Chapter 20

(a) The Commissioner of Motor Vehicles shall provide to each county jury commission an alphabetical list of all persons that the Commissioner has determined are residents of the county, who will be 18 years of age or older as of the first day of January of the following year, and…

The Division shall examine and determine the genuineness, regularity and legality of every application for registration of a vehicle and for a certificate of title therefor, and of any other application lawfully made in the Division, and may in all cases make investigation as may…

(a) The Division is authorized to take possession of any certificate of title, registration card, permit, license, or registration plate issued by it upon expiration, revocation, cancellation, or suspension thereof, or which is fictitious, or which has been unlawfully or erroneou…

(a) The Commissioner and officers of the Division designated by him shall have authority to summon witnesses to give testimony under oath or to give written deposition upon any matter under the jurisdiction of the Division. Such summons may require the production of relevant book…

(a) Whenever the Division is authorized or required to give any notice under this Chapter or other law regulating the operation of vehicles, unless a different method of giving such notice is otherwise expressly prescribed, such notice shall be given either by personal delivery t…

All members of the Highway Patrol and law enforcement officers of the Department of Public Safety shall have the power: (1) Of peace officers for the purpose of enforcing the provisions of this Article, G.S. 14-160.4, and of any other law regulating the operation of vehicles or t…

In addition to law enforcement authority granted in G.S. 20-49 or elsewhere, all sworn Motor Carrier Enforcement officers of the State Highway Patrol shall have the authority to enforce criminal laws under the following circumstances: (1) When they have probable cause to believe …

(a) Vehicles Seized by the State Highway Patrol. - Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the State Highway Patrol may retain any vehicle seized by the State Highway Patrol in the course of any investigation authorized by the provisions of G.S. 20-49 and forfeited to the Sta…

This Article may be cited as the Uniform Driver's License Act. (1935, c. 52, s. 31.)

(a) A vehicle intended to be operated upon any highway of this State must be registered with the Division in accordance with G.S. 20-52, and the owner of the vehicle must comply with G.S. 20-52 before operating the vehicle. A vehicle that is leased to an individual who is a resid…

(a) Property Taxes Paid with Registration. - The Division shall refuse to register a vehicle on which county and municipal taxes and fees have not been paid. (b) Delinquent Child Support Obligations. - Upon receiving a report from a child support enforcement agency that sanctions…

The following shall be exempt from the requirement of registration and certificate of title: (1) Any such vehicle driven or moved upon a highway in conformance with the provisions of this Article relating to manufacturers, dealers, or nonresidents. (2) Any such vehicle which is d…

(a) An owner of a vehicle subject to registration must apply to the Division for a certificate of title, a registration plate, and a registration card for the vehicle. To apply, an owner must complete an application provided by the Division. The application shall contain a prepri…

(a) Any manufacturer transferring a new motor vehicle to another shall, at the time of the transfer, supply the transferee with a manufacturer's certificate of origin assigned to the transferee. (b) Any dealer transferring a new vehicle to another dealer shall, at the time of tra…

(a) Notwithstanding the provisions of G.S. 20-52, the Division is directed to create and issue an unregisterable certificate of title. An owner of an eligible vehicle may apply for an unregisterable certificate of title by submitting an application on a form provided by the Divis…

(a) In the event the vehicle to be registered is a specially constructed, reconstructed, or foreign vehicle, such fact shall be stated in the application, and with reference to every foreign vehicle which has been registered outside of this State, the owner shall surrender to the…

(a) Specially constructed vehicles shall be titled in the following manner: (1) Replica vehicles shall be titled as the year, make, and model of the vehicle intended to be replicated. A label of "Replica" shall be applied to the title and registration card. All replica vehicle ti…

(a) Any person aggrieved by the Division's determination of the appropriate vehicle classification for a specially constructed vehicle may request review of that determination by the Vehicle Classification Review Committee. This review shall be initiated by completing a Vehicle C…

(a) Registration. - Mopeds shall be registered with the Division. The owner of the moped shall pay the same base fee and be issued the same type of registration card and plate issued for a motorcycle. In order to be registered with the Division and operated upon a highway or publ…

(a) Registration and Certificate of Title. - The Division shall register and issue a certificate of title for an HMMWV if all of the following conditions are met: (1) The applicant for the title and registration of the HMMWV has provided to the Division a sworn affidavit certifyi…

Any owner of an all-terrain vehicle, modified utility vehicle, or utility vehicle may apply to the Division for a certificate of title by completing an application on a form provided by the Division and paying the fee established under G.S. 20-85(a)(1). The application form shall…

The Division shall refuse registration or issuance of a certificate of title or any transfer of registration upon any of the following grounds: (1) The application contains a false or fraudulent statement, the applicant has failed to furnish required information or reasonable add…

(a) Upon receipt of notice of conviction of a violation of an offense involving impaired driving while the person's license is revoked as a result of a prior impaired driving license revocation as defined in G.S. 20-28.2, the Division shall revoke the registration of all motor ve…

The Division, upon receiving application for any transfer of registration or for original registration of a vehicle, other than a new vehicle sold by a North Carolina dealer, shall first check the engine and serial numbers shown in the application with its record of registered mo…

(a) The Division shall file each application received, and when satisfied as to the genuineness and regularity thereof, and that the applicant is entitled to register such vehicle and to the issuance of a certificate of title, shall register the vehicle therein described and keep…

