North Carolina License Plate Lookup

Check any North Carolina License Plate for vehicle history records

In the state of North Carolina, hundreds of crash cases are reported yearly. Some of these vehicles are repaired and sold to unsuspecting buyers for a discounted price If you are in the market for a used car in North Carolina, it is best to run a background check on a vehicle before closing the deal. Running a free license plate lookup online on VinFreeCheck will give you access to a vehicle’s history.

The free license plate lookup from VinFreeCheck will reveal car ownership, salvage history, if any, odometer readings, and liens. With this information, you are better placed to make informed decisions when buying a second-hand vehicle in North Carolina.

Table of Content
    Add a header to begin generating the table of contents

    License Plate Lookup in North Carolina

    As a car owner in North Carolina, you are required to comply with the requirements for registering your vehicle. New residents should register out of state vehicles within 30 days of moving to North Carolina. Drivers need to have auto insurance cover at the time of registering the vehicle. The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles is the legal provider of license plates in North Carolina.

    You must register a new vehicle after you purchase it before driving it in North Carolina. When you buy a car from a North Carolina dealership, they can help you with the registration process. You will be provided with temporary plates that you can use to drive your car before you are issued with the permanent plates.

    Where to Find My North Carolina Plate Number?

    Generally, you can easily your plate number easily by looking at the issued license plate attached to your car. However, there are instances you need to lookup car license plates without having access to the car physically, you can look it up at you car's North Carolina registration card.

    north carolina vehicle document of registration

    Type of Vehicle License Plates You can Apply For in North Carolina

    Generally, license plates in North Carolina are made in a serial format that includes four numbers and three letters. There are several license plate categories you can apply for as a North Carolina residence.

    • Standard state issues license plates
    • Special interest license plates
    • Military license plates
    • NASCAR license plates
    • Civic clubs license plates
    • Collegiate license plates

    Some of these categories require special documentation for you to qualify for the plates. Be sure to check to ensure you have the right papers to improve your chances of having your application approved.

    For persons living with disabilities, one is required to submit medical reports before they can qualify for disability plates or placards. Disability license plates can be issued to:

    • People living with a permanent disability
    • People living with a temporary disability
    • Army veterans living with disabilities

    Transferring License Plates in North Carolina

    In North Carolina, vehicle owners are allowed to transfer license plates from an old vehicle to a new one. This is only permitted if both vehicles are registered under the same owner. Under the North Carolina law, you cannot transfer license plates to a vehicle registered under another person’s name.

    To be able to transfer license plates, you need to:

    • Register the new car at the North Carolina DMV offices
    • Get title certification for the new vehicle
    • Get Insurance for the vehicle
    • Be able to meet the license transfer fees

    If you need to replace your North Carolina plates, you can only do it from the DMV offices. You will need a police report to be able to qualify for license plate replacement. You will need to pay replacement fees and Notary fees.

    Surrendering your License Plate in North Carolina

    You may be required to surrender your license plate if:

    • The insurance of a vehicle is canceled
    • You are planning to move from North Carolina
    • Your current plates are damaged, and you already ordered for replacements
    • You have Old plates that are no longer in use

    You can surrender the plates in person or send them to the DMV via mail.

    Where do these data come from?

    We rely on multiple sources to compile our license plate report. Many of our sources come from governmental entities such as the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB), National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and the National Motor Vehicle Title Information System (NMVTIS). We also regularly check the car auction inventories to track various vehicle's condition.

    Is it Legal for me do a reverse license plate search?

    Yes, we are in compliance with the Driver's Privacy Protection Act (DPPA), as we do not disclose information about the vehicle's owner personal details. Our license plate lookup does a reverse lookup to obtain the VIN number and query the vehicle history reports for it. Nothing in our report is personably identifiable to a particular individual.

    Additionally, the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) allows any individual the right to access to information collected by the government. There's no reason for you not to give our auto license plate lookup tool a try. It's totally legal and FREE!

    State Based Informational Guides

    We have compiled a list of state specific guides for you. Feel free to check them out.

    Paperwork for Buying a Car in United States

    You will always need to carry out different types of paperwork — whenever you purchase a car — so that you can title your car under your name and drive it legally on the road. So, whenever you are going...

    Motorcycle Registration

    If you have just purchased a motorcycle, the next thing that you will need to do, is to register it. In order to legally drive a motorcycle on public roads in any state, you need to get your motorcycle registered....