The main objective of this study is to further extend the mixed integration smoothed quadrilateral element with 20 unknowns of displacement (MISQ20) to investigate the nonlinear dynamic responses of functionally graded carbon nanotube-reinforced composite (FG-CNTRC) plates with four types of carbon nanotube distributions. The smooth finite element method is used to enhance the accuracy of the Q4 element and avoid shear locking without using any shear correction factors. This method yields accurate results even if the element exhibits a concave quadrilateral shape and reduces the error when the element meshing is rough. Additionally, the element stiffness matrix is established by integrating the boundary of the smoothing domains. The motion equation of the FG-CNTRC plates is solved by adapting the Newmark method combined with the Newton–Raphson algorithm. Subsequently, the calculation program is coded in the MATLAB software and verified by comparing it with other published solutions. Finally, the effects of the input parameters on the nonlinear vibration of the plates are investigated.