Carter Bays is an American TV writer and producer known for his works on How I Met Your Mother, a sitcom on ABC where Craig Thomas serves as writer, executive producer and creator. Carter Bays has worked in 70 episodes of the show from 2005 through 2011.

To date, Bays is a seven-time recipient of primetime Emmy Awards nominations. One of these nominations includes Best Original Song for the song "Nothing Suits Me Like A Suit." His work on How I Met Your Mother won him the Best Comedy award at the 2012 People's Choice Awards.

In addition to How I Met Your Mother, Bays has written for other shows like Oliver Beene, Late Night with David Letterman, Quintuplets, and the "Stan of Arabia" episode of American Dad!.

Bays was born on August 12, 1975 in Shaker Heights, Ohio, USA. He is a 1997 graduate of Wesleyan University. Currently based in Los Angeles, he lives with Denise Cox, with whom he has two daughters.