(a) The Division upon registering a vehicle shall issue a registration card and a certificate of title as separate documents. (b) The registration card shall be delivered to the owner and shall contain upon the face thereof the name and address of the owner, the registration numb…

(a) Except as provided in G.S. 20-58.8, a security interest in a vehicle of a type for which a certificate of title is required shall be perfected only as hereinafter provided: (1) If the vehicle is not registered in this State, the application for notation of a security interest…

(a) Upon receipt of an application for notation of security interest, the required fee and accompanying documents required by G.S. 20-58, the Division, if it finds the application and accompanying documents in order, shall either endorse upon the certificate of title or issue a n…

The provisions of G.S. 20-58 through 20-58.9 inclusive shall be effective and relate to the perfecting and giving notice of security interests entered into on and after January 1, 1962. (1961, c. 835, s. 6.)

If the application for notation of security interest with the required fee is delivered to the Division within 20 days after the date of the security agreement, the security interest is perfected as of the date of the execution of the security agreement. Otherwise, the security i…

An assignee of a security interest may have the certificate of title endorsed or issued with the assignee named as the secured party, upon delivering to the Division on a form prescribed by the Division, with the required fee, an assignment by the secured party named in the certi…

(a) For the purposes of this section, the term "secured party" means the secured party named on a certificate of title for a manufactured home and those parties that succeed to the rights of the secured party as a secured creditor by assignment or otherwise. The term "borrower" m…

(a) Upon the satisfaction or other discharge of a security interest in a vehicle for which the certificate of title is in the possession of the secured party, the secured party shall, within the earlier of 10 days after demand or 30 days from the date of satisfaction, execute a r…

(a) Implementation. - No later than January 1, 2015, the Division shall implement a statewide electronic lien system to process the notification, release, and maintenance of security interests and certificate of title data where a lien is notated, through electronic means instead…

Any security interest recorded in favor of a corporation which, since the recording of such security interest, has dissolved or become inactive for any reason, and which remains of record as a security interest of such corporation for a period of more than three years from the da…

A secured party named in a certificate of title shall, upon written request of the Division, the owner or another secured party named on the certificate, disclose information when called upon by such person, within 10 days after his lien shall have been paid and satisfied, and an…

The cancellation of a certificate of title shall not, in and of itself, affect the validity of a security interest noted on it. (1961, c. 835, s. 6; 1969, c. 838, s. 1.)

(a) Repealed by Session Laws 2000, c. 169, s. 30. (b) The provisions of G.S. 20-58 through 20-58.8 inclusive shall not apply to or affect: (1) A lien given by statute or rule of law for storage of a motor vehicle or to a supplier of services or materials for a vehicle; (2) A lien…

It shall be unlawful and constitute a Class 3 misdemeanor for a lienor who holds a certificate of title as provided in this Article to refuse or fail to surrender such certificate of title to the person legally entitled thereto, when called upon by such person, within 10 days aft…

The owner of a motor vehicle who has made a bona fide sale or transfer of his title or interest, and who has delivered possession of such vehicle and the certificate of title thereto properly endorsed to the purchaser or transferee, shall not be liable for any damages thereafter …

Except as permitted under G.S. 20-62.1, any owner dismantling or wrecking any vehicle shall forward to the Division the certificate of title, registration card and other proof of ownership, and the registration plates last issued for such vehicle, unless such plates are to be tra…

(a) Records for Scrap or Parts. - A secondary metals recycler, as defined in G.S. 66-420(8), and a salvage yard, as defined in G.S. 20-137.7(6), purchasing motor vehicles solely for the purposes of dismantling or wrecking such motor vehicles for the recovery of scrap metal or for…

Registration plates furnished by Division; requirements; replacement of regular plates with First in Flight plates, First in Freedom plates, or National/State Mottos plates; surrender and reissuance; displaying; preservation and cleaning; alteration or concealment of numbers; com…

(a) A surety bond is required for each commission contractor that is not a governmental subdivision of this State that is granted a contract to issue license plates or conduct business pursuant to G.S. 20-63. Provided, however, a commission contractor that is unable to secure a b…

(a) Committee and Duties. - An advisory committee is established and is designated the License Plate Agent (LPA) Advisory Committee. The Division and the LPA Advisory Committee are directed to work together to ensure excellent and efficient customer service with respect to vehicl…

(a) Registration Plate Standards. - The Division of Motor Vehicles is hereby authorized to cause vehicle license plates for 1968 and future years to be completely treated with reflectorized materials designed to increase visibility and legibility of license plates at night. The D…

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this Article, registration plates shall be retained by the owner thereof upon disposition of the vehicle to which assigned, and may be assigned to another vehicle, belonging to such owner and of a like vehicle category within the meaning of G.S…

(a) Annual Renewal. - The registration of a vehicle must be renewed annually. In accordance with G.S. 105-330.5(b), upon receiving written consent from the owner of the vehicle, the Division may send any required notice of renewal electronically to an email address provided by th…

(a) Address. - A person whose address changes from the address stated on a certificate of title or registration card must notify the Division of the change within 60 days after the change occurs. The person may obtain a duplicate certificate of title or registration card stating …

(a) In the event any registration card or registration plate is lost, mutilated, or becomes illegible, the owner or legal representative of the owner of the vehicle for which the same was issued, as shown by the records of the Division, shall immediately make application for and …