AbstractA new present‐day plate motion model international terrestrial reference frame (ITRF)96VEL is determined on the basis of space geodetic data, incorporating the velocity field of the ITRF96 published in 1997 by IERS. The comparison with the plate motion model NNR‐NUVEL1A determined by geologic data shows that the ITRF96VEL is consistent with it. The total angular momentum of all tectonic plates with regards to the ITRF96VEL shows that the ITRF96 rotates in right‐handed sense relative to the no net rotation reference frame at 0.161°/Ma about 50.5° S, 65.5° E. This means that ITRF96 is not sufficiently concordant with the definition of the conventional terrestrial reference frame. This net rotation will influence the highly precise application and the long‐term maintenance of the ITRF96 and the study on long‐term variations of the Earth's rotation parameters.