§ 20‑63. Registrationplates furnished by Division; requirements; replacement of regular plates withFirst in Flight plates; surrender and reissuance; displaying; preservation andcleaning; alteration or concealment of numbers; commission contracts for issuance.
(a) The Division uponregistering a vehicle shall issue to the owner one registration plate for amotorcycle, trailer or semitrailer and for every other motor vehicle.Registration plates issued by the Division under this Article shall be andremain the property of the State, and it shall be lawful for the Commissioneror his duly authorized agents to summarily take possession of any plate orplates which he has reason to believe is being illegally used, and to keep inhis possession such plate or plates pending investigation and legal dispositionof the same. Whenever the Commissioner finds that any registration plate issuedfor any vehicle pursuant to the provisions of this Article has become illegibleor is in such a condition that the numbers thereon may not be readilydistinguished, he may require that such registration plate, and its companionwhen there are two registration plates, be surrendered to the Division. Whensaid registration plate or plates are so surrendered to the Division, a new registrationplate or plates shall be issued in lieu thereof without charge. The owner ofany vehicle who receives notice to surrender illegible plate or plates on whichthe numbers are not readily distinguishable and who willfully refuses tosurrender said plates to the Division shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
(b) Every license plateshall have displayed upon it the registration number assigned to the vehiclefor which it is issued, the name of the State of North Carolina, which may beabbreviated, and the year number for which it is issued or the date ofexpiration. A plate issued for a commercial vehicle, as defined in G.S. 20‑4.2(1),and weighing 26,001 pounds or more, must bear the word "commercial,"unless the plate is a special registration plate authorized in G.S. 20‑79.4or the commercial vehicle is a trailer or is licensed for 6,000 pounds or less.The plate issued for vehicles licensed for 7,000 pounds through 26,000 poundsmust bear the word "weighted".
Except as otherwise providedin this subsection, a registration plate issued by the Division for a privatepassenger vehicle or for a private hauler vehicle licensed for 6,000 pounds orless shall be a "First in Flight" plate. A "First inFlight" plate shall have the words "First in Flight" printed atthe top of the plate above all other letters and numerals. The background ofthe plate shall depict the Wright Brothers biplane flying over Kitty HawkBeach, with the plane flying slightly upward and to the right. The followingspecial registration plates do not have to be a "First in Flight"plate. The design of the plates that are not "First in Flight" platesmust be approved by the Division and the State Highway Patrol for clarity andease of identification.
(1) Friends of the GreatSmoky Mountains National Park.
(2) Rocky Mountain ElkFoundation.
(3) Blue Ridge ParkwayFoundation.
(4) Friends of theAppalachian Trail.
(5) NC CoastalFederation.
(6) In God We Trust.
(7) Stock Car RacingTheme.
(8) Buddy PelletierSurfing Foundation.
(9) GuilfordBattleground Company.
(10) National Wild TurkeyFederation.
(11) North CarolinaAquarium Society.
(12) First in Forestry.
(13) North CarolinaWildlife Habitat Foundation.
(14) NC Trout Unlimited.
(15) Ducks Unlimited.
(16) Lung Cancer Research.
(17) NC State Parks.
(18) Support Our Troops.
(19) US Equine RescueLeague.
(20) Fox Hunting.
(21) Back Country Horsemenof North Carolina.
(22) Hospice Care.
(23) Home Care andHospice.
(24) NC Tennis Foundation.
(25) AIDS Awareness.
(c) Such registrationplate and the required numerals thereon, except the year number for whichissued, shall be of sufficient size to be plainly readable from a distance of100 feet during daylight.
(d) Registration platesissued for a motor vehicle other than a motorcycle, trailer, or semitrailershall be attached thereto, one in the front and the other in the rear:Provided, that when only one registration plate is issued for a motor vehicleother than a truck‑tractor, said registration plate shall be attached tothe rear of the motor vehicle. The registration plate issued for a truck‑tractorshall be attached to the front thereof. Provided further, that when only oneregistration plate is issued for a motor vehicle and this motor vehicle istransporting a substance that may adhere to the plate so as to cover ordiscolor the plate or if the motor vehicle has a mechanical loading device thatmay damage the plate, the registration plate may be attached to the front ofthe motor vehicle.
Any motor vehicle of the ageof 35 years or more from the date of manufacture may bear the license plates ofthe year of manufacture instead of the current registration plates, if thecurrent registration plates are maintained within the vehicle and produced uponthe request of any person.
The Division shall provideregistered owners of motorcycles and motorcycle trailers with suitably reducedsize registration plates.
