One of the first things you need to do when moving to North Carolina is either buy a vehicle or bring your own. Although public transportation within the downtowns of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill is ok, once you get out of there it becomes very cumbersome. The first thing you need to do is get an NC driver’s license within 60 days of getting your residency. Then the title. There has been some flexibility/leniency with this thanks to the pandemic but unclear how long that will last.
Applying for your NC Driver's License
To apply for a North Carolina driver license, new residents must visit an NCDMV driver license office with the following:
- Out-of-state license or one document (with full name) proving identity and date of birth
- Social Security card or other document proving Social Security number
- One document verifying physical address in North Carolina (two are required if getting an NC REAL ID)
- For individuals not born in the U.S., one document (with full name) proving legal presence/lawful status
A document proving liability insurance coverage from a provider licensed to do business in North Carolina
Additional Details
- Written and road tests may be waived for individuals with a valid license from another state.
- Once North Carolina issues a driver license, out-of-state licenses are no longer valid and should be properly discarded or surrendered to:
N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles
Driver License Section
3120 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27697-3120
- Additional requirements may apply, depending on the type of license and individual needs.
- A valid license issued by a government agency from a U.S. state or another country is required to drive legally in North Carolina. North Carolina law enforcement authorities do not recognize international driver licenses.
You can make an appointment with the DMV here.
Titling & Registering a Vehicle
After obtaining a North Carolina driver’s license, new residents must also register their vehicle when they accept gainful employment or at the expiration of the time granted by the reciprocity agreement between North Carolina and their prior state of residence (usually 30 days), whichever occurs first.
To register, take the following to a local license plate agency:
- Vehicle title (or if held by a lender, a registration card)
- MVR-1 Title Application
- MVR-180 Odometer Disclosure (if vehicle is less than 10 years old)
- A North Carolina driver license or a valid out-of-state driver license along with a North Carolina Temporary Driving Certificate
- North Carolina vehicle insurance information
From experience, It should take about 5-10 minutes to get done. While the driver’s license is not very expensive, the title may cost you a couple of hundred dollars. And if you decide not to take any of the free designs they provide (first in freedom or first in-flight) it will cost you more.
Do not forget that the state of North Carolina requires an annual inspection. It’s a fairly easy process- you will get a reminder in the mail, then take it to a licensed mechanic (can cost up to $100 but usually much less than that) and then you pay online HERE. It’s a very user-friendly service.
Drive safe!