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.

Image	Dates issued	Design	Slogan	Serial format	Serials issued	Notes
150px	1913	Black base with white letters	none	1234	unknown	Validation date 6/30/13. "N. C." on right side of plate
150px	1914	White base with red letters	none	1234	unknown	Validation date 6/30/14.
150px	1915	Green base with white letters	none	1234	unknown	Validation date 6/30/15.
150px	1916	White base with black letters	none	1234	unknown	Validation date 6/30/16.
150px	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.
150px	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."
150px	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
150px	1933	Blue base with white lettering	none	123-456	unknown
150px	1934	Black base with yellow lettering	none	123-456	unknown
150px	1935	Black base with silver lettering	none	123-456	unknown
150px	1936	Black base with green lettering	none	123-456	unknown
150px	1937	Black base with yellow lettering	none	123-456	unknown
150px	1938	Yellow base with black lettering	none	123-456	unknown
	1939	Red base with white lettering	none	123-456	unknown
150px	1940	White base with red lettering	none	123-456	unknown
150px	1941	Black base with yellow lettering	none	123-456	unknown
150px	1942	Yellow base with black lettering	none	123-456	unknown	Revalidated for 1943 with black tabs, due to metal conservation for World War II.
150px	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
150px	1948	Black base with Yellow lettering	none	123-456	unknown
150px	1949	Yellow base with black lettering	none	123-456	unknown	From the personal collection of Richard Watson.
150px	1950	Black base with embossed yellow lettering	none	123-456	unknown
150px	1951	White base with embossed red lettering	none	123-456	unknown
150px	1952	Red base with embossed white lettering	none	123-456	unknown
150px	1953	Black base with embossed yellow lettering	none	123-456	unknown
150px	1954	Yellow base with embossed black lettering and rims	DRIVE SAFELY embossed at bottom	123-456	unknown	2 versions of the 1954 plates 1 with the full state name NORTH CAROLINA and 1 with the abbrivation N.C and DRIVE SAFELY
150px	1955	Black base with embossed yellow lettering	none	123-456	unknown
	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.
	1957	Black base with embossed yellow lettering and rims	DRIVE SAFELY embossed at top	A-1234 AB-1234
150px	1958	Yellow base with embossed black lettering and rims	DRIVE SAFELY embossed at top	A-1234 AB-1234
150px	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 on top	A-1234 AB-1234
150px	1961	Black base with embossed yellow lettering and rims	DRIVE SAFELY embossed on top	A-1234 AB-1234
	1962	Yellow base with embossed black lettering and rims	DRIVE SAFELY embossed on top	A-1234 AB-1234
150px	1963	Black base with embossed yellow lettering and rims	DRIVE SAFELY embossed on bottom	A-1234 AB-1234
150px	1964	Yellow base with black lettering	none	A-1234 AB-1234
	1965	Black base with yellow lettering	none	A-1234 AB-1234
150px	1966	Yellow base with black lettering	none	A-1234 AB-1234
	1967	Green on white	none	A-1234 AB-1234
	1968	Red on white	none	A-1234 AB-1234
	1969	Green on white	none	A-1234 AB-1234		Letters G, I, O, Q and U not used. This practice continues today.
	1970	Red on white	none	A-1234 AB-1234
	1971	Green on white	none	A-1234 AB-1234
	1972	Blue on white	none	A-1234 AB-1234
	1973	Red on white	none	ABC-123	AAA-101 to approximately HVA-999
	1974	Green on white	none	ABC-123	AAA-101 to approximately JBA-999
	1975	Red on white	First in Freedom	ABC-123	AAA-101 to approximately PMZ-999
	1978		none		PNA-101 to approximately ZRZ-999
	1982	Blue on reflective white with Wright Flyer graphic	First in Flight	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. Also, first time in NC history that registration stickers are issued instead of replacing the license plate itself.
				ABC-12	AAA-11 to ZZZ-99
				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 2011. OBX started to be issued in 1999 as a special series for Dare County, and continues to be issued as such today.
	early 2007	Red on reflective white with Wright Flyer graphic	First in Flight	ABC-1234	WTF-1995 to approximately ZND-9999
	late 2009	Blue on reflective white with Wright Flyer graphic	First in Flight	ABC-1234	ZNE-1001 to ZZZ-9999	Switched back to blue lettering, following complaints that the red lettering was too hard to read from a distance.
	late 2011				AAA-1001 to DMM-9999 (as of January 1, 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 ZMZ-9999 is issued.
	July 2015	Blue on reflective white with quill pen graphic	First In Freedom	ABC-1234	PAA-1001 to PCV-9999 (as of January 1, 2016)	Alternate issue. Includes dates of May 20, 1775 and April 12, 1776 commemorating the adoption of the Mecklenburg Declaration and Halifax Resolves, respectively.

Non-passenger types

Image	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
150px	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.

External links

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