(e) Preservation andCleaning of Registration Plates. It shall be the duty of each and everyregistered owner of a motor vehicle to keep the registration plates assigned tosuch motor vehicle reasonably clean and free from dust and dirt, and suchregistered owner, or any person in his employ, or who operates such motorvehicle by his authority, shall, upon the request of any proper officer,immediately clean such registration plates so that the numbers thereon may bereadily distinguished, and any person who shall neglect or refuse to so clean aregistration plate, after having been requested to do so, shall be guilty of aClass 3 misdemeanor.
(f) Operating withFalse Numbers. Any person who shall willfully operate a motor vehicle with aregistration plate which has been repainted or altered or forged shall beguilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
(g) Alteration,Disguise, or Concealment of Numbers. Any operator of a motor vehicle whoshall willfully mutilate, bend, twist, cover or cause to be covered orpartially covered by any bumper, light, spare tire, tire rack, strap, or otherdevice, or who shall paint, enamel, emboss, stamp, print, perforate, or alteror add to or cut off any part or portion of a registration plate or the figuresor letters thereon, or who shall place or deposit or cause to be placed ordeposited any oil, grease, or other substance upon such registration plates forthe purpose of making dust adhere thereto, or who shall deface, disfigure,change, or attempt to change any letter or figure thereon, or who shall displaya number plate in other than a horizontal upright position, shall be guilty ofa Class 2 misdemeanor. Any operator of a motor vehicle who shall willfullycover or cause to be covered any part or portion of a registration plate or thefigures or letters thereon by any device designed or intended to prevent orinterfere with the taking of a clear photograph of a registration plate by atraffic control or toll collection system using cameras commits an infractionand shall be fined under G.S. 14‑3.1. Any operator of a motor vehicle whoshall otherwise intentionally cover any number or registration renewal stickeron a registration plate with any material that makes the number or registrationrenewal sticker illegible commits an infraction and shall be fined under G.S.14‑3.1. Any operator of a motor vehicle who covers the State name, yearsticker, or month sticker on a registration plate with a license plate framecommits an infraction and shall be fined under G.S. 14‑3.1. Nothing inthis subsection shall prohibit the use of transparent covers that do notprevent or interfere with the taking of a clear photograph of a registrationplate by a traffic control or toll collection system using cameras.
(h) CommissionContracts for Issuance of Plates and Certificates. All registration plates,registration certificates, and certificates of title issued by the Division,outside of those issued from the Charlotte and Raleigh offices of the Divisionand those issued and handled through the United States mail, shall be issuedinsofar as practicable and possible through commission contracts entered intoby the Division for the issuance of the plates and certificates in localitiesthroughout North Carolina with persons, firms, corporations or governmentalsubdivisions of the State of North Carolina. The Division shall make areasonable effort in every locality, except as noted above, to enter into acommission contract for the issuance of the plates and certificates and arecord of these efforts shall be maintained in the Division. In the event theDivision is unsuccessful in making commission contracts, it shall issue theplates and certificates through the regular employees of the Division. Wheneverregistration plates, registration certificates, and certificates of title areissued by the Division through commission contract arrangements, the Divisionshall provide proper supervision of the distribution. Nothing contained in thissubsection will allow or permit the operation of fewer outlets in any county inthis State than are now being operated.
Commission contracts enteredinto by the Division under this subsection shall provide for the payment ofcompensation on a per transaction basis. The collection of the highway use taxshall be considered a separate transaction for which one dollar and twenty‑sevencents ($1.27) compensation shall be paid. The performance at the same time ofone or more of the remaining transactions listed in this subsection shall beconsidered a single transaction for which one dollar and forty‑threecents ($1.43) compensation shall be paid.
A transaction is any of thefollowing activities:
(1) Issuance of aregistration plate, a registration card issued without collection of propertytaxes or fees under G.S. 105‑330.5, a registration renewal sticker, or acertificate of title.
(2) Issuance of ahandicapped placard or handicapped identification card.
(3) Acceptance of anapplication for a personalized registration plate.
(4) Acceptance of asurrendered registration plate, registration card, or registration renewalsticker, or acceptance of an affidavit stating why a person cannot surrender aregistration plate, registration card, or registration renewal sticker.
(5) Cancellation of atitle because the vehicle has been junked.
(6) Acceptance of anapplication for, or issuance of, a refund for a fee or a tax, other than thehighway use tax.
(7) Receipt of the civilpenalty imposed by G.S. 20‑311 for a lapse in financial responsibility orreceipt of the restoration fee imposed by that statute.
(8) Acceptance of anotice of failure to maintain financial responsibility for a motor vehicle.
(8a) Collection of civil penaltiesimposed for violations of G.S. 20‑183.8A.
(8b) Sale of one or moreinspection stickers in a single transaction to a licensed inspection station.
(9) Collection of thehighway use tax.
(10) Acceptance of atemporary lien filing.
