The U.S. state of North Carolina first required its residents to register their motor vehicles in 1907.

Registrants provided their own license plates for display until 1913, when the state began to issue plates.

[1] As of 2024[update], plates are issued by the North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) through its Division of Motor Vehicles.

In 1956, the United States, Canada, and Mexico came to an agreement with the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators, the Automobile Manufacturers Association and the National Safety Council that standardized the size for license plates for vehicles (except those for motorcycles) at 6 inches (15 cm) in height by 12 inches (30 cm) in width, with standardized mounting holes.

[2] The 1955 (dated 1956) issue was the first North Carolina license plate that complied with these standards.