Standard plates
For all motor vehicles registered in North Carolina, NCDMV issues a standard license plate that is available in three designs for private passenger and private hauler vehicles:
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"First in Flight": Commemorates the Wright Brothers' first powered flight at Kitty Hawk, N.C. in 1903.
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"First in Freedom": Recognizes two important North Carolina milestones in the American Revolution.
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National/State Motto: Includes both the United States motto ("In God We Trust") and North Carolina motto ("To Be Rather Than to Seem").
Specialty plates
NCDMV issues specialty license plates representing more than
100 causes and interest groups. Fees vary depending on the design chosen and are in addition to standard vehicle registration fees.
Specialty plates are made in limited production and subject to availability. They can be ordered online, by mail, or by visiting a
license plate agency.
Learn more about ordering a speciality plate
Personalized plates
Standard and specialty license plates can be personalized for an additional fee and can be ordered online, by mail, or by visiting a
license plate agency.
Please note: Supreme Court case law has deemed state-issued license plates as "government speech" and provides the issuing agency with broad discretion in refusing to issue or recall a plate with an in decent word/phrase or meaning. Therefore, such speech is not subject to a First Amendment analysis.
Learn more about ordering a personalized plate
Returning your plate
If you cancel your liability insurance, move out-of-state, sell a vehicle without transferring the plate, or if a vehicle is totaled, you must immediately surrender the plate.
North Carolina license plates can be returned to any
license plate agency or by mailing it to:
NCDMV Vehicle Registration Section
Renewal Title & Plate Unit
3148 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27697-3148
Please note: You must return the plate BEFORE canceling your liability insurance to avoid fines.
Lost, stolen & damaged plates
Lost, stolen, and damaged license plates may be replaced by visiting a
license plate agency with the following:
Lost, stolen & damaged registration stickers
If your plate's registration sticker is damaged, defective, faded, lost, or incorrect, it can be replaced by visiting a
license plate agency with the following:
- MVR-18 Form
- Damaged, defective, faded or incorrect sticker
- Proof of liability insurance provided by a company licensed to do business in North Carolina
- Vehicle insurance policy number
Requests for replacement stickers can also be submitted
online or by mail (defective or incorrect sticker must be mailed back with request).
Transferring plates to another vehicle
To transfer a license plate from one vehicle to another, the individual transferring the plate must meet the following requirements:
- Maintain liability insurance on both vehicles and provide proof of the coverage
- The vehicle to which the license plate is being transferred must have a current inspection
- The license plate being transferred must be valid
- The name on the applicant's license and the vehicle title must match
A fee is required for license plate transfers (see the table below), except in the following cases when a vehicle is already titled in North Carolina when:
- Transferring ownership of a single vehicle from single ownership to joint ownership (if one of the names is the same)
- Transferring ownership of a single vehicle from joint ownership to single ownership (if one of the names is the same)
- The registered owner dies and the title is transferred to a surviving spouse
Restrictions
In cases where a vehicle's owner dies, some specialty plates (e.g., military, disabled veteran, disability, etc.) cannot be transferred to surviving spouses since the plates carry eligibility requirements. Some plates, such as the Prisoner of War plate, are transferable if the surviving spouse does not remarry and continues to renew the plate each year.
License plate/registration fees
License plate/registration fees vary depending on the type of vehicle being plated, and where the vehicle is registered. Some counties also charge local and regional transportation taxes on certain types of vehicles.