To find a DMV office and make an appointment, click here.

Licenses

Within 60 days of establishing permanent residency in North Carolina, you are required to apply for a North Carolina driver’s license. This requires an out-of-state ID, a document showing your Social Security Number, and a document showing your North Carolina address.

An out-of-state driver’s license typically exempts you from the written and road tests.

Non-permanent residents do not need to complete this process. However, international driver’s licenses will not be accepted by the police if you get pulled over.

Local Driver’s License Agencies

Carrboro Plaza

100 NC Highway 54, Suite 104JJ
Carrboro, NC 27510
(919) 929-4161

East Durham

101 South Miami Boulevard
Durham, NC 27703
(919) 560-6896

Hope Valley Commons

3825 South Roxboro Street, Suite 119
Durham, NC 27713
(919) 560-3378

Registration

To register your vehicle and obtain a North Carolina license plate, you must provide the vehicle title, your North Carolina driver’s license, and proof of insurance to a license plate agency. Additionally, within 90 days of applying for registration, you must have the vehicle inspected to ensure that it is safe for the road. This requirement can be waived if you provide a vehicle maintenance report, such as an oil change.

Your insurance is required to provide $25,000 in property protection, $30,000 for bodily injury to any one person, and $60,000 for bodily injury to any person. Proof of insurance requires a copy of the policy, a FS-1 form listing the information of the insured vehicle, or a DL-123 insurance form as provided by the insurance company.

The fees associated with the registration process can exceed $350.

Visit the NC DOT website for more information.

Local License Plate Agencies

Carrboro Plaza

100 NC Highway 54, Suite 104JJ
Carrboro, NC 27510
(919) 929-4161

Greenwood Commons

5410 NC Highway 55, Suite AB
Durham, NC 27713
(919) 544-3662

Parkway Plaza

4215 University Drive, Suite 8
Durham, NC 27707
(919) 286-4908