Chapter 20

(a) Offense. - It is unlawful for a person less than 21 years old to drive a motor vehicle on a highway or public vehicular area while consuming alcohol or at any time while he has remaining in his body any alcohol or controlled substance previously consumed, but a person less th…

(a) Any prosecutor shall enter detailed facts in the record of any case subject to the implied-consent law or involving driving while license revoked for impaired driving as defined in G.S. 20-28.2 explaining orally in open court and in writing the reasons for his action if he: (…

(a) A person commits the offense of habitual impaired driving if he drives while impaired as defined in G.S. 20-138.1 and has been convicted of three or more offenses involving impaired driving as defined in G.S. 20-4.01(24a) within 10 years of the date of this offense. (b) A per…

(a) Offense. - No person shall drive a motor vehicle on a highway or the right-of-way of a highway while both of the following conditions are met: (1) There is an alcoholic beverage in the passenger area in other than the unopened manufacturer's original container. (2) The driver…

(a) Chemical Analysis Admissible. - In any implied-consent offense under G.S. 20-16.2, a person's alcohol concentration or the presence of any other impairing substance in the person's body as shown by a chemical analysis is admissible in evidence. This section does not limit the…

A person may obtain a duplicate of a license issued by the Division by paying a fee of sixteen dollars and seventy-five cents ($16.75) and giving the Division satisfactory proof that any of the following has occurred: (1) The person's license has been lost or destroyed. (2) It is…

(a) Any person who drives any vehicle upon a highway or any public vehicular area carelessly and heedlessly in willful or wanton disregard of the rights or safety of others shall be guilty of reckless driving. (b) Any person who drives any vehicle upon a highway or any public veh…

No person shall operate upon a highway or public vehicular area a motor vehicle which is so loaded or crowded with passengers or property, or both, as to obstruct the operator's view of the highway or public vehicular area, including intersections, or so as to impair or restrict …

On those sections of highways which are or become a part of the National System of Interstate and Defense Highways and other controlled-access highways, it shall be unlawful for any person: (1) To drive a vehicle over, upon, or across any curb, central dividing section or other s…

(a) No person shall operate a motorcycle or moped upon a highway or public vehicular area: (1) When the number of persons upon or within such motorcycle or moped, including the operator, shall exceed the number of persons which it was designed to carry. (2) Unless the operator an…

Special mobile equipment may not tow any vehicle other than the following: (1) A single passenger vehicle that can carry no more than nine passengers and is carrying no passengers. (2) A single property-hauling vehicle that has a registered weight of 5,000 pounds or less, is carr…

(a) No person shall drive a vehicle on a highway or in a public vehicular area at a speed greater than is reasonable and prudent under the conditions then existing. (b) Except as otherwise provided in this Chapter, it shall be unlawful to operate a vehicle in excess of the follow…

The Board of Transportation or local authorities within their respective jurisdictions may, by ordinance, set speed limits lower than those designated in G.S. 20-141 for areas adjacent to or near a public, private or parochial school. Limits set pursuant to this section shall bec…

(a) The following definitions apply to this section: (1) Reserved for future codification purposes. (2) Burnout. - Operation of a motor vehicle where the motor vehicle is kept stationary, or is in motion, while the wheels are spun, resulting in friction which causes the motor veh…

Proof of the operation upon any street or highway of North Carolina at a speed in excess of the limits provided by law of any motor vehicle when the motor, or any mechanical part or feature, or the design of the motor vehicle has been changed or altered so that there is a variati…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle on a street or highway willfully in prearranged speed competition with another motor vehicle. Any person violating the provisions of this subsection shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor. (b) It shall be unlawf…

(a) Repealed by Session Laws 1983, c. 435, s. 27. (a1) Felony Death by Vehicle. - A person commits the offense of felony death by vehicle if: (1) The person unintentionally causes the death of another person, (2) The person was engaged in the offense of impaired driving under G.S…

(a) It shall be unlawful for any person to operate a motor vehicle on a street, highway, or public vehicular area while fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer who is in the lawful performance of his duties. Except as provided in subsection (b) of this section, v…

(a) Any person who operates a motor vehicle on a street, highway, or public vehicular area is guilty of aggressive driving if the person: (1) Violates either G.S. 20-141 or G.S. 20-141.1, and (2) Drives carelessly and heedlessly in willful or wanton disregard of the rights or saf…

(a) Whenever any person driving a vehicle approaches a railroad grade crossing under any of the circumstances stated in this section, the driver of the vehicle shall stop within 50 feet, but not less than 15 feet from the nearest rail of the railroad and shall not proceed until h…

The Department of Transportation may designate particularly dangerous highway crossings of railroads and erect stop signs at those crossings. When a stop sign is erected at a highway crossing of a railroad, the driver of any vehicle shall stop within 50 feet but not less than 15 …

(a) Before crossing at grade any track or tracks of a railroad, the driver of any school bus, any activity bus, any motor vehicle carrying passengers for compensation, any commercial motor vehicle listed in 49 C.F.R. § 392.10, and any motor vehicle with a capacity of 16 or more p…

(a) No person shall operate or move any crawler-type tractor, crane, or roller or any equipment or structure having a normal operating speed of five or less miles per hour upon or across any tracks at a railroad crossing without first complying with this section. (b) Notice of an…

No driver shall enter an intersection or a marked crosswalk or drive onto any railroad grade crossing unless there is sufficient space on the other side of the intersection, crosswalk, or railroad grade crossing to accommodate the vehicle he is operating without obstructing the p…

