Vehicle registration plates of North Carolina

The U.S. state of North Carolina first required its residents to register their motor vehicles and display license plates in 1913.

Passenger baseplates 1913 to present

In 1956, the U.S. states and Canadian provinces came to an agreement with the Automobile Manufacturers Association that fixed the size for license plates for vehicles, except those for motorcycles, at six inches in height by twelve inches in width, with standardized mounting holes. The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the first North Carolina license plate that complied with these standards.

Dates issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
1913	Black base with white letters	none	1234	unknown	Validation date 6/30/13. "N. C." on right side of plate
1914	White base with red letters	none	1234	unknown	Validation date 6/30/14.
1915	Green base with white letters	none	1234	unknown	Validation date 6/30/15.
1916	White base with black letters	none	1234	unknown	Validation date 6/30/16.
1917	Dark blue base with white letters	none	1234	unknown	First year of stamped metal. From the collection of Richard Watson. Validation date 6/30/17.
1918	White base with dark blue letters	none	12-345	unknown	Validation date 6/30/18.
1919	Dark blue base with white letters	none	12-345	unknown	Validation date 6/30/19.
1920	Yellow base with black letters	none	12-345	unknown	Validation date 6/30/20.
1921	Brown base with white letters	none	12-345	unknown	Validation date 6/30/21.
1922	White base with dark blue lettering	none	123-456	unknown	Validation date 6/30/22.
1923	Green base with white lettering	none	12345	unknown	Validation date 6/30/23.
1924	White base with red lettering	none	123-456	unknown	Validation date 6/30/24.
1925	Blue base with white lettering	none	123-456	unknown	Validation date 6/30/25.
1926	Yellow base with black lettering	none	123-456	unknown	Validation date 6/30/26.
1927	White base with red lettering	none	123-456	unknown	Some reason that "E" replaced the expiration date.
1928	Green base with white lettering	none	123-456	unknown	Last use of abbreviation "N.C."
1929	Blue base with white lettering	none	123-456	unknown	First use of full state name "NORTH CAROLINA"
1930	Brown base with white lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1931	Blue base with yellow lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1932	Yellow base with black lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1933	Blue base with white lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1934	Black base with yellow lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1935	Black base with silver lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1936	Black base with green lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1937	Black base with yellow lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1938	Yellow base with black lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1939	Red base with white lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1940	White base with red lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1941	Black base with yellow lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1942	Yellow base with black lettering	none	123-456	unknown	Revalidated for 1943 with black tabs, due to metal conservation for World War II.
1944	Black base with yellow lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1945	Yellow base with black lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1946	Black base with yellow lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1947	Yellow base with black lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1948	Black base with Yellow lettering	none	123-456	unknown
1949	Yellow base with black lettering	none	123-456	unknown	From the personal collection of Richard Watson.
1950	Black base with embossed yellow lettering	none	123-456	100-001 to 760-000	Serials 760-001 through 999-999 reserved for trucks and farm vehicles; this practice continued until 1956.^[1] Letters W and R used on the A-12345 format.
1950	Black base with embossed yellow lettering	none	A-12345
1951	White base with embossed red lettering	none	123-456	100-001 to 760-000	Letters W, R and N used on the A-12345 serial format.
1951	White base with embossed red lettering	none	A-12345		Letters W, R and N used on the A-12345 serial format.
1952	Red base with embossed white lettering	none	123-456	100-001 to 760-000	Letters W, R and N used on the A-12345 serial format.
1952	Red base with embossed white lettering	none	A-12345		Letters W, R and N used on the A-12345 serial format.
1953	Black base with embossed yellow lettering	none, or "DRIVE SAFELY" embossed at bottom	123-456	100-001 to 760-000	Letters W, R, N and X used on the A-12345 serial format.
1953	Black base with embossed yellow lettering	none, or "DRIVE SAFELY" embossed at bottom	A-12345		Letters W, R, N and X used on the A-12345 serial format.
1954	Yellow base with embossed black lettering	none, or "DRIVE SAFELY" embossed at bottom	123-456	100-001 to 760-000	Letters W, R, N and X used on the A-12345 serial format.
1954	Yellow base with embossed black lettering	none, or "DRIVE SAFELY" embossed at bottom	A-12345		Letters W, R, N and X used on the A-12345 serial format.
1955	Black base with embossed yellow lettering	none	123-456	100-001 to 760-000	Letters W, R, N, X, A and V used on the A-12345 serial format.
1955	Black base with embossed yellow lettering	none	A-12345
1956	Yellow base with embossed black lettering and rims	"DRIVE SAFELY" embossed at top	A-1234 AB-1234		Serials progressed as follows: A-1 through A-9999, AA-1 through AZ-9999, B-1 through B-9999, BA-1 through BZ-9999, etc. This continued until 1973. Letters G, I, O and Q not used; this practice continued until 1969.^[1]
1957	Black base with embossed yellow lettering and rims	"DRIVE SAFELY" embossed at top	A-1234 AB-1234
1958	Yellow base with embossed black lettering and rims	"DRIVE SAFELY" embossed at top	A-1234 AB-1234
1959	Black base with embossed yellow lettering and rims	none	A-1234 AB-1234
1960	Yellow base with embossed black lettering and rims	"DRIVE SAFELY" embossed at top	A-1234 AB-1234
1961	Black base with embossed yellow lettering and rims	"DRIVE SAFELY" embossed at top	A-1234 AB-1234
1962	Yellow base with embossed black lettering and rims	"DRIVE SAFELY" embossed at top	A-1234 AB-1234
1963	Black base with embossed yellow lettering and rims	"DRIVE SAFELY" embossed at bottom	A-1234 AB-1234
1964	Yellow base with black lettering	none	A-1234 AB-1234
1965	Black base with yellow lettering	none	A-1234 AB-1234
1966	Yellow base with black lettering	none	A-1234 AB-1234
1967	Green on reflective white	none	A-1234 AB-1234
1968	Red on reflective white	none	A-1234 AB-1234
1969	Green on reflective white	none	A-1234 AB-1234		Letters G, I, O, Q and U not used; this practice continues today.^[1]
1970	Red on reflective white	none	A-1234 AB-1234
1971	Green on reflective white	none	A-1234 AB-1234
1972	Blue on reflective white	none	A-1234 AB-1234
1973	Red on reflective white	none	ABC-123	AAA-101 to approximately HVA-999
1974	Green on reflective white	none	ABC-123	AAA-101 to approximately JBA-999
1975	Red on reflective white	"FIRST IN FREEDOM" embossed at top	ABC-123	AAA-101 to approximately PMZ-999	First base to be revalidated with stickers. Plates from AAA-101 through JAY-999 replaced 1982; all other plates replaced by 1992.
1978	Red on reflective white	none	ABC-123	PNA-101 to approximately ZRZ-999
1982	Blue on reflective white with light blue Wright Flyer graphic	"First in Flight" screened at top	ABC-123	ZSA-101 to ZZZ-999	Awarded "Plate of the Year" for best new license plate of 1982 by the Automobile License Plate Collectors Association, the first and, to date, only time North Carolina has been so honored.
			ABC-12 ABC-100	AAA-11 to ZZZ-100
			ABC-123	AAA-101 to JAY-999
1985			ABC-1234	ANA-1001 to approximately WTF-1973	A through M not used as second letters in serials (so AZZ was followed by BNA, BZZ was followed by CNA and so on); this practice continued until ZZZ-9999 was issued in 2010. OBX started to be issued in 1999 as a special series for Dare County, and continues to be issued as such today.
April 2007	Red on reflective white with light blue Wright Flyer graphic	"First in Flight" as above	ABC-1234	WTF-1995 to approximately ZND-9999	Mainly issued as replacements for earlier "First in Flight" plates with the ABC-123 and ABC-12 serial formats, plus the ABC-1234 format up to JZZ-9999.^[2]
October 2009	Blue on reflective white with light blue Wright Flyer graphic	"First in Flight" as above	ABC-1234	ZNE-1001 to ZZZ-9999	Blue serials reintroduced following complaints that the red serials were too hard to read from a distance.
December 2010		"First in Flight" as above	ABC-1234	AAA-1001 to EFS-9999 (as of September 30, 2016)	A through M used as second letters in serials (so AMZ was followed by BAA, BMZ was followed by CAA and so on); this practice should continue until at least NMZ-9999 is issued.
July 1, 2015	Blue on reflective white with quill pen graphic	"FIRST IN FREEDOM" screened at top	ABC-1234	PAA-1001 to PCV-9999 (as of January 1, 2016)	Alternative issue. Includes dates of May 20, 1775 and April 12, 1776 commemorating the adoption of the Mecklenburg Declaration and Halifax Resolves, respectively.^[3] A through M used as second letters in serials (so PMZ will be followed by RAA, RMZ will be followed by SAA and so on).

