North Carolina will not issue or renew any more special plaques bearing the Confederate battle flag, officials said on Monday.
The state’s Motor Vehicles Division said the agency had received complaints about Confederate flag plaques following protests across the country over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
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“The Motor Vehicles Division has determined that the Confederate battle flag plaques have the potential to offend those who see them,” the agency said in a statement obtained by the Associated Press. “We conclude, therefore, that the display of the Confederate battle flag is inappropriate for display on license plates of special vehicles, which remain the property of the state.”
The policy, which went into effect on January 1, mainly affects members of the organization Sons of Confederate Veterans (SCV), a civic organization that may have a special plaque.
North Carolina will no longer issue or renew license plates for special vehicles bearing the Confederate battle flag after complaints that the image was offensive, state DMV officials said.
Frank Powell, the North Carolina SCV chapter spokesman, told WRAL on Monday that the group believes the move is illegal.
“DMV does not choose the logo that we will use,” said Powell.
The DMV, however, said the agency remains in compliance with a 1998 court case that saw the SCV sue the state to be recognized as a civic organization.
The State Court of Justice ruled in favor of the SCV, enabling it to issue special dishes. But the DMV said the decision does not give the group the right to dictate the content of the government’s speech on that plate.
The DMV said it will continue to recognize the group as a civic organization entitled to a special plaque and remains open to considering an alternative design for the group.
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But until such an agreement is made, it “will issue standard plates to SCV members and either refund any paid special plate fees or provide different special plates,” according to the DMV statement.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.