(h1) Commission contractsentered into by the Division under this subsection shall also provide for thepayment of an additional one dollar ($1.00) of compensation to commissioncontract agents for any transaction assessed a fee under subdivision (a)(1),(a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7), (a)(8), or (a)(9) of G.S. 20‑85.
(h2) Upon the closing ofthe only contract license plate agency in a county, the Division shall as soonas practicable designate a temporary location for the issuance of allregistration plates, registration certificates, and certificates of titleissued by the Division for that county. The designation shall be posted at theformer agency location for not less than 30 days and shall include the streetaddress and telephone number of the temporary location. A former contract agentshall allow the posting of this required notice at the former location for aperiod of not less than 30 days. A failure to comply with the postingrequirements of this section by a former contract agent shall be a Class 3misdemeanor.
(i) ElectronicApplications and Collections. The Division shall accept electronicapplications for the issuance of registration plates, registrationcertificates, and certificates of title, and is authorized to electronicallycollect fees from online motor vehicle registration vendors under contract withthe Division.
(j) The Division shallcontract with at least two online motor vehicle registration vendors which mayenter into contracts with motor vehicle dealers to complete and file Divisionrequired documents for the issuance of a certificate of title, registrationplate, or registration card or a duplicate certificate of title, registrationplate, or registration card for a motor vehicle, upon purchase or sale of avehicle.
(k) Commission contractagents are authorized to enter into contracts with online motor vehicleregistration vendors which are under contract with the Division to complete andfile Division required documents for the issuance of a certificate of title,registration plate, or registration card or a duplicate certificate of title,registration plate, or registration card for a motor vehicle. (1937, c. 407, s. 27; 1943,c. 726; 1951, c. 102, ss. 1‑3; 1955, c. 119, s. 1; 1961, c. 360, s. 4; c.861, s. 2; 1963, c. 552, s. 6; c. 1071; 1965, c. 1088; 1969, c. 1140; 1971, c.945; 1973, c. 629; 1975, c. 716, s. 5; 1979, c. 470, s. 1; c. 604, s. 1; c.917, s. 4; 1981, c. 750; c. 859, s. 76; 1983, c. 253, ss. 1‑3; 1985, c.257; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 1007, s. 32; 1993, c. 539, ss. 333‑336;1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 1997‑36, s. 1; 1997‑443, s.32.7(a); 1997‑461, s. 1; 1998‑160, s. 3; 1998‑212, ss.15.4(a), 27.6(a); 1999‑452, ss. 13, 14; 2000‑182, s. 3; 2001‑424,s. 27.21; 2001‑487, s. 50(c); 2002‑159, s. 31.1; 2003‑424, s.1; 2004‑77, s. 1; 2004‑79, s. 1; 2004‑131, s. 1; 2004‑185,s. 1; 2005‑216, s. 1; 2006‑209, s. 1; 2006‑213, s. 4; 2007‑243,s. 1; 2007‑400, s. 1; 2007‑483, s. 1; 2007‑488, ss. 2‑5;2008‑225, s. 8; 2009‑445, s. 24(b1); 2009‑456, s. 1.)
§ 20‑63. Registrationplates furnished by Division; requirements; replacement of regular plates withFirst in Flight plates; surrender and reissuance; displaying; preservation andcleaning; alteration or concealment of numbers; commission contracts for issuance.
(a) The Division uponregistering a vehicle shall issue to the owner one registration plate for amotorcycle, trailer or semitrailer and for every other motor vehicle.Registration plates issued by the Division under this Article shall be andremain the property of the State, and it shall be lawful for the Commissioneror his duly authorized agents to summarily take possession of any plate orplates which he has reason to believe is being illegally used, and to keep inhis possession such plate or plates pending investigation and legal dispositionof the same. Whenever the Commissioner finds that any registration plate issuedfor any vehicle pursuant to the provisions of this Article has become illegibleor is in such a condition that the numbers thereon may not be readilydistinguished, he may require that such registration plate, and its companionwhen there are two registration plates, be surrendered to the Division. Whensaid registration plate or plates are so surrendered to the Division, a new registrationplate or plates shall be issued in lieu thereof without charge. The owner ofany vehicle who receives notice to surrender illegible plate or plates on whichthe numbers are not readily distinguishable and who willfully refuses tosurrender said plates to the Division shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
(b) Every license plateshall have displayed upon it the registration number assigned to the vehiclefor which it is issued, the name of the State of North Carolina, which may beabbreviated, and the year number for which it is issued or the date ofexpiration. A plate issued for a commercial vehicle, as defined in G.S. 20‑4.2(1),and weighing 26,001 pounds or more, must bear the word "commercial,"unless the plate is a special registration plate authorized in G.S. 20‑79.4or the commercial vehicle is a trailer or is licensed for 6,000 pounds or less.The plate issued for vehicles licensed for 7,000 pounds through 26,000 poundsmust bear the word "weighted".
