In North Carolina, residents must register their vehicles with the Division of Motor Vehicles.
Any new or out-of-state vehicle must obtain plates for North Carolina within 30 days.
Various plate types are issued, such as disability, specialty, standard, and personalized license plates.
Residents in North Carolina must register their vehicles with the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV).
There are various license plates that can be issued, such as:
People registering their vehicle with the DMV will be issued a standard set of plates for cars, vans, or trucks, or a single plate for motorcycles and trailers.
It is possible to obtain specialty plates with the unique design of a charity, organization, occupation, or cause. There are certain requirements and additional fees for these license plates.
For people with disabilities, it is required to submit medical documentation to receive disability plates or placards. Disability license plates in North Carolina are issued to:
Most license plates available in North Carolina can be personalized with a unique plate number.
All residents must apply for license plates in the state of North Carolina if:
New residents have 30 days to register their out-of-state vehicle.
If you are purchasing a vehicle from a dealership, the dealership may be able to help with the registration of the vehicle. They will provide temporary plates that allow you to drive legally while your registration is being processed.
When buying a vehicle from a private seller, you must obtain temporary plates from the DMV or local dealership. Temporary plates are valid for 30 days and cannot be renewed.
There are a variety of unique and elegantly designed license plates provided by the state of North Carolina. The following are a few examples of specialty plates that can be registered:
These are just a few examples of the specialty plates available in North Carolina. Contact a North Carolina DMV for more information about speciality plates, pricing, and eligibility.
Most standard, specialty, and disability license plates can be personalized in North Carolina. Applicants are required to follow these guidelines when applying for personalized license plates:
Registering and renewing specialty license plates cost $30. Available plate numbers should be checked in advance before applying.
It is possible to transfer license plates from a previous vehicle to a new vehicle only if the vehicle is registered in the same name. It is not possible to transfer license plates to the person purchasing a vehicle from another person.
When transferring license plates, it is necessary to do the following at a DMV office in North Carolina:
If license plates are lost, stolen, or damaged, they must be replaced from the DMV immediately.
In addition to the application forms and documents required to apply for replacements, the fees are:
Although a police report is not required if license plates in North Carolina are stolen, filing a police report helps to prevent their abuse and misuse.
It may be required to surrender license plates if:
License plates can be surrendered either in person or mailed to a DMV office.
Before the registration of a vehicle expires, it is mandatory to renew it. Renewal can be done:
Upon receiving new decals, they can be placed over the old decals. Vehicles should be renewed before the date expires, in order to avoid any late fees.
Available license plate numbers can be found using the search engine above. Simply enter the plate number for the state of North Carolina, and the results will reveal whether a plate is available or not.
FindByPlate can also be used to obtain some historic and background information about the vehicle registered to a license plate.
