Rick Kretschmer's License Plate Archives

Introduction

This page illustrates some of the various types of license plates currently or recently seen on the streets of North Carolina.  There are also many additional types of North Carolina license plates, some issued in very small numbers, that do not appear on this page.  As I find them, I will add their images to this page. 

Please note that, unlike the other pages on this web site, very few of the plates shown on this page are from my personal collection, since I don't actively collect North Carolina plates.  Most of the plates shown on this page – the ones with bolts attaching them to vehicles – are simply photographs of plates that I've spotted on various vehicles found in parking lots, mostly in or near the city of Raleigh.  I haven't tried to individually identify the source of each plate shown.  However, all images on this page are photographs that I've taken, unless otherwise credited.  Oh, and if you're wondering what that arc of light is on some of the candid shots, it's just a reflection from my camera.  I get this when I have to shoot towards the sun due to the position of the vehicle.  (Remember when cameras were black and didn't reflect light?) 

I sincerely hope that you find this information useful. If you find an error or have additional information, or can provide a photo of a plate that is not shown, please send me an e-mail.  There's a link to my e-mail address at the bottom of every page. 

Move your mouse over each image to see a description of that plate.  Click on any image to see a larger version. 

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Passenger car plates

In North Carolina, passenger plates are issued to cars, SUVs, passenger vans, motor homes, not-for-hire buses, and not-for-hire trucks up to 7,000 pounds gross vehicle weight.  The First in Flight base used for passenger car plates has been around since 1982, but the oldest plates still in use were issued in the late 1990s.  Lead zeroes are never used in the serial number, nor are letters G, I, O, Q, or U. 

Blue serial character First in Flight plates, part 1

For 25 uninterrupted years, from spring 1982 until spring 2007, First in Flight plates were issued with royal blue serial characters.  In the spring of 1985, the current serial format xxx-0000 made its debut.  In this format, for some mysterious reason, the second letter was restricted to the range N through Z.  Also, lead zeroes are not used, nor is the number 1000.  Therefore, the format began at serial ANA-1001, and, for example, the next plate number after AZZ-9999 was BNA-1001.  In later years, the DMV went through about one first letter per year, with a new first letter introduced sometime in the summer of each year.  This format eventually got up into the early WTF series in the spring of 2007, when the state must have run out of blue paint or something. 

Also until the spring of 2007, any First in Flight plate issued since 1982 could still be used if the registration was continuous.  However, most plates that were on the road for more than ten years or so became quite ugly looking, and often had serious legibility problems due to fading and also flaking and general deteriorization of the reflective sheeting.  Between 2007 and 2009, the oldest blue-character plates were replaced with new red-character plates as they come up from renewal.  Currently, blue-character plates with format xxx-0000 from the "K" series forward remain in use.  Read more about the plate replamcement process below. 

Older plates had month stickers with alphabetic month abbreviations.  Since the mid-to-late 1990s, month stickers simply indicate the month numerically. 

Red serial character First in Flight plates

From the spring of 2007 until the fall of 2009, First in Flight passenger car plates were issued with red serial characters, although the background design remained unchanged.  According to the NC DMV, the red-character plates were supposed to debut on April 16, 2007, but some plate spotters began seeing them in use as early as March 2007.  Apparently, some DMV offices ran out of blue-number plates, and so began issuing the red-number plates early.  The serial format continued as xxx-0000, and picked up where the blue-number plates left off with no break, as fate would have it, somewhere in the midst of the WTF series.  The red-number plates continued until the early "Z" series, somewhere in or close to the ZND series. 

In my opinion, the North Carolina DMV succeeded in changing what was a dated, yet still attractive plate design, to one that remained dated, but was also downright dumb-looking.  Although it's not really evident in the photos above, the red paint is somewhat of an orangey color which clashes with the deeper red state name and First in Flight slogan screened on the plate.  Also, and more significantly in my opinion, the red characters are much harder to read at a distance than the blue characters. 