Except as otherwise providedin this subsection, a registration plate issued by the Division for a privatepassenger vehicle or for a private hauler vehicle licensed for 6,000 pounds orless shall be a "First in Flight" plate. A "First inFlight" plate shall have the words "First in Flight" printed atthe top of the plate above all other letters and numerals. The background ofthe plate shall depict the Wright Brothers biplane flying over Kitty HawkBeach, with the plane flying slightly upward and to the right. The followingspecial registration plates do not have to be a "First in Flight"plate. The design of the plates that are not "First in Flight" platesmust be approved by the Division and the State Highway Patrol for clarity andease of identification.
(1) Friends of the GreatSmoky Mountains National Park.
(2) Rocky Mountain ElkFoundation.
(3) Blue Ridge ParkwayFoundation.
(4) Friends of theAppalachian Trail.
(5) NC CoastalFederation.
(6) In God We Trust.
(7) Stock Car RacingTheme.
(8) Buddy PelletierSurfing Foundation.
(9) GuilfordBattleground Company.
(10) National Wild TurkeyFederation.
(11) North CarolinaAquarium Society.
(12) First in Forestry.
(13) North CarolinaWildlife Habitat Foundation.
(14) NC Trout Unlimited.
(15) Ducks Unlimited.
(16) Lung Cancer Research.
(17) NC State Parks.
(18) Support Our Troops.
(19) US Equine RescueLeague.
(20) Fox Hunting.
(21) Back Country Horsemenof North Carolina.
(22) Hospice Care.
(23) Home Care andHospice.
(24) NC Tennis Foundation.
(25) AIDS Awareness.
(c) Such registrationplate and the required numerals thereon, except the year number for whichissued, shall be of sufficient size to be plainly readable from a distance of100 feet during daylight.
(d) Registration platesissued for a motor vehicle other than a motorcycle, trailer, or semitrailershall be attached thereto, one in the front and the other in the rear:Provided, that when only one registration plate is issued for a motor vehicleother than a truck‑tractor, said registration plate shall be attached tothe rear of the motor vehicle. The registration plate issued for a truck‑tractorshall be attached to the front thereof. Provided further, that when only oneregistration plate is issued for a motor vehicle and this motor vehicle istransporting a substance that may adhere to the plate so as to cover ordiscolor the plate or if the motor vehicle has a mechanical loading device thatmay damage the plate, the registration plate may be attached to the front ofthe motor vehicle.
Any motor vehicle of the ageof 35 years or more from the date of manufacture may bear the license plates ofthe year of manufacture instead of the current registration plates, if thecurrent registration plates are maintained within the vehicle and produced uponthe request of any person.
The Division shall provideregistered owners of motorcycles and motorcycle trailers with suitably reducedsize registration plates.
(e) Preservation andCleaning of Registration Plates. It shall be the duty of each and everyregistered owner of a motor vehicle to keep the registration plates assigned tosuch motor vehicle reasonably clean and free from dust and dirt, and suchregistered owner, or any person in his employ, or who operates such motorvehicle by his authority, shall, upon the request of any proper officer,immediately clean such registration plates so that the numbers thereon may bereadily distinguished, and any person who shall neglect or refuse to so clean aregistration plate, after having been requested to do so, shall be guilty of aClass 3 misdemeanor.
(f) Operating withFalse Numbers. Any person who shall willfully operate a motor vehicle with aregistration plate which has been repainted or altered or forged shall beguilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
(g) Alteration,Disguise, or Concealment of Numbers. Any operator of a motor vehicle whoshall willfully mutilate, bend, twist, cover or cause to be covered orpartially covered by any bumper, light, spare tire, tire rack, strap, or otherdevice, or who shall paint, enamel, emboss, stamp, print, perforate, or alteror add to or cut off any part or portion of a registration plate or the figuresor letters thereon, or who shall place or deposit or cause to be placed ordeposited any oil, grease, or other substance upon such registration plates forthe purpose of making dust adhere thereto, or who shall deface, disfigure,change, or attempt to change any letter or figure thereon, or who shall displaya number plate in other than a horizontal upright position, shall be guilty ofa Class 2 misdemeanor. Any operator of a motor vehicle who shall willfullycover or cause to be covered any part or portion of a registration plate or thefigures or letters thereon by any device designed or intended to prevent orinterfere with the taking of a clear photograph of a registration plate by atraffic control or toll collection system using cameras commits an infractionand shall be fined under G.S. 14‑3.1. Any operator of a motor vehicle whoshall otherwise intentionally cover any number or registration renewal stickeron a registration plate with any material that makes the number or registrationrenewal sticker illegible commits an infraction and shall be fined under G.S.14‑3.1. Any operator of a motor vehicle who covers the State name, yearsticker, or month sticker on a registration plate with a license plate framecommits an infraction and shall be fined under G.S. 14‑3.1. Nothing inthis subsection shall prohibit the use of transparent covers that do notprevent or interfere with the taking of a clear photograph of a registrationplate by a traffic control or toll collection system using cameras.