It shall be unlawful to drive any vehicle upon any public bridge, causeway or viaduct at a speed which is greater than the maximum speed which can with safety to such structure be maintained thereon, when such structure is signposted as provided in this section. The Department of…

The speed limitations set forth in this Article shall not apply to vehicles when operated with due regard for safety under the direction of the police in the chase or apprehension of violators of the law or of persons charged with or suspected of any such violation, nor to fire d…

(a) Upon all highways of sufficient width a vehicle shall be driven upon the right half of the highway except as follows: (1) When overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction under the rules governing such movement; (2) When an obstruction exists makin…

(a) All motorcycles are entitled to full use of a lane and no motor vehicle shall be driven in such a manner as to deprive any motorcycle of the full use of a lane. This subsection shall not apply to motorcycles operated two abreast in a single lane. (b) Motorcycles shall not be …

(a) HOV Lanes. - The Department of Transportation may designate one or more travel lanes as high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on streets and highways on the State Highway System and cities may designate one or more travel lanes as high occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes on streets on…

In crossing an intersection of highways or the intersection of a highway by a railroad right-of-way, the driver of a vehicle shall at all times cause such vehicle to travel on the right half of the highway unless such right side is obstructed or impassable. (1937, c. 407, s. 109.…

Whenever a noncommercial passenger vehicle as defined in G.S. 20-4.01(27) l . is towing another vehicle as defined in G.S. 20-4.01(49), the driver of the towing vehicle shall at all times cause that vehicle to travel on the right half of the highway, and upon any highway having f…

Drivers of vehicles proceeding in opposite directions shall pass each other to the right, each giving to the other at least one half of the main-traveled portion of the roadway as nearly as possible. (1937, c. 407, s. 110.)

(a) The driver of any such vehicle overtaking another vehicle proceeding in the same direction shall pass at least two feet to the left thereof, and shall not again drive to the right side of the highway until safely clear of such overtaken vehicle. This subsection shall not appl…

(a) The Division shall have authority to cancel any driver's license upon determining any of the following: (1) The licensee was not entitled to the issuance of the license under this Chapter. (2) The licensee failed to give the required or correct information on the license appl…

The Division shall revoke the license of a person whose licensing privileges have been forfeited under G.S. 15A-1331.1, 50-13.12, and 110-142.2. If a revocation period set by this Chapter is longer than the revocation period resulting from the forfeiture of licensing privileges, …

(a) The driver of a vehicle shall not drive to the left side of the center of a highway, in overtaking and passing another vehicle proceeding in the same direction, unless such left side is clearly visible and is free of oncoming traffic for a sufficient distance ahead to permit …

The driver of a vehicle may overtake and pass upon the right of another vehicle only under the following conditions: (1) When the vehicle overtaken is in a lane designated for left turns; (2) Upon a street or highway with unobstructed pavement of sufficient width which have been …

(a) The driver of a motor vehicle shall not follow another vehicle more closely than is reasonable and prudent, having due regard for the speed of such vehicles and the traffic upon and the condition of the highway. (b) The driver of any motor vehicle traveling upon a highway out…

(a) Right Turns. - Both the approach for a right turn and a right turn shall be made as close as practicable to the right-hand curb or edge of the roadway. (b) Left Turns. - The driver of a vehicle intending to turn left at any intersection shall approach the intersection in the …

(a) The driver of any vehicle upon a highway or public vehicular area before starting, stopping or turning from a direct line shall first see that such movement can be made in safety, and if any pedestrian may be affected by such movement shall give a clearly audible signal by so…

(a) When two vehicles approach or enter an intersection from different highways at approximately the same time, the driver of the vehicle on the left shall yield the right-of-way to the vehicle on the right. (b) The driver of a vehicle intending to turn to the left within an inte…

(a) The driver of a vehicle about to enter or cross a highway from an alley, building entrance, private road, or driveway shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles approaching on the highway to be entered. (b) The driver of a vehicle upon the highway shall yield the right-of-w…

Approach of law enforcement, fire department or rescue squad vehicles or ambulances; driving over fire hose or blocking fire fighting equipment; parking, etc., near law enforcement, fire department, or rescue squad vehicle or ambulance. (a) Upon the approach of any law enforcemen…

(a) As used in this section, a "funeral procession" means two or more vehicles accompanying the remains of a deceased person, or traveling to the church, chapel, or other location at which the funeral services are to be held, in which the lead vehicle is either a State or local l…

(a) The Department of Transportation, with reference to State highways, and local authorities, with reference to highways under their jurisdiction, are hereby authorized to control vehicles: (1) At intersections, by erecting or installing stop signs requiring vehicles to come to …

The Department of Transportation, with reference to State highways, and cities and towns with reference to highways and streets under their jurisdiction, are authorized to designate main-traveled or through highways and streets by erecting at the entrance thereto from intersectin…

The North Carolina Turnpike Authority may control vehicles at appropriate places by erecting traffic control devices to collect tolls. (2002-133, s. 2.)

Any person, association, or other legal entity having responsibility for a controlled access system on a road that is a public vehicular area shall provide a means of immediate access to all emergency service vehicles, which shall include law enforcement, fire, rescue, ambulance,…

(a) The Division shall have authority to suspend the license of any operator with or without a preliminary hearing upon a showing by its records or other satisfactory evidence that the licensee: (1) through (4) Repealed by Session Laws 1979, c. 36; (5) Has, under the provisions o…

Any person who commits an offense for which points may be assessed pursuant to the Schedule of Point Values for Violations While Operating a Commercial Motor Vehicle as provided in G.S. 20-16(c) may be assessed double the amount of any fine or penalty authorized by statute. (1999…