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Plate lookup · North Carolina

North Carolina License Plate Lookup

Enter a North Carolina plate to find the vehicle's VIN, then decode it into year, make, model and factory specs.

Input · NC plates · cached lookups

US plates only. We find the VIN for the plate, then decode it.

VIN for the plate · waiting for a lookup17 positions · no I, O or Q
1–3 · WMIMaker & country—
4–8 · VDSModel, body, engine—
9Check—
10Year—
11Plant—
12–17 · SerialUnique to this vehicle—

In North Carolina, there are many car accidents reported each year.

First in Flight

North Carolina is known for its “First in Flight” license plates, which celebrate the Wright brothers’ first successful powered flight in 1903 at Kitty Hawk. The state introduced these plates in 1982 to honor its historical significance in aviation. The license plate features an image of the Wright Flyer and the tagline “First in Flight,” emphasizing North Carolina’s pride in being the site of this pivotal moment in history. This design is one of the most recognizable and popular license plates in the state.

61p5 LB8EfL. AC UF8941000 QL80

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

Vehicle License Plates 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.

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 that 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, you can transfer license plates from one vehicle to another, but only if both vehicles are registered to the same owner. North Carolina law prohibits transferring license plates between different owners.

To transfer license plates, you must:

  • Register the new vehicle at a North Carolina DMV office
  • Obtain title certification for the new vehicle
  • Secure insurance for the vehicle
  • Pay the necessary license transfer fees

If you need to replace your North Carolina license plates, this can only be done at DMV offices. A police report is required to qualify for a license plate replacement. Additionally, you will need to cover the replacement fees and notary fees.

Surrendering Your License Plate in North Carolina

You might need to surrender your license plate in the following situations:

  • The insurance on your vehicle has been canceled.
  • You are relocating out of North Carolina.
  • Your current plates are damaged and you have ordered replacements.
  • You possess old plates that you are no longer using.

You can surrender the plates either in person or by simply mailing them to the DMV.

01API

Look up North Carolina plates in your app

  • POST a plate with state=NC; get the VIN back
  • Decode that VIN on the same key: 22 fields per decode
  • BASIC includes 10 plate lookups a month, PRO 50, ULTRA 100; then $0.10 each
Get API key API docs
POST/api/v4/decode_plate
import os, requests

r = requests.post(
    "https://vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com/api/v4/decode_plate",
    data={"plate": "<plate>", "state": "NC"},
    headers={
        "X-RapidAPI-Key": os.environ["RAPIDAPI_KEY"],
        "X-RapidAPI-Host": "vindecoder.p.rapidapi.com",
    },
    timeout=10,
)
vin = r.json()["data"]["vin"]
02States

Other states

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