Feature article

Cracking the Code: What Do WOF, REGO, RUC and Other Car Abbreviations Mean?

Your guide to Kiwi car jargon. Learn what WOF, REGO, RUC and more mean so you can trade your next car with confidence.

10 September 2025

By Jess Hickman (Motors Content Creator and Senior Designer)

1.Expiry date 2.Vehicle year and make 3.Registration Number  (Number Plate) 4.Label type 5.Date of first registration in NZ 6.Security bar code 7.Label number

If you've ever felt like you need a translator to help understand all the weird jargon that comes with owning a vehicle in Aotearoa, you have come to the right place.

From WOF and REGO to RUC and beyond, the automotive world is full of abbreviations. It's helpful to understand what these key terms mean, especially when you are thinking of buying or selling a car!

The Big Three: WOF, REGO, and RUC These are the terms every Kiwi driver needs to know.

WOF (Warrant of Fitness)
REGO (Vehicle Licence)
RUC (Road User Charges)

Why This Matters When Selling On Trade Me, we see that listings with a current WOF and rego get more views. Buyers often filter their searches for road-ready cars, as it gives them peace of mind that the vehicle is safe and legal to drive right away. Having everything in order builds trust and makes your vehicle much more attractive to potential buyers.

More Automotive Jargon to Know Here are a few more common abbreviations you might come across:

ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System):
EV (Electric Vehicle):
PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle):
VIN (Vehicle Identification Number):
BDC (Business Development Center):
GVM (Gross Vehicle Mass):

Initialism vs. Acronym

Ever wondered about the labels for these shortened terms? The difference comes down to how you say them.

An abbreviation is any shortened form of a word
An initialism is when you say the individual letters, like R-U-C
An acronym us when the letters form a new, pronounceable word, like NAS

A great example of the grey area is WOF. Some people say the letters 'W-O-F' (making it an initialism), while many others pronounce it as a single word, 'woff' (making it an acronym). So, you're not wrong either way.

Author

Jess Hickman

By day, Jess is a Senior Designer and Content Creator at Trade Me, turning car-selling into plain English and good design. By night, she’s usually wrangling fonts, children, or both. She loves helping Kiwi navigate the vehicle market with guides that are clear, useful, and occasionally even fun (yes, fun and cars can go together).