Battleship North Carolina launches statewide art contest to design a specialty license plate

WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — Artists across North Carolina are being invited to help design a future specialty license plate honoring the Battleship North Carolina.

The Battleship North Carolina Memorial has launched the Battleship North Carolina License Plate Art Contest, a statewide competition open to North Carolina residents of all ages and abilities.

The winning artwork could inspire the design of the Battleship’s future custom North Carolina specialty license plate, pending approval by the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles.

Before the plate can move into production, the Battleship must receive at least 500 paid pre-orders.

“This is a creative and meaningful way for people across North Carolina to be part of the Battleship’s story,” said Dr. Jay C. Martin, executive director of Battleship North Carolina Memorial. “We’re excited to see how artists interpret the ship, its heroic legacy, and what it represents to people across our state.”

Artists are asked to submit original work depicting or interpreting the Battleship North Carolina and its significance as the state’s official World War II memorial. Entries should be suitable for use on a North Carolina license plate.

Artwork may be created using digital design, illustration, painting, mixed media or other forms of human-created artwork. Entries must be submitted digitally through the official contest portal.

There is a $20 nonrefundable entry fee for each submission. Artists can have the fee waived by providing five verified specialty license plate pre-orders supporting their design.

Each artist may submit up to two entries. The deadline to submit artwork is Sept. 25, 2026.

All submitted artwork will be displayed on the Battleship’s website and in its Wardroom.

A People’s Choice Award will also be selected through online voting and votes from visitors during the Battleship’s 65th Berth-day Weekend, scheduled for Oct. 2-4.

Contest prizes

• First place: $1,000
• Second place: $500
• Third place: $250
• People’s Choice: $100

Winners are expected to be announced by December 2026.

North Carolinians who don’t want to enter the art contest can still support the effort by pre-ordering a Battleship specialty license plate.

The program needs 500 paid pre-orders before a fully custom artistic plate can move forward into production.

Pre-orders are available online, while contest rules and submission information can be found on their website.