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On this page I will report breaking news regarding North Carolina license plates and vehicle registrations. The newest articles are posted at the top of the page. Latest noteworthy updates to this page(other than the addition of new articles and new highest plate numbers)
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Sorry, there's nothing new to report.
October 16, 2008 – In my excitement the other day over snapping a photo of a flat character plate, I forgot to note that I also saw my first silver "Permanent" plate with a T suffix. These are issued mostly to vehicles owned by local government bodies – cities, towns, counties, school districts, etc. They're also sometimes seen on vehicles owned by churches and other nonprofit organizations. Anyway, these plates originally were issued in format 00000-P, followed by 00000-R, 00000-S, and now 00000-T. Each letter series begins with number 10001; North Carolina frequently avoids using lead zeroes in plate serial numbers.
 Vanity plates are now flat (candid photo of plate in use) |
October 14, 2008 – After hearing about them for over two months, I finally spotted my first North Carolina license plate with flat serial characters in a parking lot today. As luck would have it, I had my camera with me, and was able to snap this photo. The font is certainly unique; I believe it's supposed to mimic North Carolina's traditional serial dies. In person, the characters look almost hand-drawn. Click on the plate to see a larger version.
It seems that North Carolina is now making all vanity plates with flat serial characters, as this process significantly speeds up the maufacturing process for one-of-a-kind plates. Also, all new specialty plate designs will have flat characters, and flat characters are supposed to be phased in on existing specialty designs. There are no plans at the present to produce standard plates with flat registration numbers.
September 26, 2008 – The North Carolina DMV has introduced its latest special interest plate, which promotes the Alpha Kappa Alpha sorority. These plates are available to anyone upon request for a $10 annual fee in addition to the normal registration fees. The suffix letters used for these plates are K/A, and they're made on the regular "First in Flight" background, with the sorority logo on the left site of the plate. These new plates are reported to have flat serial characters like the new version of the Ducks Unlimited plate shown below.
 (candid photo of plate in use) |
September 19, 2008 – I spotted this Retired Air Force plate in a parking lot today, with the usual R suffix but with also a K prefix. Until now, retired military plates from all branches of service shared serial formats, which were initially R0000 and later 0000R, and as of late they were getting near the end of the second format.
As other plate types have added letters to their formats when the numeric formats ran out of numbers, the variable letters have all started at A. This is the first and only retired military plate I've come across with letters at both ends. Therefore, either they did start a third format with the letter A and I just haven't been very observant, or these plates began their third format at a letter other than A, or this plate is simply a vanity plate, maybe for someone who flew KC-135 tanker planes. Stay tuned as I keep my eye out for additional two letter retired military plates.
Update: September 27, 2008 – I spotted another one of these today, also a Retired Air Force plate, with serial T304R. That's another huge jump. Something funny's going on here, I just haven't figured out what.
September 17, 2008 –
Disabled veteran plates with the wheelchair symbol have exhaused their second numbering scheme. Newly issued plates
have regisration numbers in the format 
x000 D/V,
with a variable letter in the first position. The original format was
D/V 0000, followed by
0000 D/V.
September 16, 2008 – The North Carolina DMV reports that the program to align vehicle inspections and registration renewals to be due in the same month has been delayed by one month, from October 1 to November 1, 2008. A vehicle due for inspection in October 2008 will therefore be issued a new windshield inspection sticker indicating the next inspection is due in October 2009, regardless of the vehicle's registration renewal month. Beginning in November, subsequent inspections will be due during the month indicated on the vehicle's license plate, but no less than 12 months after the most recent inspection due date.
September 9, 2008 – Beginning October 1, 2008, North Carolina vehicle safety and emissions inspection schedules will be aligned to coincide with license plate expiration months. As a result, windshield inspection stickers will no longer be issued, as the stickers on the license plate will indicate the month in which both the vehicle inspection and registration renewal are due. In the future, a vehicle must pass inspection before its registration can be renewed.
