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North Carolina Bans Confederate Flag-Emblazoned License Plates

Over 3,000 Confederate license plates are in circulation right now, but they will not be replaced with another flag image when the drivers try to renew them.

There’s bad news for North Carolina drivers who want to ensure passers-by know how racist and backward they are. According to The News & Observer, the state’s Division of Motor Vehicles has decided that it will no longer issue or renew any license plates that feature the Confederate battle flag. In its statement, the DMV said that Confederate-emblazoned plates “have the potential to offend those who view them,” so the agency has “therefore concluded that display of the Confederate battle flag is inappropriate for display on specialty license plates.” More than 3,000 Confederate plates are in circulation, according to the newspaper, but they will not be replaced when the drivers try to renew them, so will gradually disappear from roads over the course of the next 12 months.