In North Carolina, residents must register their vehicles with the Division of Motor Vehicles.
Any new car or out-of-state vehicle must obtain plates for North Carolina within 30 days.
There are various plates 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:
Those registering their vehicle with the DMV will be issued a standard set of plates for cars, vans, trucks or a single plate for motorcycles and trailers.
It is possible to obtain specialty plates which has a unique design of a charity, organization, occupation, or cause. There are certain requirements and additional fees included with the 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 purchasing a vehicle from a dealership, it is possible that the dealership will assist with the registration of the vehicle. They will provide temporary plates which allow vehicle owners to drive legally while their registration is processed.
When buying a vehicle from a private seller, it is mandatory to 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:
The following is reveals only 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 individual purchasing a vehicle from another person.
When transferring license plates, it is necessary to perform 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 make a renewal. Renewals can be done:
Upon receiving new decals, they can be placed over the old decals. Vehicles should be renewed prior to their expiration 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.
