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Nitrate is the primary form of nitrogen uptake in plants, mainly transported by nitrate transporters (NRTs), including NPF (NITRATE TRANSPORTER 1/PEPTIDE TRANSPORTER FAMILY), NRT2 and NRT3. In this study, we identified a total of 78 <i>NPF</i>, seven <i>NRT2</i>, and two <i>NRT3</i> genes in maize. Phylogenetic analysis divided the <i>NPF</i> family into eight subgroups (<i>NPF1</i>-<i>NPF8</i>), consistent with the results in <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> and rice. The <i>NRT2</i> family appears to have evolved more conservatively than the <i>NPF</i> family, as <i>NRT2</i> genes contain fewer introns. The promoters of all <i>NRTs</i> are rich in <i>cis</i>-acting elements responding to biotic and abiotic stresses. The expression of <i>NRTs</i> varies in different tissues and developmental stages, with some <i>NRTs</i> only expressed in specific tissues or developmental stages. RNA-seq analysis using Xu178 revealed differential expression of <i>NRTs</i> in response to nitrogen starvation and nitrate resupply. Moreover, the expression patterns of six key <i>NRTs</i> genes (<i>NPF6.6</i>, <i>NPF6.8</i>, <i>NRT2.1</i>, <i>NRT2.5</i> and <i>NRT3.1A/B</i>) varied in response to alterations in nitrogen levels across distinct maize inbred lines with different nitrogen uptake rates. This work enhances our understanding of the structure and expression of <i>NRTs</i> genes, and their roles in nitrate response, paving the way for improving maize nitrogen efficiency through molecular breeding.