First in Flight plate replacement program

Also beginning in April 2007, the DMV began replacing the oldest of the blue-character "First in Flight" plates with red-character plates, as they come up for renewal.  The state's intention was to have an ongoing rolling replate program, but without a fixed age that a plate must reach for it to be replaced.  The number of old plates that were to be replaced each year would depend on the amount of money budgeted for this purpose.  When the plate replacement program began, the state announced that it intended to replace 600,000 old plates in 2007 and another 500,000 in 2008.  The affected plates in this first round included all 5-character and 6-character passenger car plates, as well as all 7-character passenger plates up to and including plate numbers starting with the letter "H".  Those plates were replaced over a 16-month period running through mid-August 2008.  For the first few months, a small number of qualifying older blue-character plates slipped through the cracks and were renewed, but these were replaced upon expiration in 2008. 

A second round of blue-character plate replacements affected 7-character plates starting with the letter "J" and expiring between June 2008 and May 2009.  These were replaced by the DMV with red character plates rather than be renewed.  However, to date, 7-character K-series plates continue to be renewed.  Presently, the state government is in the midst of a severe budget shortfall, and it seems that the plate replacement program has been put on hold for the time being. 

Blue serial character First in Flight plates, part 2

In March 2009, the N.C. DMV announced that it was discontinuing using red serial letters and numbers, and red vanity plate characters, on its standard First in Flight license plates.  Existing red-numbered sequential plates were to continue to be distributed until they were gone from inventory, which was projected to be in October 2009.  Newly-ordered vanity plates began being made with blue characters immediately. 

The reason given for the return to blue serial characters was that the DMV was responding to complaints about the red plates from the public (presumably because they're ugly) and from law enforcement (presumably because they're harder to read at a distance).  It apparently didn't occur to the DMV to test the readability of these plates before issuing them. 

Blue-character First in Flight standard passenger car plates resumed being issued in October 2009, in or near the ZNE letter series.  These plates are visually identical to the blue-character plates that were issued between 1985 and 2007.  However, as late as January 2010, red-character plates were also being issued.  It would seem that various DMV tag offices ran out of red-character plates at different points in time. 

What's next after plate number ZZZ-9999?

Plate number ZZZ-9999 is expected to be issued sometime in late 2010 or possibly early 2011, depending on whether and how quickly the economy recovers and vehicle sales improve.  Of course, people are beginning to wonder what serial format will be used next, once ZZZ-9999 is reached. 

Fellow plate collector Richard Baucom of Lincolnton wondered the same thing, so he wrote to the N.C. DMV and aksed them.  They actually replied with an answer, too.  First, though, recall that all seven-character First in Flight passenger car plates issued to date have had the second letter limited to the range of N to Z, and the numbers start at 1001 within each letter series.  The DMV has indicated that once ZZZ-9999 is reached, they will go back and make plates with the second letter in the range of A to M.  In other words, after ZZZ-9999 will come AAA-1001; then plates will be sequential until AMZ-9999.  After AMZ-9999 will come BAA-1001, and so on.  Therefore, new plates will continue to be issued with plate numbers that have never been used in the past. 

The middle letter N-to-Z format will have lasted 25 years, from 1985 until 2010, so the middle letter A-to-M plates should keep us going for another 20 to 25 years before they're used up. 

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Optional plates, geographically-oriented

North Carolina issues a couple of optional plates that are used to promote certain geographic areas within the state.  One of these is this seemingly passenger-format plate with prefix OBX.  "OBX" stands for "Outer Banks", which is the term used for the string of barrier islands along the Atlantic coast.  It differs from a standard passenger plate in several subtle ways.  Passenger plates never use the letter "O", and so far have never used a letter before "N" in the second position on seven-character serials.  Also, lead zeroes are used on OBX plates but not on standard passenger plates. 

Initially, plate numbers OBX-1001 through OBX-9999 were issued, then OBX-0001 through OBX-1000, exhausting the format.  Now, new OBX plates are being issued in an eight-character format with serials starting from OBX10001.  Incidentally, Kitty Hawk, an Outer Banks town, was the location of the Wright brothers' first flight. 

A second such geographically-oriented plate is the Global TransPark plate.  The Global TransPark is an economic development zone in eastern North Carolina.  The only serial format used for these is the eight-character format GTP00000.  Probably, these began at serial GTP10001. 

