Support the Battleship North Carolina License Plate Project

Even if you’re not entering the art contest, you can still help bring the specialty plate to life. The custom plate can only move forward if the program reaches 500 paid pre-orders.

Pre-order a Battleship specialty plate at BattleshipNC.com/license-plate

1. Eligibility

• Open to North Carolina residents of all ages and abilities.
• Individual artists only; no team submissions.
• Employees, contractors, and commissioners of the Battleship North Carolina Memorial, Friends of the Battleship North Carolina, and the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources may participate but are not eligible to win prizes.

2. Artwork Requirements

• Artwork must depict or interpret the Battleship North Carolina (BB-55) and be suitable for use on an official North Carolina specialty license plate.
• An official license plate MVR-27PPAT License Plate Art Template has been provided on the Battleship’s website. All submissions must be created using this template to ensure compliance with NCDMV design specifications.
• Submissions may be created in any medium (digital, illustration, painting, mixed media) but submitted as a PDF or photo via the submittion portal only. Submissions will not be accepted via email. Collection of actual art will be arranged at a later date.
• Designs must be original, created solely by the submitting artist, and free of copyrighted or trademarked material not owned by the artist.
• Artwork must avoid political, obscene, or offensive imagery in accordance with NCDMV specialty plate standards.
• Artwork must be adaptable to NCDMV requirements, which may include adjustments to layout, color, contrast, or scaling for legibility.

3. Submission Format

• Artists must submit digital images, videos, or PDFs of their artwork through the official contest submission portal.
• Finalists may be asked to provide high-resolution files or allow an arranged in-person review of the original artwork.
• Artists must retain their original work until notified.
• Each artist may submit up to two unique designs.
• To enter, artists must choose one of the following options:
  • Pay a nonrefundable $20 entry fee for each design submitted; or
  • Secure at least five verified pre-orders for the Battleship North Carolina Memorial specialty license plate. Five verified pre-orders will cover up to two designs submitted by the same artist.
  • Entrants using the pre-order option must submit their artwork and license plate pre-order verification information through the official contest submission portal.
  • The submission form will ask entrants to identify the five individuals whose completed pre-orders should be credited toward their contest entry.
  • Entrants should obtain permission before providing another person’s name or contact information.

4. Entry Fee or License Plate Pre-Order Requirement

• Each entrant must satisfy one of the following requirements:
  • Pay a nonrefundable $20 entry fee for each design submitted, up to a maximum of two designs; or
  • Secure at least five verified pre-orders for the Battleship North Carolina Memorial specialty license plate.
  • Entrants who choose the pre-order option may submit up to two designs after securing five verified pre-orders. Five additional pre-orders are not required for a second design.
  • Pre-orders may be secured from friends, family members, colleagues, or other eligible North Carolina vehicle owners who wish to support the specialty license plate campaign.
  • Each person identified by the entrant must complete the official license plate pre-order process through the Battleship North Carolina Memorial website.
  • Entrants using the pre-order option must provide the names and requested verification information for the individuals whose pre-orders they secured. This information will be used only to confirm that the entry requirement has been met.
  • A pre-order may be credited to only one contest entrant. Duplicate names or pre-orders that cannot be verified will not count toward the five-pre-order requirement.
  • Entrants are not authorized to collect payments on behalf of the Battleship North Carolina Memorial. All payments and pre-order information must be submitted through the Memorial’s official processes.
  • Entries will not advance to judging until the applicable entry fee has been received or the required five pre-orders have been verified.
  • Employees, contractors, commissioners, and other individuals who may enter but are ineligible to receive prizes must still pay the applicable entry fee or satisfy the pre-order requirement unless otherwise determined by the Battleship North Carolina Memorial.

5. Judging Criteria

• Artistic quality: overall impact, originality, craftsmanship.
• Relevance: clear connection to the Battleship’s history, legacy, or symbolism.
• Reproducibility: suitability for printing on an official NC license plate.
• Public appeal: accessibility across diverse audiences and visual readability at small scale.

6. Prizes

• First Place: $1,000 cash prize and the opportunity to have their artwork used as the official Battleship North Carolina specialty license plate design, contingent upon the program receiving at least 500 pre-orders as required by the NCDMV.
• Second Place: $500 cash prize.
• Third Place: $250 cash prize.
• People’s Choice: $100 cash prize.

7. Winner Selection & Use of Artwork

• Up to three finalists will be selected; one winning design will be recommended for production as an official license plate.
• Winning artwork becomes the property of the Battleship North Carolina Memorial for promotional, fundraising, licensing, and merchandising use.
• The winning artist will be credited whenever feasible.
• Submission constitutes permission for the Battleship and DNCR to reproduce the artwork for promotional purposes.
• NCDMV has the final authority to approve or deny specialty plate designs. If the winning design is not approved, the Battleship may work with the artist on revisions or select an alternate design.

8. Intellectual Property & Rights

• Artists retain copyright to all works except the winning design, which becomes the property of the Battleship North Carolina Memorial for unrestricted use related to the specialty plate program.
• Non-winning designs remain property of the artist, though the Battleship may feature submitted artwork—with attribution—for promotional use, contests, exhibits, or online voting.

9. Inclusion & Representation

• Artists are encouraged to reflect North Carolina’s diverse communities and the Battleship’s history in ways that are respectful, inclusive, and historically grounded.

10. Deadlines & Notification

• Submission period opens: August 26, 2026
• Submission deadline: September 25, 2026
• Finalists notified: By November 30, 2026
• Public announcement of the winning design: No later than December 2026

11. Public Voting (If Included)

• Public voting for the People’s Choice award will occur on the Battleship’s website, battleshipnc.com, and on-site at the Battleship North Carolina Memorial, 1 Battleship Road, Wilmington, NC 28401, from October 2-4, 2026.
• Public vote informs selection but does not override selection panel decisions.

12. Publicity & Recognition

• Winning and finalist artists consent to the use of their name, likeness, and artwork in promotional materials.
• Finalists may be featured on the Battleship’s website, social media, and during the 65th Berth-Day celebrations.
• Select finalist artwork may be displayed online or in-person as part of Battleship programs and/or exhibits.

13. General Terms

• By entering, artists agree to abide by all contest rules and affirm that their work is their original work.
• The Battleship reserves the right to disqualify entries that do not meet requirements or contain inappropriate content.
• The Battleship may adjust contest timelines or terms as needed and will notify participants of any changes.
• The Battleship is not responsible for technical issues that prevent submissions from being received.

Questions?
Please contact: marketing@battleshipnc.com