North Carolina License Plate Lookup

There are a lot of license plate lookup services in North Carolina. These services can provide you with precious information for free. In some cases, to obtain certain information, you will need to pay a fixed price. This can come in useful in the following situations:

• Hit and run cases
• Criminal cases like assault, fraud, etc.
• Investigation of infidelity, divorce, or custody
• Personal/property damage

Still, there are many other situations that license plate search can help to handle.

Registering a vehicle in North Carolina

In North Carolina, every vehicle owner is required to register the car before driving it. This way the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles protects the drivers on the road. By registering your vehicle, you protect it. Before the car registration, the owner should submit a title of the vehicle. This serves as proof of vehicle ownership.

First things first, to register a vehicle in New Carolina, you need the following documents:

• A driver’s license
• Proof of the vehicle insurance
• A completed application form
• A vehicle title
• Fee for the license plate and other tax payments

North Carolina residents can register their vehicles in two ways:

• in person
• by mail

If you choose to register your car in person, visit North Carolina DMV office. In addition to the mentioned documents, you will need:

• proof of the car purchase
• an Odometer Disclosure Statement of the vehicle

However, you can register your car by mail. This is an easy process. You will need to send the same documents to the indicated address.

_{Rejected registration}

There are cases, that the registration might be rejected. This happens when the vehicle lacks insurance. Another reason for rejection can be errors in the submitted documents. To complete the registration, the vehicle owners should eliminate the possible errors.

The price of the certificate of title in NC is $56.

The registration fee in the state starts from $15. The vehicle type determines the fee.

North Carolina License plates

The state suggests several types of license plates.

_{Standard plates}

There are three types of standard plates in the state: First in Flight, First in Freedom, and National and state motto plates. They differ in their design.

_{Specialty plates}

Specialty plates have more than 100 different designs. Each of them represents a special group or community. For specialty plates, the drivers pay additional fees. The fee depends on the chosen license plate. You can order this type of plate online or in person.

Companies that want to obtain their own specialty plate should submit an application to the Division of Motor Vehicles. Every year, by spring, DMV submits the applications to the North Carolina General Assembly. The specialty plates are issued to the companies only when the General Assembly approves their applications. In case a company gets approval, the DMV issues the license plates within 180 days.

_{Personalized plates}

All the vehicle owners in NC can personalize their standard and special plates. Plate personalization requires an additional fee. The plates are ready in 8 weeks after the purchase.

Application forms can be sent to the indicated address by mail. The owners of standard or special plates can order their personalized plates online. They only need to submit the current license plate number.

You can choose up to eight characters for the plates. When you make a decision to get a personalized license plate, you also support a number of state charity programs.

There is a list of banned NC license plates you should check before submitting your application.

_{Disability plates and placards}

In North Carolina, disabled drivers can get disability plates and placards. This way the state assists the drivers who:

•  Cannot walk without an assistance
•  Have difficulties moving because of their health condition

Disability plates are placed on the back of the vehicle. They replace the standard ones.

Placards are attached to the rearview mirror of the vehicle.

For placards, the fixed fee is $6. The additional fee for disability plates is $36. To get the plates, residents with health conditions should submit an application to DMV. Together with the application, car owners submit documentation proving their health issues. The documents must have a signature of a health care representative.

North Carolina Vehicle Registration Renewal

In NC vehicle registration is an annual process. Before the expiration date, the Division of Motor Vehicles notifies the vehicle owners. The notice is sent to the address indicated in the registration records. The renewal notice includes all the fees and taxes required for the renewal.

The residents of NC can renew their car registration by mail or in person. Drivers can also use the PayIt online service. This service enables the drivers to save their time and nerves completing the registration renewal online. The fee for PayIt usage is $3.

For the registration renewal, you will need to submit

• the last 5 digits of the vehicle title number
•  the license plate number
  You can find this data in the renewal notice. Usually, you get the notice 60 days before the registration expiry. Before the registration renewal, all the vehicles undergo a safety inspection.

_{New Bern vehicle registration and renewal}

The Division of Motor vehicle in New Bern, North Carolina, offers numerous services:

• Registration
• License plates
• Vehicle insurance
• Titles

You can visit the DMV office at the following address: 2505 Neuse Boulevard, New Bern, North Carolina, 28562.

License plate replacement

North Carolina DMV has made a decision to replace plates that are older than 6 years. This process was expected to begin at the beginning of 2020. Because of the COVID19 pandemic, the replacement was suspended.
According to the recent calculations, about 2.4 million old license plates will be replaced over a year. From 2022, DMV plans to replace a great number of specialty, personalized, and commercial plates.

The design of the plates will mainly retain. However, the letters and numbers will not be plunging as before. On the new plates, they will be flat.

The vehicle owners can choose to keep their old numbers. The replaced plates should be returned to the DMV office.

The residents of the state do not have to pay an extra fee for the replacement. They will only pay for the annual registration renewal.

North Carolina DMV does not replace plates that are less than 6 years old. This decision is made due to the aluminum shortage. However, the new plates will be aluminum, but they will be made with different techniques.

_{Lost, Damaged, and Stolen plates}

It is possible to replace lost, damaged, and stolen license plates. You can easily do it in person. For lost and stolen plate replacement, all drivers are requested to fill in an MVR-18A Form.

You can replace your license plate by mail, online, or in person.

If you choose to replace your car registration or plate by mail, you should submit:

• a completed MVR-18A Form
• proof of insurance
• payment of $21.50 for the plate replacement

Anyway, if you prefer to replace the license plate online, submit:

• the license plate number
• vehicle title number (the last 5 characters)
• a valid credit or debit card for the payment ($21.50)

At last, you can make the replacement in person. As long as you prefer to do it in person, you need to submit the following:

• A completed MVR-18 Form
• ID card
• Vehicle insurance proof
• Payment ($21.50)

Drivers are not required to report license plate thefts. However, you can choose to file a report. This way you can ensure your own safety.

Transferring plates in North Carolina

It is possible to transfer your license plate from your old vehicle to a new one. You transfer the plate during the registration of the new car. The procedure is possible if:

• There is an insurance proof
• The license name and vehicle title match
• The vehicle has undergone an inspection

_{Surrendering license plates in North Carolina}

When do you have to surrender your NC plate?
You should surrender your vehicle license plate

• If you have just sold or donated your vehicle
• If you are moving to another state

Where can I turn in my License plate?

You can turn in the license plate to the state’s DMV office.

Note, that you should first surrender the license plate and then cancel the insurance.

Moreover, you are entitled to get a refund. For this, you should submit

• the plate surrender proof
• the copy of your new registration card (of another state)
• the copy of the bill (if you have sold your vehicle)

Submit the mentioned documents to the tax office of your current location.