(h) CommissionContracts for Issuance of Plates and Certificates. All registration plates,registration certificates, and certificates of title issued by the Division,outside of those issued from the Charlotte and Raleigh offices of the Divisionand those issued and handled through the United States mail, shall be issuedinsofar as practicable and possible through commission contracts entered intoby the Division for the issuance of the plates and certificates in localitiesthroughout North Carolina with persons, firms, corporations or governmentalsubdivisions of the State of North Carolina. The Division shall make areasonable effort in every locality, except as noted above, to enter into acommission contract for the issuance of the plates and certificates and arecord of these efforts shall be maintained in the Division. In the event theDivision is unsuccessful in making commission contracts, it shall issue theplates and certificates through the regular employees of the Division. Wheneverregistration plates, registration certificates, and certificates of title areissued by the Division through commission contract arrangements, the Divisionshall provide proper supervision of the distribution. Nothing contained in thissubsection will allow or permit the operation of fewer outlets in any county inthis State than are now being operated.
Commission contracts enteredinto by the Division under this subsection shall provide for the payment ofcompensation on a per transaction basis. The collection of the highway use taxshall be considered a separate transaction for which one dollar and twenty‑sevencents ($1.27) compensation shall be paid. The performance at the same time ofone or more of the remaining transactions listed in this subsection shall beconsidered a single transaction for which one dollar and forty‑threecents ($1.43) compensation shall be paid.
A transaction is any of thefollowing activities:
(1) Issuance of aregistration plate, a registration card issued without collection of propertytaxes or fees under G.S. 105‑330.5, a registration renewal sticker, or acertificate of title.
(2) Issuance of ahandicapped placard or handicapped identification card.
(3) Acceptance of anapplication for a personalized registration plate.
(4) Acceptance of asurrendered registration plate, registration card, or registration renewalsticker, or acceptance of an affidavit stating why a person cannot surrender aregistration plate, registration card, or registration renewal sticker.
(5) Cancellation of atitle because the vehicle has been junked.
(6) Acceptance of anapplication for, or issuance of, a refund for a fee or a tax, other than thehighway use tax.
(7) Receipt of the civilpenalty imposed by G.S. 20‑311 for a lapse in financial responsibility orreceipt of the restoration fee imposed by that statute.
(8) Acceptance of anotice of failure to maintain financial responsibility for a motor vehicle.
(8a) Collection of civil penaltiesimposed for violations of G.S. 20‑183.8A.
(8b) Sale of one or moreinspection stickers in a single transaction to a licensed inspection station.
(9) Collection of thehighway use tax.
(10) Acceptance of atemporary lien filing.
(h1) Commission contractsentered into by the Division under this subsection shall also provide for thepayment of an additional one dollar ($1.00) of compensation to commissioncontract agents for any transaction assessed a fee under subdivision (a)(1),(a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7), (a)(8), or (a)(9) of G.S. 20‑85.
(h2) Upon the closing ofthe only contract license plate agency in a county, the Division shall as soonas practicable designate a temporary location for the issuance of allregistration plates, registration certificates, and certificates of titleissued by the Division for that county. The designation shall be posted at theformer agency location for not less than 30 days and shall include the streetaddress and telephone number of the temporary location. A former contract agentshall allow the posting of this required notice at the former location for aperiod of not less than 30 days. A failure to comply with the postingrequirements of this section by a former contract agent shall be a Class 3misdemeanor.
(i) ElectronicApplications and Collections. The Division shall accept electronicapplications for the issuance of registration plates, registrationcertificates, and certificates of title, and is authorized to electronicallycollect fees from online motor vehicle registration vendors under contract withthe Division.
(j) The Division shallcontract with at least two online motor vehicle registration vendors which mayenter into contracts with motor vehicle dealers to complete and file Divisionrequired documents for the issuance of a certificate of title, registrationplate, or registration card or a duplicate certificate of title, registrationplate, or registration card for a motor vehicle, upon purchase or sale of avehicle.