Presently, the month in which inspections are due is unrelated to the month that vehicle registrations expire, necessitating a separate windsheld sticker to indicate when the next inspection is required. Motorists must keep track of their vehicles' inspection schedules, as they are not sent any notices or reminders that the vehicle is due for inspection.
Vehicles currently with windsheild inspection stickers will still need to be inspected by the month indicated on the sticker. When that inspection occurs, the sticker will be removed, but no new sticker will be applied to the windshield. Instead, the next inspection will be due in the month indicated on the vehicle's license plate, but no earlier than 12 months from the most recent inspection due date. For example, a vehicle with a January 2009 inspection due date and with April 2009 plate expiration stickers would be inspected as usual in January 2009, and then would next be due for inspection in April 2010.
September 5, 2008 – North Carolina is now producing personalized plates with flat, non-embossed registration numbers. These join sequentially-numbered Ducks Unlimited special interest plates, which have been recently redesigned. The newly designed Ducks plates with sequential registration numbers are also being made with flat registration numbers. The DMV reports that flat numbers will be phased in on additional sequentially-numbered special interest plates in the coming months. Probably that would include any new designs that may be introduced.
The DMV says it will continue to produce standard plates with embossed registration numbers.
 (O'Dell photo) |
September 5, 2008 – Fellow North Carolina plate spotter Kenny O'Dell reports that the state's 2010 expiration stickers have white characters on a green background. The design will be unchanged from recent years. Green was most recently used on 2007 expiration stickers.
August 23, 2008 – Richard Baucom of Lincolnton reports spotting a personalized Omega Psi Phi Fraternity special interest plate with flat serial characters. This is the second confirmed report of North Carolina issuing a special interest plate that was completely flat. More are undoubtedly on the way.
August xx, 2008 – Blue Ridge Parkway special interest plates continue to be the most popular optional plate in North Carolina, and are the first such plate to have exhaused their second numbering scheme. Newly issued plates have regisration numbers in the format 0x00 B/P, with a variable letter in the second position. The original format was 0000 B/P, and the second format was x000 B/P.
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July 27, 2008 – Kenny O'Dell of Greensboro reports that the Ducks Unlimited special interest plate that he recently ordered from the DMV – a completely redesigned plate, by the way – was made with flat, non-embossed registration numbers. Although a number of other states have issued completely flat plates for years, and our neighbors Tennessee and South Carolina have also recently begun issuing flat plates, this marks a first for the Tar Heel state. It's unknown at this time how quickly flat plates will be rolled out and which plate types might be affected.
June 19, 2008 – Standard First in Flight plate numbers have begun to be issued with the first letter of Y. Of course, not all DMV locations have used up their stock of X series plates, so for the next few months, new registrants and those replacing older plates might be issued red numbered plates with the first letter either X or Y.
 What the .... ? (candid photo of plate in use) |
June 14, 2008 – In an article in today's Raleigh News & Observer, it was reported that the North Carolina DMV has offered free replacement plates with different plate numbers to motorists who received standard plates starting with the letters WTF. WTF series plates were issued during the spring and summer of 2007; they were also noteworthy because the switch from blue numbered plates to red numbered plates occurred in the midst of the WTF series. The replacement offer was prompted by a complaint received in July 2007 from a Fayetteville woman who was issued such a plate, after her teenaged grandchildren informed her of the vulgar meaning of the letters as used in text messaging. It's not clear from the article exactly when the DMV actually notified motorists that they could have their WTF plates replaced.
June xx, 2008 – The second round of replacement of older blue numbered First in Flight plates has begun, targeting standard plates with 7 character registration numbers that start with the letter J and expire in June 2008 and later. Presumably the replacement of J-series plates will continue through May 2009 expirations. As these registrations are renewed, a new plate with red plate numbers will be issued rather than a renewal sticker for the old plate. The new plate numbers will be different than the expiring blue plate numbers.
The first round of replacment of older First in Flight plates began in April 2007, and targeted all 5 character and 6 character standard plates, which were initially issued between 1982 and 1985, and all 7 character standard plates with first letters A through H. All of these are scheduled to be replaced by August 16, 2008.
