Chapter 20

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this section, the executive head of every department of State government and every county, institution, or agency of the State shall mark every motor vehicle owned by the State, county, institution, or agency with a statement that the vehicle b…

Any motor carrier, its officers or agents in charge thereof, that fails or refuses upon the written demand of the State Highway Patrol to permit its authorized representatives or employees to examine and inspect its books, records, accounts and documents, or its plant, property, …

If any motor carrier doing business in this State by its agents or employees shall be guilty of the violations of the rules and regulations provided and prescribed by the Division or the State Highway Patrol, and if after due notice of such violation given to the principal office…

Every officer, agent or employee of any motor carrier, who shall willfully neglect or refuse to make and furnish any report required by the Division or State Highway Patrol for the purposes of this Article, or who shall willfully or unlawfully hinder, delay or obstruct the Divisi…

It shall be unlawful for any agent or employee of the State Highway Patrol knowingly and willfully to divulge any fact or information which may come to his knowledge during the course of any examination or inspection made under authority of this Article, except to the State Highw…

The remedies given by this Article to persons injured shall be regarded as cumulative to the remedies otherwise provided by law against motor carriers. (1985, c. 454, s. 1.)

If any person shall willfully do or cause to be done any act or acts whatever whereby any building, construction or work of any motor carrier, or any engine, machine or structure of any matter or thing appertaining to the same shall be stopped, obstructed, impaired, weakened, inj…

(a) Any person, whether carrier, shipper, consignee, or any officer, employee, agent, or representative thereof, who by means of any false statement or representation, or by the use of any false or fictitious bill, bill of lading, receipt, voucher, roll, account, claim, certifica…

(a) Every person, firm or corporation operating under the jurisdiction of the State Highway Patrol or who is required by law to file reports with the State Highway Patrol who shall knowingly or willfully file or give false information to the State Highway Patrol in any report, re…

(a) No carrier shall operate or attempt to operate any motor vehicle upon a highway, public street, or public vehicular area within the State in the transportation of household goods for compensation unless the name or trade name and the North Carolina number assigned to the carr…

Unless the context requires otherwise, the following definitions apply throughout this Chapter to the defined words and phrases and their cognates: (1) Airbag. - A motor vehicle inflatable occupant restraint system device that is part of a supplemental restraint system. (1a) Alco…

(a) Adjustment for Inflation. - Beginning July 1, 2020, and every four years thereafter, the Division shall adjust the fees and rates imposed pursuant to the statutes listed in this subsection for inflation in accordance with the Consumer Price Index computed by the Bureau of Lab…

(a) Authorization. - The Division is authorized to charge a fee to any person who requests an administrative hearing before the Division in accordance with this Chapter. (b) Requirements for Requesting a Hearing. - Any request for an administrative hearing before the Division mus…

(a) Authorization. - The Division is authorized to establish and maintain electronic systems and means for renewals of all licenses, permits, certificates, and registrations issued by the Division pursuant to this Chapter for the purposes of administrative efficiency and to moder…

(a) When the Division accepts electronic payment, as that term is defined in G.S. 147-86.20, for any cost, fee, fine, or penalty imposed pursuant to this Chapter, the Division may add a transaction fee to each electronic payment transaction to offset the service charge the Divisi…

It is the policy of this State to promote and encourage the fullest possible use of its highway system by authorizing the making and execution of motor vehicle reciprocal registration agreements, arrangements and declarations with other states, provinces, territories and countrie…

All agreements, arrangements or declarations or amendments thereto shall be in writing and shall be filed in the office of the Commissioner. Copies thereof shall be made available by the Commissioner upon request and upon payment of a fee therefor in an amount necessary to defray…

All reciprocity registration agreements, arrangements and declarations relating to vehicles in force and effect July 1, 1961, shall continue in force and effect until specifically amended or revoked as provided by law or by such agreements or arrangements. (1961, c. 642, s. 1.)

This Article shall be, and construed as, a part of and supplemental to the motor vehicle registration law of this State. (1961, c. 642, s. 1.) §

Unless the context otherwise requires, the following words and phrases, for the purpose of this Article, shall have the following meanings: (1) Citation. - Any citation, summons, ticket, or other document issued by a law-enforcement officer for the violation of a traffic law, ord…

(a) Notwithstanding other provisions of this Chapter, a law-enforcement officer observing a violation of this Chapter or other traffic regulation by a nonresident shall issue a citation as appropriate and shall not, subject to the provisions of subsection (b) of this section, req…

As used in this Article: (1) "Commercial vehicle" means any vehicle which is operated in furtherance of any commercial enterprise. (2) "Commissioner" means the Commissioner of Motor Vehicles of North Carolina. (3) "Division" means the Division of Motor Vehicles of North Carolina.…

(a) Upon receipt of a report of noncompliance, the Division shall transmit a certified copy of such report to the official in charge of the issuance of licenses in the reciprocating state in which the nonresident resides or by which he is licensed. (b) When the licensing authorit…

This Article is the Drivers License Compact and may be cited by that name. (1993, c. 533, s. 1.)

The Commissioner may execute or make agreements, arrangements, or declarations to implement this Article. (1993, c. 533, s. 1.)

