A vehicle owner with the registration plate GUN has asked for a replacement plate in the wake of the Christchurch terrorist attacks.
The owner contacted the New Zealand Transport Agency (NZTA) after feeling "uncomfortable" about the letter combination, an NZTA spokesperson told 1 NEWS.
"I can confirm that the reason for the exchange was that the vehicle owner was not comfortable with the plate following the mosque shootings," they said.
Wellington man Thomas Morgan also contacted the Transport Agency after seeing the letter combination on a number plate in the city.
Mr Morgan told 1 NEWS he hoped to see the series recalled, despite how "trivial" some may view it, saying he thought it might affect the people of Christchurch who see it around.
However, the NZTA spokesperson says there are no plans to recall the plates.
"The Transport Agency does not plan to withdraw these plates from circulation, but we do understand that, given recent events, some vehicle owners may no longer wish to have these plates affixed to their vehicles," he said.
"If owners contact us, we can exchange plates with this number series for a different, standard issue plate at no charge."
There are a variety of reasons as to why a letter combination may not be included in production, including if it is deemed to be promoting violence, offensive or derogatory.
The GUN plate series was issued in 2013, with 999 plates in every standard three-letter series.
By Emily Heyward
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