Destroyers used local protection instead of armor belts

Did destroyers carry armor belts or armored decks?

Generally no. Protection was concentrated around magazines and sometimes machinery, usually with high-tensile steel rather than a full armor scheme.

Destroyer protection was local and selective. Magazines and sometimes machinery spaces received extra shielding, while the hull did not carry a capital-ship-style belt or armored deck. Much of that protection used high-tensile steel rather than armor plate, so a protected compartment did not make the destroyer an armored ship.