(k) Commission contractagents are authorized to enter into contracts with online motor vehicleregistration vendors which are under contract with the Division to complete andfile Division required documents for the issuance of a certificate of title,registration plate, or registration card or a duplicate certificate of title,registration plate, or registration card for a motor vehicle. (1937, c. 407, s. 27; 1943,c. 726; 1951, c. 102, ss. 1‑3; 1955, c. 119, s. 1; 1961, c. 360, s. 4; c.861, s. 2; 1963, c. 552, s. 6; c. 1071; 1965, c. 1088; 1969, c. 1140; 1971, c.945; 1973, c. 629; 1975, c. 716, s. 5; 1979, c. 470, s. 1; c. 604, s. 1; c.917, s. 4; 1981, c. 750; c. 859, s. 76; 1983, c. 253, ss. 1‑3; 1985, c.257; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 1007, s. 32; 1993, c. 539, ss. 333‑336;1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 1997‑36, s. 1; 1997‑443, s.32.7(a); 1997‑461, s. 1; 1998‑160, s. 3; 1998‑212, ss.15.4(a), 27.6(a); 1999‑452, ss. 13, 14; 2000‑182, s. 3; 2001‑424,s. 27.21; 2001‑487, s. 50(c); 2002‑159, s. 31.1; 2003‑424, s.1; 2004‑77, s. 1; 2004‑79, s. 1; 2004‑131, s. 1; 2004‑185,s. 1; 2005‑216, s. 1; 2006‑209, s. 1; 2006‑213, s. 4; 2007‑243,s. 1; 2007‑400, s. 1; 2007‑483, s. 1; 2007‑488, ss. 2‑5;2008‑225, s. 8; 2009‑445, s. 24(b1); 2009‑456, s. 1.)
§ 20‑63. Registrationplates furnished by Division; requirements; replacement of regular plates withFirst in Flight plates; surrender and reissuance; displaying; preservation andcleaning; alteration or concealment of numbers; commission contracts for issuance.
(a) The Division uponregistering a vehicle shall issue to the owner one registration plate for amotorcycle, trailer or semitrailer and for every other motor vehicle.Registration plates issued by the Division under this Article shall be andremain the property of the State, and it shall be lawful for the Commissioneror his duly authorized agents to summarily take possession of any plate orplates which he has reason to believe is being illegally used, and to keep inhis possession such plate or plates pending investigation and legal dispositionof the same. Whenever the Commissioner finds that any registration plate issuedfor any vehicle pursuant to the provisions of this Article has become illegibleor is in such a condition that the numbers thereon may not be readilydistinguished, he may require that such registration plate, and its companionwhen there are two registration plates, be surrendered to the Division. Whensaid registration plate or plates are so surrendered to the Division, a new registrationplate or plates shall be issued in lieu thereof without charge. The owner ofany vehicle who receives notice to surrender illegible plate or plates on whichthe numbers are not readily distinguishable and who willfully refuses tosurrender said plates to the Division shall be guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
(b) Every license plateshall have displayed upon it the registration number assigned to the vehiclefor which it is issued, the name of the State of North Carolina, which may beabbreviated, and the year number for which it is issued or the date ofexpiration. A plate issued for a commercial vehicle, as defined in G.S. 20‑4.2(1),and weighing 26,001 pounds or more, must bear the word "commercial,"unless the plate is a special registration plate authorized in G.S. 20‑79.4or the commercial vehicle is a trailer or is licensed for 6,000 pounds or less.The plate issued for vehicles licensed for 7,000 pounds through 26,000 poundsmust bear the word "weighted".
Except as otherwise providedin this subsection, a registration plate issued by the Division for a privatepassenger vehicle or for a private hauler vehicle licensed for 6,000 pounds orless shall be a "First in Flight" plate. A "First inFlight" plate shall have the words "First in Flight" printed atthe top of the plate above all other letters and numerals. The background ofthe plate shall depict the Wright Brothers biplane flying over Kitty HawkBeach, with the plane flying slightly upward and to the right. The followingspecial registration plates do not have to be a "First in Flight"plate. The design of the plates that are not "First in Flight" platesmust be approved by the Division and the State Highway Patrol for clarity andease of identification.
(1) Friends of the GreatSmoky Mountains National Park.
(2) Rocky Mountain ElkFoundation.
(3) Blue Ridge ParkwayFoundation.
(4) Friends of theAppalachian Trail.
(5) NC CoastalFederation.
(6) In God We Trust.
(7) Stock Car RacingTheme.
(8) Buddy PelletierSurfing Foundation.
(9) GuilfordBattleground Company.
(10) National Wild TurkeyFederation.
(11) North CarolinaAquarium Society.
(12) First in Forestry.
(13) North CarolinaWildlife Habitat Foundation.
(14) NC Trout Unlimited.
(15) Ducks Unlimited.
(16) Lung Cancer Research.
(17) NC State Parks.
(18) Support Our Troops.