 (candid photo of plate in use) |
May 3, 2008 – Shown at right is a new Dale Earnhardt, Jr. NASCAR plate. Junior had previously been conspicuously absent from the roster of NASCAR drivers available on special interest license plates. Also, this plate sports a new design different from all of the other NASCAR plates issued to date, featuring a U.S. flag in the background rather than a checkered flag. Note the cool sequentially-issued plate number and the expiration date on this particular plate. Prior to this year, Dale Jr. drove race car number 8.
April 27, 2008 – The Greenville Daily Reflector reports that the NC DMV has halted distribution of standard automobile plates starting with the letters XXX, and has asked that the approximately 1,000 such plates that have already been issued be returned for free replacement. The plates were distributed at DMV offices in Greenville and Roanoke Rapids. XXX is a common designation for hard-core pornographic material. The DMV made the decision to recall the plates after receiving complaints from motorists. The recall is apparently voluntary.
Below is a list of the highest numbered plates I've spotted for various types of North Carolina plates.
| Plate type | High number | Date spotted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger car (blue serial characters) | WTF-1923 | Aug. or Sept. 2008 | |
| Passenger car (red serial characters) | YSS-2030 | Dec. 16, 2008 | Lowest red number plate I've seen is WTF-5505. |
| Apportioned bus and light/medium truck | LA-13559 | Oct. 25, 2008 | |
| Apportioned heavy truck | LZ-6703 | Oct. 19, 2008 | |
| Motorcycle | 3W1401 | Sept. 18, 2008 | Letter changes before the leftmost number. "5H" series plates were issued way out of sequence for unknown reasons. |
| Multi year trailer | AZ-74788 | Jan. 2, 2009 | Initially AY prefix was issued, now AZ. |
| Permanent (black on silver) | 10235-T | Oct. 14, 2008 | Issued to local government and nonprofit vehicles. |
| Taxi | TA-7365 | Oct. 10, 2008 | |
| Trailer (standard) | BV-92609 | June 30, 2008 | Original format was x-00000, then Ax-00000 (excluding AY and AZ prefixes), now Bx-00000. |
| Weighted (medium-duty) truck | CP-1663 | Oct. 31, 2008 | Serials began at AA-1001; issued to medium-duty (usually 6-wheeled) trucks. |
| Plate type | High number | Date spotted | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian State University | A3641 | Aug. 21, 2008 | |
| Appalachian Trail | 6514 A/T | Dec. 31, 2008 | |
| Carolina Panthers | 7022 C/P | Oct. 10, 2008 | |
| Disabled veteran | A602 D/V |
Sept. 17, 2008 | Original format was
D/V 0000, then
0000 D/V, now
x000 D/V. |
| Ducks Unlimited (type 2) | 1891 D/U | Nov. 8, 2008 | Type 2 plates have the graphic lighthouse scene. Lowest type 2 I've seen had serial 1545 D/U. |
| Eagle Scout | 2040 E/S | Dec. 29, 2008 | |
| I Care (Animal Lover) | A642 I/C | Oct. 7, 2008 | Original format was 0000 I/C, now x000 I/C |
| In God We Trust | 1047 S/A | May 21, 2008 | |
| NC State University | S432A | Sept. 27, 2008 | Original format was S0000, now S000x. |
| Retired Highway Patrol | 1231 H/P | Nov. 17, 2008 | |
| Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation | 3420 E/F | Aug. 10, 2008 | |
| University of North Carolina | U331E | Aug. 20, 2008 | Original format was U0000, now U000x. |
| Vietnam Veteran | A202 V/V | Oct. 10, 2008 | Original format was 0000 V/V, now x000 V/V |
Related pages on this site |
Elsewhere on the web |
Thanks to those who have directly contributed to the information on this page: Kenny O'Dell and Richard Baucom.
O'Dell photos are presumed to be copyrighted by Kenny O'Dell, and are used with permission.
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