Question 1

What data does the API return?

Accepted Answer

Each lookup returns the vehicle year, make, model, body type (sedan, hatchback, ute, etc.), engine displacement, a full description string, and alternative vehicle matches when the plate maps to multiple variants.

Question 2

Which Australian states and territories are supported?

Accepted Answer

All eight: ACT, NSW, NT, QLD, SA, TAS, VIC, and WA. Every plan covers every state at no extra cost.

Question 3

How fast are lookup responses?

Accepted Answer

Typical response time is under 3 seconds. Every response includes a duration_ms field so you can monitor performance in your application.

Question 4

Is there a free plan?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The free tier includes 20 lookups per month with a rate limit of 1 request per minute. No credit card required.

Question 5

What happens when I hit my monthly lookup limit?

Accepted Answer

All plans below Enterprise have a hard cap. Once you reach your monthly limit, further requests will be rejected until the next billing cycle. Upgrade your plan at any time to increase your allowance.

Question 6

Does PlateAPI integrate with Shopify?

Accepted Answer

Yes. PlateAPI offers a drop-in Shopify widget that lets your customers look up their vehicle directly on your store. All paid plans include full Shopify integration; the free tier includes the widget only.

Question 7

What format are API responses in?

Accepted Answer

All responses are JSON. The API uses standard HTTP status codes -- 200 for successful lookups, 404 when no vehicle is found, and appropriate error codes for invalid requests.

Question 8

Do I need an SDK to use PlateAPI?

Accepted Answer

No. PlateAPI is a simple REST API with a single GET endpoint. Any HTTP client in any language works -- curl, fetch, requests, or whatever your stack uses.

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