I've been told that the OBX plates are available for sale only at one DMV tag office that's actually located on the Outer Banks.  However, they're apparently available to anyone in the state to purchase.  I don't know how one would obtain the GTP plates, but I would imagine that it's something similar to the OBX plates. 

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Government official and National Guard member personal vehicle plates

Plates issued to current government officials and members of the National Guard for their personal vehicles are made on the standard passenger base.  Current government official plates are reissued annually and have the registration year actually on the plate in the upper corners.  Some plates issued to government officials clearly state what position they hold in the state or federal government; others are cryptic but can be decoded, and still others simply have all-numeric serials numbered 200 and below. 

The 2007 State Senate plate should not have the 2008 sticker applied to it – such plates are re-issued annually and only have embossed years.  Since North Carolina sticker numbers match the plate numbers, it's evident that this sticker was intended for a completely different plate.  Thanks, Mike Fox, for sending in this photo. 

National Guard member plates look much like extra-cost special-interest plates.  The serial format is a one-digit to four-digit number followed by the stacked letters "N/G".  Officers and senior noncommissioned officers are assigned plate numbers 1 through 3000 in order of rank and seniority.  They also get new plates bearing the registration year on an annual basis, with presumably lower serial numbers each year, as those ranking above them retire or otherwise leave the Guard.  Plate number 734 N/G, shown above, was issued to a captain. 

Lower ranking enlisted National Guard personnel are assigned numbers starting from 3001 on a first-come, first-served basis.  These were also issued annually and had embossed years through 2005; beginning in 2006 these higher-number National Guard plates are undated and are kept current with stickers.  There is no additional charge beyond the normal registration fees for Guard members to obtain these plates. 

Some retired government officials and retired National Guard members are also entitled to receive distinct plates; some of these have the year on the plate and are replaced annually, while others are issued undated base plates and use stickers to indicate the expiration date. 

Most, if not all, annual government official and National Guard plates issued for 2009 were flat rather than embossed.  Likewise, undated base plates issued to such individuals that were issued between late 2008 and 2010 were also made flat. 

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Antique vehicle plates

Antique Auto plates are available to vehicles more than 35 years old.  Serial format is 00000.  Horseless Carriage plates are similar to antique auto plates, except that they show an image of a very old car on the plate.  These are available to vehicles from model year 1943 or older.  The serial format for these is 0000.  Like other special interest plate types, the state issued antique auto plates, and possibly also horseless carriage plates, with flat serial characters between the fall of 2008 and some time in 2010. 

In North Carolina, antique auto and horseless carriage plates are both considered to be special interest plates, and cost $10 extra than regular plates, and so there's no restriction against driving the vehicle daily, if desired. 

Neal Reid reports that North Carolina once offered street rod plates, but no more than 300 were ever sold (probably not even anywhere near that many), and they were discontinued in 1993.  They were available as sequentially-numbered plates with serial format SR-0000, and also as vanity plates.  In either case, I believe they were made on the non-graphic blue-on-white non-passenger base, similar to amateur radio operator plates, with the legend Street Rod across the top.  Neal further reports that according to the North Carolina DMV, exactly one sequentially-numbered street rod plate continues to be renewed each year. 

Vehicles over 35 years old are also eligible to display "year of manufacture" (YOM) plates, which are old license plates from the year the vehicle was built.  YOM plates are permitted only if the vehicle is currently registered with a modern plate, and the modern plate is kept somewhere in the vehicle when being driven.  The modern plate may be a standard plate, an antique auto or horseless carriage plate, or any other appropriate plate. 

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Personal vehicle vanity and amateur radio operator plates

Passenger car vanities

Up to eight characters and spaces are permitted on regular North Carolina vanity plates.  A variety of special characters, or punctuation characters, are permitted on the plate, although these are not considered part of the serial number.  Like all other North Carolina stickered plates, the plate number is printed on the sticker, but in the case of vanity plates, any special characters or spaces on the plate itself are omitted on the sticker. 