(a) Findings. - The General Assembly and the states that are members of the Drivers License Compact find that: (1) The safety of their streets and highways is materially affected by the degree of compliance with state laws and local ordinances relating to the operation of motor v…

(a) Reports. - A state that is a member of the Drivers License Compact shall report to another member state of the compact a conviction for any of the following: (1) Manslaughter or negligent homicide resulting from the operation of a motor vehicle. (2) Driving a motor vehicle wh…

Upon application for a license to drive, the licensing authority of a state that is a member of the Drivers License Compact must determine if the applicant has ever held, or currently holds, a license to drive issued by another member state. The licensing authority of the member …

Except as expressly required by the provisions of this Article, this Article does not affect the right of a member state to the Drivers License Compact to apply any of its other laws relating to licenses to drive to any person or circumstance, nor does it invalidate or prevent an…

To the extent that this Article conflicts with general driver licensing provisions in this Chapter, this Article prevails. Where this Article is silent, the general driver licensing provisions apply. (1993, c. 533, s. 1.)

The head of the licensing authority of each member state is the administrator of the Drivers License Compact for that state. The administrators, acting jointly, have the power to formulate all necessary procedures for the exchange of information under this compact. The administra…

A member state may withdraw from the Drivers License Compact. A withdrawal may not become effective until at least six months after the heads of all other member states have received notice of the withdrawal. Withdrawal does not affect the validity or applicability by the licensi…

The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall have the authority to execute or make agreements, arrangements or declarations to carry out the provisions of this Article. (1961, c. 642, s. 1.)

This Article shall be liberally construed to effectuate its purposes. The provisions of this Article are severable; if any part of this Article is declared to be invalid by a court, the invalidity does not affect other parts of this Article that can be given effect without the in…

(a) The Commissioner may enter into an agreement or arrangement for interstate or intrastate operations with the duly authorized representatives of another jurisdiction, granting to vehicles or to owners of vehicles which are properly registered or licensed in such jurisdiction a…

An agreement or arrangement entered into, or a declaration issued under the authority of this Article may contain provisions authorizing the registration or licensing in another jurisdiction of vehicles located in or operated from a base in such other jurisdiction which vehicles …

An agreement or arrangement entered into, or a declaration issued under the authority of this Article, may contain provisions under which a leased vehicle properly registered by the lessor thereof may be entitled, subject to terms and conditions stated therein, to the exemptions,…

On and after July 1, 1961, if no agreement, arrangement or declaration is in effect with respect to another jurisdiction as authorized by this Article, any vehicle properly registered or licensed in such other jurisdiction and for which evidence of compliance supplied shall recei…

Agreements, arrangements or declarations made under the authority of this Article may include provisions authorizing the Division to suspend or cancel the exemptions, benefits or privileges granted thereunder to a vehicle which is in violation of any of the conditions or terms of…

The Commissioner shall maintain an office in Wake County, North Carolina, or a surrounding county, and in such places in the State as the Commissioner deems necessary to properly carry out the provisions of this Article. (1937, c. 407, s. 5; 2018-5, s. 34.24(c).)

The following definitions apply in this Article: (1) Automated driving system. - The hardware and software that are collectively capable of performing the entire dynamic driving task on a sustained basis, regardless of whether it is operating within a limited or unlimited operati…

(a) Driver's License Not Required. - Notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 20-7 and this Chapter, the operator of a fully autonomous vehicle with the automated driving system engaged is not required to be licensed to operate a motor vehicle. (b) Vehicle Registration Card in Vehi…

(a) Definitions. - As used in this section, a "request to intervene" means notification by a vehicle to the human operator that the operator should promptly begin or resume performance of part or all of the dynamic driving task. (b) Applicability. - Operation of a motor vehicle e…

(a) Committee Established. - There is hereby created a Fully Autonomous Vehicle Committee within the Department of Transportation. (b) Membership. - The following persons shall serve on the Committee: (1) Secretary of Transportation, or the Secretary's designee. (2) The Secretary…

The Commissioner shall provide suitable forms for applications, certificates of title and registration cards, registration number plates and all other forms requisite for the purpose of this Article, and shall prepay all transportation charges thereon. (1937, c. 407, s. 6.)

(a) Officers and employees of the Division designated by the Commissioner are, for the purpose of administering the motor vehicle laws, authorized to administer oaths and acknowledge signatures, and shall charge for the acknowledgment of signatures a fee according to the followin…

(a) All records of the Division, other than those declared by law to be confidential for the use of the Division, shall be open to public inspection during office hours in accordance with G.S. 20-43.1. A signature recorded in any format by the Division for a drivers license or a …

(a) The Division shall disclose personal information contained in motor vehicle records in accordance with the federal Driver's Privacy Protection Act of 1994, as amended, 18 U.S.C. §§ 2721, et seq. (b) As authorized in 18 U.S.C. § 2721, the Division shall not disclose personal i…

(a) The Department of Transportation, Division of Motor Vehicles, shall establish and maintain a statewide, online Organ Donor Registry website (hereafter "Donor Registry"). The purpose of the Donor Registry is to enable federally designated organ procurement organizations and ey…

The Division is authorized to collect and maintain necessary motor carrier or commercial motor vehicle data in a manner that complies with the information system established by the United States Secretary of Transportation under 49 U.S.C. § 31106. (2019-196, s. 1.)