Non-passenger types

Type	Dates issued	Design	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
Apportioned Truck	2006–present	Embossed blue on white with border line; "N.C. PERMANENT" at top; "APPORTIONED" at bottom	LA-1234 MA-1234	LA-1001 to MC-9999; MH-1001 to present
For Hire	2006–present	Embossed blue on white with border line; "NORTH CAROLINA" at bottom; "FOR HIRE" at top	ZA-1234	ZB-1001 to present
Manufacturer		Embossed blue on white with border line; "NORTH CAROLINA" at bottom; "MANUFACTURER" at top	MF-1234	MF-1001 to present
Motorcycle	1999–present	Embossed blue on white with border line; "N.C." at top	1A2345	1A0001 to present	Letter advances before leftmost number (so the progression is 1A-1Z, 2A-2Z, etc.). G, I, O, Q and U not used.
Multi-Year Trailer	1993–present	Embossed black on white with border line; "NORTH CAROLINA" at top; "MULTI YEAR" at bottom	AA-12345	AY-10000 to AZ-99999; AA-10000 to present	Permanent trailer plate obtained for a one-time fee.
Taxi	2006–present	Embossed blue on white with border line; "NORTH CAROLINA" at bottom; "TAXI" at top	TA-1234	TA-1001 to present
Trailer	1995–present	Embossed red on white with border line; "NORTH CAROLINA" at bottom; "TRAILER" at top	AB-12345	AN-10000 to AX-99999; BA-10000 to present

A temporary license plate on a motorcycle in North Carolina.