Prior to the spring of 2007, all vanity plates were made with blue, embossed serial characters.  Vanity plates issued between the spring of 2007 and the spring of 2009 have red serial characters, just like standard passenger car plates of the same time period.  Prior to mid-year 2008, these were also embossed; but then North Carolina began making all vanity plates with flat serial characters, as this process significantly sped up the maufacturing process for one-of-a-kind plates.  Beginning in the spring of 2009, the state resumed using blue serial characters, but they were still flat.  If they haven't already, the state is now about to again make all vanity plates with blue embossed characters.  To summarize, vanity plates may be embossed or flat, and may have blue or red serial characters. 

Embossed vanity plates with six or fewer characters and spaces are usually, but not always, made with the wide serial dies used on various non-passenger plate types.  Embossed plates with seven or eight characters and spaces are made using the narrow dies used on passenger car plates.  Flat vanity plates have been made using a narrow font, regardless of the number of characters. 

Although it's extremely rare to do so, trailers can also be registered with a vanity plate number, and when they are, they're issued a First in Flight passenger base with the requested plate number.  In other words, vanity plates issued to passenger vehicles and those issued to trailers are indistinguishable.  This must be very confusing for law enforcement; it would appear that the motorist had put a vanity plate actually registered to a passenger vehicle on their trailer.  It's unclear to me why the state doesn't just make vanity trailer plates on the red-on-white trailer base that has the Trailer legend, similar to how they make "weighted" vanity plates for medium-duty commercial trucks. 

I've seen conflicting reports whether or not older blue character vanity plates were being replaced with red character vanity plates as they came up for renewal  I believe that they were not being automatically replaced, but rather that some motorists may have requested that their old vanity plates be remade simply because they had become ugly looking. 

Other personal vehicle vanities

Neal Reid reports that North Carolina once offered street rod plates, in both sequentially-numbered and vanity versions, but both were discontinued in 1993.  A very small number of street rod vanity plates that have been continously registered since then are still in use, such as the example shown above. 

Neal also reports that antique auto plates also used to be available with vanity registrations, but these were also discontinued in 1993.  I don't know if any of these remain in use, or what they look like. 

Standard-sized and motorcycle handicapped plates are currently available with vanity registrations, but I've never seen an actual example of either type.  Special interest and organizational member plates may be had with vanity serial numbers; these are addresed on the Current North Carolina license plates, part 2 page, which covers all types of special interest and organizational member plates. 

Amateur radio operators

"First in Flight" graphic plates do not have a place for a legend to identify the plate type, so amateur radio operators must make do with these plain, non-graphic plates, which are similar to commerical or weighted vanity plates.  Amateur radio plates have had staggered registrations for many years.  I presume that the plate with the "/2" at the end is intended for a second vehicle owned by the holder of the call sign. 

From the latter part of 2008 to sometime in 2010, amateur radio plates were made completely flat, with blue features on a white background.  Although the shade of blue is a bit darker, the flat radio plates otherwise mimic the previous all-embossed version, even including the blue border around the outside edge of the plate.  If they haven't already, amateur radio plates will soon again be made with embossed rather than flat features. 

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Handicapped person plates and placards

Both standard handicapped plates and 100% disabled veteran plates can be found with their identifying serial letters used as either prefixes or suffixes.  Standard handicapped plates originally had four variable digits, first in serial format HD0000 and then in format 0000HD, but these were both exhausted, and presently the H/D00000 is being issued.  100% disabled veteran plates have been made in serial formats D/V0000, 0000D/V, and now x000D/V, with a variable first letter. 

Both types of handicapped plates may be had with vanity registration numbers.  Handicapped and 100% disabled veteran plates have both always been made with blue characters on the First in Flight base, and sequentially-numbered versions have always had embossed serial characters. 

Handicapped motorcycle plates, both standard and vanity, are addressed in the motorcycle plate section, below. 

Partially disabled veterans also have a distinct plate type, but if I had one to show you, it would rightfully go in the restricted special interest plate section, since it does not have a wheelchair graphic.  Also, it costs $10 extra to get a partially disabled veteran plate.  For these reasons, they're rarely issued or seen.) 