(19) US Equine RescueLeague.
(20) Fox Hunting.
(21) Back Country Horsemenof North Carolina.
(22) Hospice Care.
(23) Home Care andHospice.
(24) NC Tennis Foundation.
(25) AIDS Awareness.
(c) Such registrationplate and the required numerals thereon, except the year number for whichissued, shall be of sufficient size to be plainly readable from a distance of100 feet during daylight.
(d) Registration platesissued for a motor vehicle other than a motorcycle, trailer, or semitrailershall be attached thereto, one in the front and the other in the rear:Provided, that when only one registration plate is issued for a motor vehicleother than a truck‑tractor, said registration plate shall be attached tothe rear of the motor vehicle. The registration plate issued for a truck‑tractorshall be attached to the front thereof. Provided further, that when only oneregistration plate is issued for a motor vehicle and this motor vehicle istransporting a substance that may adhere to the plate so as to cover ordiscolor the plate or if the motor vehicle has a mechanical loading device thatmay damage the plate, the registration plate may be attached to the front ofthe motor vehicle.
Any motor vehicle of the ageof 35 years or more from the date of manufacture may bear the license plates ofthe year of manufacture instead of the current registration plates, if thecurrent registration plates are maintained within the vehicle and produced uponthe request of any person.
The Division shall provideregistered owners of motorcycles and motorcycle trailers with suitably reducedsize registration plates.
(e) Preservation andCleaning of Registration Plates. It shall be the duty of each and everyregistered owner of a motor vehicle to keep the registration plates assigned tosuch motor vehicle reasonably clean and free from dust and dirt, and suchregistered owner, or any person in his employ, or who operates such motorvehicle by his authority, shall, upon the request of any proper officer,immediately clean such registration plates so that the numbers thereon may bereadily distinguished, and any person who shall neglect or refuse to so clean aregistration plate, after having been requested to do so, shall be guilty of aClass 3 misdemeanor.
(f) Operating withFalse Numbers. Any person who shall willfully operate a motor vehicle with aregistration plate which has been repainted or altered or forged shall beguilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
(g) Alteration,Disguise, or Concealment of Numbers. Any operator of a motor vehicle whoshall willfully mutilate, bend, twist, cover or cause to be covered orpartially covered by any bumper, light, spare tire, tire rack, strap, or otherdevice, or who shall paint, enamel, emboss, stamp, print, perforate, or alteror add to or cut off any part or portion of a registration plate or the figuresor letters thereon, or who shall place or deposit or cause to be placed ordeposited any oil, grease, or other substance upon such registration plates forthe purpose of making dust adhere thereto, or who shall deface, disfigure,change, or attempt to change any letter or figure thereon, or who shall displaya number plate in other than a horizontal upright position, shall be guilty ofa Class 2 misdemeanor. Any operator of a motor vehicle who shall willfullycover or cause to be covered any part or portion of a registration plate or thefigures or letters thereon by any device designed or intended to prevent orinterfere with the taking of a clear photograph of a registration plate by atraffic control or toll collection system using cameras commits an infractionand shall be fined under G.S. 14‑3.1. Any operator of a motor vehicle whoshall otherwise intentionally cover any number or registration renewal stickeron a registration plate with any material that makes the number or registrationrenewal sticker illegible commits an infraction and shall be fined under G.S.14‑3.1. Any operator of a motor vehicle who covers the State name, yearsticker, or month sticker on a registration plate with a license plate framecommits an infraction and shall be fined under G.S. 14‑3.1. Nothing inthis subsection shall prohibit the use of transparent covers that do notprevent or interfere with the taking of a clear photograph of a registrationplate by a traffic control or toll collection system using cameras.
(h) CommissionContracts for Issuance of Plates and Certificates. All registration plates,registration certificates, and certificates of title issued by the Division,outside of those issued from the Charlotte and Raleigh offices of the Divisionand those issued and handled through the United States mail, shall be issuedinsofar as practicable and possible through commission contracts entered intoby the Division for the issuance of the plates and certificates in localitiesthroughout North Carolina with persons, firms, corporations or governmentalsubdivisions of the State of North Carolina. The Division shall make areasonable effort in every locality, except as noted above, to enter into acommission contract for the issuance of the plates and certificates and arecord of these efforts shall be maintained in the Division. In the event theDivision is unsuccessful in making commission contracts, it shall issue theplates and certificates through the regular employees of the Division. Wheneverregistration plates, registration certificates, and certificates of title areissued by the Division through commission contract arrangements, the Divisionshall provide proper supervision of the distribution. Nothing contained in thissubsection will allow or permit the operation of fewer outlets in any county inthis State than are now being operated.
