The Supreme Court declined to review North Carolina ‘s decision to cease issuing license plates displaying the Confederate flag on Monday.
The nine justices did not comment on their decision not to hear the case, which challenged the state’s decision. The dispute marked one of many cases the high court declined to review on Monday.
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In 2021, North Carolina decided to stop issuing specialty license plates bearing the insignia of the North Carolina chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans. That chapter sued, saying the decision violated state and federal law.
A lower court dismissed the case, and a federal appeals court agreed with the decision, leading to an eventual petition to the highest court in the land.
Texas Department of Motor Vehicles shows the design of a proposed Sons of Confederate Veterans license plate.
(AP Photo/Texas Department of Motor Vehicles)
The petition was similar to a case originating in Texas that the court heard in 2015, which ruled that license plates are state property.
North Carolina offers three standard license plates and over 200 specialty plates. Civic clubs, including the Sons of Confederate Veterans, can create specialty plates by meeting certain requirements.
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The lawsuit was filed shortly after the Department of Transportation issued a letter saying it would “no longer issue or renew specialty license plates bearing the Confederate battle flag or any variation of that flag” because the plates “have the potential to offend those who view them.”
In the 2015 case, the Sons of Confederate Veterans’s Texas chapter claimed Texas was wrong not to issue a specialty license plate with the group’s insignia. But by a 5-4 vote
, the justices held Texas may limit the content of license plates because they are state property.
