N.C. group wins fight to have Confederate battle flag license plates

Jet, Oct 6, 1997

The Sons of Confederate Veterans in North Carolina have won its battle to have state license plates emblazoned with the Confederate flag.

A state court ruled that the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) must issue the plates that the group requested.

The DMV had rejected the petition from the group on the basis that it was not a civic organization because the members did not perform community service.

The DMV in North Carolina gives special plates to tax-exempt nationally recognized civic organizations that produce 300 applications. The special tags cost an additional $10 to $30.

Judge Donald Stephens ruled that the DMV did not have the legal discretion to turn down the request.

Many consider the Confederate flag a symbol of racial injustice while its supporters say it is of historical significance to Southerners.