Commission contracts enteredinto by the Division under this subsection shall provide for the payment ofcompensation on a per transaction basis. The collection of the highway use taxshall be considered a separate transaction for which one dollar and twenty‑sevencents ($1.27) compensation shall be paid. The performance at the same time ofone or more of the remaining transactions listed in this subsection shall beconsidered a single transaction for which one dollar and forty‑threecents ($1.43) compensation shall be paid.
A transaction is any of thefollowing activities:
(1) Issuance of aregistration plate, a registration card issued without collection of propertytaxes or fees under G.S. 105‑330.5, a registration renewal sticker, or acertificate of title.
(2) Issuance of ahandicapped placard or handicapped identification card.
(3) Acceptance of anapplication for a personalized registration plate.
(4) Acceptance of asurrendered registration plate, registration card, or registration renewalsticker, or acceptance of an affidavit stating why a person cannot surrender aregistration plate, registration card, or registration renewal sticker.
(5) Cancellation of atitle because the vehicle has been junked.
(6) Acceptance of anapplication for, or issuance of, a refund for a fee or a tax, other than thehighway use tax.
(7) Receipt of the civilpenalty imposed by G.S. 20‑311 for a lapse in financial responsibility orreceipt of the restoration fee imposed by that statute.
(8) Acceptance of anotice of failure to maintain financial responsibility for a motor vehicle.
(8a) Collection of civil penaltiesimposed for violations of G.S. 20‑183.8A.
(8b) Sale of one or moreinspection stickers in a single transaction to a licensed inspection station.
(9) Collection of thehighway use tax.
(10) Acceptance of atemporary lien filing.
(h1) Commission contractsentered into by the Division under this subsection shall also provide for thepayment of an additional one dollar ($1.00) of compensation to commissioncontract agents for any transaction assessed a fee under subdivision (a)(1),(a)(2), (a)(3), (a)(7), (a)(8), or (a)(9) of G.S. 20‑85.
(h2) Upon the closing ofthe only contract license plate agency in a county, the Division shall as soonas practicable designate a temporary location for the issuance of allregistration plates, registration certificates, and certificates of titleissued by the Division for that county. The designation shall be posted at theformer agency location for not less than 30 days and shall include the streetaddress and telephone number of the temporary location. A former contract agentshall allow the posting of this required notice at the former location for aperiod of not less than 30 days. A failure to comply with the postingrequirements of this section by a former contract agent shall be a Class 3misdemeanor.
(i) ElectronicApplications and Collections. The Division shall accept electronicapplications for the issuance of registration plates, registrationcertificates, and certificates of title, and is authorized to electronicallycollect fees from online motor vehicle registration vendors under contract withthe Division.
(j) The Division shallcontract with at least two online motor vehicle registration vendors which mayenter into contracts with motor vehicle dealers to complete and file Divisionrequired documents for the issuance of a certificate of title, registrationplate, or registration card or a duplicate certificate of title, registrationplate, or registration card for a motor vehicle, upon purchase or sale of avehicle.
(k) Commission contractagents are authorized to enter into contracts with online motor vehicleregistration vendors which are under contract with the Division to complete andfile Division required documents for the issuance of a certificate of title,registration plate, or registration card or a duplicate certificate of title,registration plate, or registration card for a motor vehicle. (1937, c. 407, s. 27; 1943,c. 726; 1951, c. 102, ss. 1‑3; 1955, c. 119, s. 1; 1961, c. 360, s. 4; c.861, s. 2; 1963, c. 552, s. 6; c. 1071; 1965, c. 1088; 1969, c. 1140; 1971, c.945; 1973, c. 629; 1975, c. 716, s. 5; 1979, c. 470, s. 1; c. 604, s. 1; c.917, s. 4; 1981, c. 750; c. 859, s. 76; 1983, c. 253, ss. 1‑3; 1985, c.257; 1991 (Reg. Sess., 1992), c. 1007, s. 32; 1993, c. 539, ss. 333‑336;1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 1997‑36, s. 1; 1997‑443, s.32.7(a); 1997‑461, s. 1; 1998‑160, s. 3; 1998‑212, ss.15.4(a), 27.6(a); 1999‑452, ss. 13, 14; 2000‑182, s. 3; 2001‑424,s. 27.21; 2001‑487, s. 50(c); 2002‑159, s. 31.1; 2003‑424, s.1; 2004‑77, s. 1; 2004‑79, s. 1; 2004‑131, s. 1; 2004‑185,s. 1; 2005‑216, s. 1; 2006‑209, s. 1; 2006‑213, s. 4; 2007‑243,s. 1; 2007‑400, s. 1; 2007‑483, s. 1; 2007‑488, ss. 2‑5;2008‑225, s. 8; 2009‑445, s. 24(b1); 2009‑456, s. 1.)