References

1 2 3 "North Carolina License Plates". allaboutlicenseplates.com. Retrieved August 17, 2015.
↑ Kretschmer, Rick. "A Pictorial History of North Carolina License Plates: Passenger car plates dated 1956 to present". RicksPlates.com. Retrieved February 8, 2016.
↑ Siceloff, Bruce (July 1, 2015). "Second to none, NC now offers choice of 2 'First' license plates". The News & Observer. Raleigh. Retrieved December 21, 2015.

External links

Media related to License plates of North Carolina at Wikimedia Commons
North Carolina license plates 1969-present
Gallery of North Carolina License Plates, 1913-present (by Rick Kretschmer)

Vehicle registration plates of the United States

States	Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Federal district	Washington, D.C.

Insular areas	American Samoa Guam Northern Mariana Islands Puerto Rico U.S. Virgin Islands

Other registration plates	Native American tribes Designs and serial formats

By year	1901 1902 1903 1904 1905 1906 1907 1908 1909 1910 1911 1912 1913 1914 1915 1916 1917 1918 1919 1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938 1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Vehicle registration plates of North America

Sovereign states	Antigua and Barbuda Bahamas Barbados Belize Canada Costa Rica Cuba Dominica Dominican Republic El Salvador Grenada Guatemala Haiti Honduras Jamaica Mexico Nicaragua Panama Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Trinidad and Tobago United States

Dependencies and other territories	Anguilla Aruba Bermuda Bonaire British Virgin Islands Cayman Islands Curaçao Greenland Guadeloupe Martinique Montserrat Puerto Rico Saint Barthélemy Saint Martin Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saba Sint Eustatius Sint Maarten Turks and Caicos Islands United States Virgin Islands

State of North Carolina

Raleigh (capital)

Topics	Climate Geography Government History Music Law North Carolinians State Parks Wildlife Tourist attractions

Society	Culture Crime Demographics Economy Education Elections Gambling Politics Sports

Regions	Cape Fear Coastal Plain Crystal Coast Eastern Foothills High Country Inner Banks Metrolina (Charlotte) Outer Banks Piedmont Piedmont Triad Sandhills Triangle Western

Largest cities	Asheville Cary Chapel Hill Charlotte Concord Durham Fayetteville Gastonia Greensboro Greenville High Point Jacksonville Raleigh Wilmington Winston‑Salem

Smaller cities	Albemarle Apex Asheboro Burlington Conover Eden Elizabeth City Garner Goldsboro Graham Havelock Henderson Hendersonville Hickory Kannapolis Kings Mountain Kinston Laurinburg Lenoir Lexington Lumberton Monroe Morganton New Bern Newton Reidsville Roanoke Rapids Rocky Mount Salisbury Sanford Shelby Statesville Thomasville Wake Forest Waynesville Wilson

Major towns	Beaufort Boone Carrboro Clayton Cornelius Dunn Fuquay-Varina Harrisburg Holly Springs Hope Mills Huntersville Indian Trail Kernersville Knightdale Leland Matthews Midland Mint Hill Mooresville Morehead City Morrisville Mount Pleasant Oxford Shallotte Smithfield Southern Pines Tarboro Winterville

Counties	Alamance Alexander Alleghany Anson Ashe Avery Beaufort Bertie Bladen Brunswick Buncombe Burke Cabarrus Caldwell Camden Carteret Caswell Catawba Chatham Cherokee Chowan Clay Cleveland Columbus Craven Cumberland Currituck Dare Davidson Davie Duplin Durham Edgecombe Forsyth Franklin Gaston Gates Graham Granville Greene Guilford Halifax Harnett Haywood Henderson Hertford Hoke Hyde Iredell Jackson Johnston Jones Lee Lenoir Lincoln Macon Madison Martin McDowell Mecklenburg Mitchell Montgomery Moore Nash New Hanover Northampton Onslow Orange Pamlico Pasquotank Pender Perquimans Person Pitt Polk Randolph Richmond Robeson Rockingham Rowan Rutherford Sampson Scotland Stanly Stokes Surry Swain Transylvania Tyrrell Union Vance Wake Warren Washington Watauga Wayne Wilkes Wilson Yadkin Yancey

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