North Carolina DMV Stops Issuing Confederate Flag License Plates

NORTH CAROLINA — The Confederate flag will no longer be printed on specialty license plates in North Carolina, the state's Department of Motor Vehicles announced.

The Confederate flag tags, which were issued to members of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, were discontinued as of Jan. 1, 2021, and will no longer be issued or renewed, the department said. The tags were offered to SCV members for a $30 personalization fee, in addition to a $10 required plate fee.

"The Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) has determined that license plates bearing the Confederate battle flag have the potential to offend those who view them," the department said in a statement. "We have therefore concluded that display of the Confederate battle flag is inappropriate for display on specialty license plates, which remain property of the state."

In a statement posted on social media Tuesday, SCV Commander R. Kevin Stone condemned the DMV decision, and said state transportation officials were participating in "cancel culture." The Confederate flag is the organization's legally registered logo, and the organization wouldn't change it "to meet the overreaching and hysterical demand of the NC-DOT," Stone said.

"Hating our group's emblem is equivalent to hating our group's members," Stone said. "If you hate us, we pray for you and hope that one day you may learn what true tolerance, inclusivity, and peace are."

The move affects about 2,500 license plates, North Carolina Department of Transportation spokesperson Steve Abbott told Patch. Demand for the tags "has been steady" in recent years, according to Abbott, who said 386 new plates were issued in 2020. Requests for new plates averaged about 394 plates in each of the last three years, he said.

The SCV, which says it is focused on preserving the history and legacy of the Confederacy, won the legal right to qualify for special registration plates as a recognized civic organization in North Carolina in 1998.

"However, SCV’s classification as a civic organization does not entitle it to dictate the contents of the government speech on that specialty plate," the DMV said. "Efforts were made, and will continue to be made, to work with the SCV to develop artwork for these specialty plates that does not contain the Confederate battle flag. Since these efforts have proven unsuccessful so far, the DMV determined the agency would no longer issue or renew these specialty plates."

The DMV said it remained open to considering alternative artwork and resuming the issuance of specialty plates for members. "Until such agreement can be reached," it said, "DMV will either issue SCV members standard plates and refund any specialty-plate fees paid or provide them with different specialty plates."