PlateAPI

About PlateAPI

PlateAPI is a REST API that returns vehicle information for Australian registration plates. A single GET request with a plate number and state returns the vehicle's model year range, make, model, body type, and engine displacement as JSON, with an optional detailed mode that adds chassis codes, drivetrain, fuel type, engine code, and power output. Lookups run live against upstream data sources rather than a cache and typically respond in under 3 seconds. The API covers all eight Australian states and territories and includes a vehicle database of over 32,000 vehicles across 213 makes for cascading make/model/year queries, available on paid plans. It requires no SDK and works with any HTTP client.

The service is built for auto parts stores building plate-based part-compatibility search, vehicle service centres identifying vehicles at intake, dealerships and finance providers verifying vehicle details for quotes and valuations, and fleet operators tracking vehicles in a management system.

Plans start at $0 with 20 free lookups per month and no credit card required, with paid plans from $29/month. Free tier requests are rate-limited to 1 per minute, and all plans below Enterprise have a hard monthly cap after which requests are rejected until the next billing cycle. PlateAPI is operated by WolfStack Solutions, based in Sydney, Australia.

Key features

• Live rego plate lookup across all 8 Australian states and territories
• Returns structured JSON: year range, make, model, body type, engine displacement
• Detailed mode adds chassis codes, drivetrain, fuel type, engine code, and power output
• Returns alternative vehicle matches when a plate maps to multiple variants
• Vehicle database endpoint with cascading make/model/year queries for dropdowns
• Simple single-endpoint REST API, no SDK required

Frequently asked questions