 13 October 2026. ### I moved to Nova Scotia. When do I need to register my car? You have 90 days after moving to get a Nova Scotia vehicle permit and licence plates. The plate is assigned when the permit is issued. Source: [novascotia.ca](https://novascotia.ca/sns/paal/rmv/paal272.asp), checked 13 October 2026. ## More - [Register a vehicle and renew licence plates in every province and territory](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration) - [Public services in Nova Scotia](https://canadaservicemap.ca/provinces/nova-scotia) - [Pay or dispute a parking ticket](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/parking-ticket) - [Public transit: routes, schedules and passes](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/transit) - [Get, renew or replace a driver's licence](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/drivers-licence) - [Book a road test or knowledge test](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/driving-test) - [Get an accessible parking permit](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/accessible-parking) - [Check road conditions and closures (511)](https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/road-conditions) ## Cite this page Canada Service Map, "Licence plate sticker and registration in Nova Scotia", checked 13 October 2026, https://canadaservicemap.ca/services/vehicle-registration/nova-scotia