Handicapped persons have the option of obtaining either a handicapped license plate, or standard plates with a long-term handicapped placard to be hung from the vehicle's inside rear view mirror.  For unknown reasons, the vast majority of North Carolina handicapped motorists choose the placard. 

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Motorcycle plates

Standard-issue motorcycle plates

Motorcycle plate numbers advance like an odometer, so the left-most digit is the last to change.  These were originally all numeric; once 999,999 motorcycles were registered, a new serial format 0x0000 was begun.  In this format, the left-most digit started at 1.  After the 1A series came the 1B series, after the 1Z series came the 2A series, etc.  However, after the 3H series, the state mistakenly made and issued motorcycle plates in the 4H and 5H series before resuming the original sequence by next issuing 3J series plates.  Motorcycle plate dimensions are 7 inches wide by 4 inches high. 

Other types of personal motorcycle plates

• Vanity motorcycle plates are permitted up to 7 characters and spaces. 
• Antique motorcycle plates have the screened legend "Antique Motorcycle" on the left side of an otherwise normal motorcycle plate.  These cost $10 more than standard motorcycle plates, so there are no usage restrictions. 
• Handicapped motorcycle plates have the wheelchair emblem on the left side of the plate, followed by a 4 character registration number.  The few I've seen have all had serial format Hx00.  The example shown above doesn't have the month and year expiration stickers applied. I have no idea where the month sticker is supposed to go. 
• Vanity handicapped motorcycle plates are available with up to 4 characters and spaces. 

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Temporary cardboard plates

These cardboard plates are issued by car dealers to their customers who have purchased vehicles and are not transfering the plate from another vehicle.  These plates provide time for the DMV to mail the vehicle owner their new permanent metal plate and registration papers. 

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General information about stickers, expiration dates, etc.

Stickers

All plate types that use stickers to indicate the expiration date use the same type and color of stickers.  Month stickers are white on red, and include the month number and the letters "NC", which are stacked vertically on the left.  If you look at the various numeric month stickers on this page, you'll notice that they did not use a consistent font for the month number.  Older month stickers indicated the month alphabetically with three or four letters, and included the letters "NC" horizontally on the bottom.  Sometimes month stickers become quite faded over time, but I haven't noticed any discernable patterns. 

Current and recent year sticker colors are as follows: 

Year stickers feature a prominent state outline with the letters "NC" inside; the year itself is relegated to the lower left corner of the sticker.  The sticker serial number is placed in a white box found at the bottom of the sticker, to the right of the year.  Some 1997 year stickers, and all year stickers since 1998, are printed with the serial number of the plate they were issued to.  This is done to minimize sticker theft and fraud.  A minority of 2004 year stickers had a problem with the orange color fading to the point of appearing to be white.  When this happened, though, the plate number printed on the year sticker in black did not fade.  The 2000 and 2005 stickers were colored white on light blue, and as you can see, were rather difficult to make out due to the low contrast between the two colors.  The 2009 stickers were white on purple and the 2011 stickers are white on yellow, colors not previously seen on North Carolina registration stickers.  The 2011 stickers also have significant legibility issues. 

Expiration dates

• Plates with expiration stickers  –  With only rare exceptions, plate types that use stickers to indicate the expiration date have a 15-day grace period, and so do not really expire until 11:59 PM on the 15th day of the following month.  For example, a plate with March 2007 stickers was actually still valid through April 15, 2007. 
• Non-dealer plate types with an embossed year  –  Most, if not all, annually-issued plates with embossed years are supposed to be valid throughout the calendar year indicated, but they have a 46-day grace period and actually expire at 11:59 PM on February 15th of the following year.  So, a plate with an embossed 2004 year was valid through February 15, 2005. 

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Related links

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Page credits

Thanks to those who have directly contributed to the information on this page:  Mike Fox, Neal Reid, Kenny O'Dell, Steven Kretschmer, and Richard Baucom. 

Fox and O'Dell photos are presumed to be copyrighted by Mike Fox and Kenny O'Dell, respectively, and are used with permission. 

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This page last updated February 16, 2010