Trinidad and Tobago extends use of former Coat of Arms until 2031

The Trinidad and Tobago government has extended the period during which the former national Coat of Arms may continue to be used, pushing the deadline to January 2, 2031.

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The extension was formalized through an order dated December 18, 2025, and signed by Roger Alexander, Minister of Homeland Security. The order is contained in Legal Notice No. 468, which was published on December 22, 2025.

The legal notice was made under section 5(2) of the National Emblems of Trinidad and Tobago (Regulation) (Amendment) Act, 2025, which allows the minister to prescribe a later date for the continued use of the former emblem.

When the amendment was proclaimed in January 2025, it stipulated that the former Coat of Arms could only be used until January 1, 2026, after which the redesigned national emblem was intended to take full effect.

The decision to change the country’s Coat of Arms was first announced on August 18, 2024, by former prime minister Keith Rowley during a special People’s National Movement convention at the National Academy of the Performing Arts.

The redesign replaced the three ships associated with Christopher Columbus with a gold steelpan and pan sticks, symbolizing Trinidad and Tobago’s national instrument and reflecting a shift toward a more culturally representative national symbol.

The National Emblems of Trinidad and Tobago (Regulation) (Amendment) Bill, 2025 was unanimously passed in the House of Representatives on January 13, 2025, clearing the way for the official introduction of the new Coat of Arms.

Implementation, however, has been uneven. In June 2025, the Central Bank of Trinidad and Tobago suspended the rollout of its 2025 series $100 polymer banknote after the Minister of Finance directed that production of notes bearing the revised Coat of Arms be halted. The Bank said it instructed its contracted printer to stop all work related to the printing, design and preparation of the new notes “until further notice.”

The Central Bank had previously announced that the updated $100 note would enter circulation by September 2025 and would feature enhanced security elements along with the revised Coat of Arms, at no additional cost. It has since said only that the public would be kept informed, without indicating whether a new rollout timeline would be set or whether the design would be altered again.

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While some government materials, including stationery, have already adopted the revised emblem, the former Coat of Arms continues to appear in several official settings, including at the Office of the Prime Minister, underscoring the need for the extended transition period.