by Stephen Rivers
- North Carolina approved a plate featuring a dinosaur skeleton.
- The fossil shown is Acrocanthosaurus atokensis in full profile.
- Plates support the NC Museum through a $20 plate donation.
If you’ve ever wished your car could broadcast your love of dinosaurs and science funding in one clean move, the state of North Carolina has you covered.
The N.C. The Division of Motor Vehicles has officially approved a new specialty license plate featuring the skeletal remains of Acrocanthosaurus, one of the most intimidating predators to ever roam the American South. It’s easily one of the coolest license plate designs in the country right now.
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The plate showcases the toothy skeleton of Acrocanthosaurus atokensis, a massive carnivorous dinosaur whose name literally translates to “high-spined lizard.” Often dubbed the “Terror of the South,” this apex predator lived roughly 110 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous period and stretched over 38 feet long.
In other words, this thing could have eaten your crossover and your neighbor’s crossover without breaking a sweat.
What’s on the Plate?
The design centers on one of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ signature specimens, turning what’s usually a slab of stamped aluminum into a rolling tribute to deep time.
It’s the only specialty license plate approved bcy the North Carolina General Assembly in 2025, and frankly, it’s about as good as it gets in the license plate world.
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The DMV has already processed applications from the initial launch, and plates are now in production. Standard plates will be mailed at the end of September, while personalized plates are scheduled to ship in late October. If you missed the first round, applications are expected to reopen through the DMV’s online system in November.
Funding Fossils
Beyond looking objectively awesome, the plate also supports a good cause. Of the $30 specialty plate fee, $20 goes directly to the Friends of the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences, helps fund research, exhibits, educational programs, and conservation efforts.
Personalized plates are available for an additional fee, allowing drivers to combine fossil-fueled menace with a custom message.
According to the Charlotte Observer, North Carolina already offers more than 100 specialty plates covering everything from charities to hobbies. This one stands out, though. Where other states lean on single colors or designs the public seems to hate, a dinosaur is a clear reminder of things larger than all of us.
Meanwhile, a second design featuring the Venus flytrap, which grows natively only in the Carolinas, has cleared the North Carolina House but is still pending in the Senate.
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