- Title fee
- $66.75base title fee
- Deadline
- 28 daysfrom the date the vehicle is delivered to the buyer, or the notary date on the title assignment, whichever is later
- Documents
- 4incl. MVR-1
- Where
- State officein person
North Carolina will not accept the title unless the seller's assignment on the back was signed in front of a notary public, and the buyer's Title Application (MVR-1) has to be notarized as well. The buyer then has 28 days from delivery, or from the notary date if that is later, to apply at a license plate agency; missing it costs a $20 late penalty. Expect the $66.75 title fee plus a 3 percent highway-use tax charged on NCDMV's own value for the vehicle, not on what you paid.
8 things this answer does not settle
- NCDMV contradicts itself on when the odometer disclosure is required, and the conflict is between two current NCDMV publications rather than between an official and an unofficial source. The Vehicle Documents & Forms table footnotes the odometer statement 'Required if vehicle is less than 10 years old' and MVR-106 (Rev. 04/26) says 'If a vehicle is 10 years old and older, odometer reading is not required', while the MVR-180 form (Rev. 04/26) prints the federal schedule: a vehicle is exempt at 20 years, with model year 2010 and older exempt at 10 years. The two readings diverge for model-year-2011-and-newer vehicles aged between 10 and 20 years, which in 2026 covers model years 2011 to 2016. Complete the disclosure for any vehicle under 20 years old rather than rely on the 10-year line.
- North Carolina charges highway-use tax on a private-party sale at 3 percent of NCDMV's own computer value for the vehicle, not on the price you paid, and NCDMV publishes no online calculator for it. The value can only be checked at a license plate agency or by calling NCDMV Customer Service, so no figure on this page can tell you the tax in advance.
- NCDMV's counters are not interchangeable. Most 'license plate agencies' are contracted agents and charge more to notarize ($9, $10 or $11 by number of signatures) than NCDMV's own two state offices ($6, $7 or $8). All notary fees must be paid in cash, and the published amounts are maximums rather than fixed prices.
- MVR-106 (Rev. 04/26) still prints the pre-July-2025 liability insurance minimums of $30,000/$60,000/$25,000. NCDMV's Insurance Requirements page gives the current minimums for policies issued or renewed after July 1, 2025 as $50,000/$100,000/$50,000.
- No part of a North Carolina title transfer can be completed online. NCDMV's Online Services page lists registration renewal, property tax payment, duplicate registration cards and plate orders, but no title service — the notarized paper title has to reach a counter or the mail.
- The highway-use tax on a private-party sale is 3 percent of NCDMV's own value for the vehicle, not of the price you paid, and NCDMV publishes no online calculator for it — the value has to be checked at a license plate agency or by phone.
- The notary fee shown is NCDMV's published maximum for notarizing at the counter; a bank or independent notary may charge differently, and NCDMV requires notary fees to be paid in cash.
- County and regional registration taxes are published only for Durham, Orange, Randolph and Wake counties; this record does not enumerate any other local charge.
Do this first
- Before money changes hands, check that the back of the North Carolina title carries the seller's signature and hand-printed name with a notary's signature, printed name, seal and commission expiry — G.S. 20-72(b) says no title passes until that notarized assignment is executed and the vehicle delivered.
- Enter your full legal name, address and the date of sale or delivery in the buyer section on the back of the title, exactly as your North Carolina driver license reads.
Your checklist
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The seller's checklist
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Both of you, together
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Documents and official forms
- North Carolina certificate of title, assigned on the reverse by the seller before a notary, showing the buyer's name and address and the date of sale or deliveryNCDMV: 'If the original title is a North Carolina title, it must also be notarized.'
- MVR-1Title Application, notarizedSigned in ink by each owner. MVR-106: 'The application must be witnessed by a notary public or other person authorized to act in the capacity.'
- MVR-181Damage Disclosure StatementListed without a notarization footnote on NCDMV's required-document table, and the form carries no notary block.
- Valid North Carolina driver license or ID card for the person titling the vehicle — a black-and-white copy if the paperwork is mailed inSome exceptions apply for non-North Carolina residents.
Also required in some cases
NCDMV's table says the vehicle is less than 10 years old; the form's own exemption schedule says model year 2011 and newer is exempt only at 20 years
- MVR-180Odometer Disclosure Statement
Any lien is shown on the vehicle title
- MVR-46DLien release
An owner cannot sign in person; a black-and-white copy of that owner's valid driver license must accompany the paperwork
- MVR-63Power of Attorney, notarized
You are registering the vehicle as well as titling it
- Proof of North Carolina liability insurance from a company licensed in North Carolina
Two buyers want the title issued with right of survivorship
- MVR-620Joint Tenants with Right of Survivorship Affidavit, notarized
Deadlines
- Deadline28 calendar days from the date the vehicle is delivered to the buyer, or the notary date on the title assignment, whichever is later — Buyer: Apply for a North Carolina certificate of title within 28 daysNCDMV charges a $20 late penalty fee, and under G.S. 20-73(c) the transferee is subject to a $20 civil penalty and is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.
- Deadline60 calendar days from the date of registration — Buyer: If you take a limited registration plate, pay the vehicle property tax within 60 daysThe limited registration plate expires 60 days from issue and NCDMV states there is no grace period.
- Deadline20 calendar days from the date the plates were last used on the vehicle you sold — Seller: Apply to assign your license plate to a replacement vehicle within 20 days
- DeadlineSurrender the plate and registration card to NCDMV immediately if you are not transferring the plate from selling the vehicle without transferring the plate — SellerCancelling liability insurance before the plate is turned in results in a fine for failure to maintain continuous coverage, and NCDMV can assess a $50, $100 or $150 civil penalty plus a $50 restoration fee.
Fees and taxes
| Charge | Amount | Paid by |
|---|---|---|
| Base title fee | $66.75The certificate of title fee alone; highway-use tax, plate fees, county and regional registration taxes and vehicle property tax are charged separately. | Buyer |
| Certificate of title | $66.75The certificate of title only. Highway-use tax, the plate fee, county and regional registration taxes and vehicle property tax are all charged on top. | Buyer |
| Highway-use tax | 3%Varies by 3 percent of the vehicle's value — for a casual private-party sale NCDMV uses its own computer value schedule rather than the price you paid; a dealer sale is taxed on the sale price plus any administrative or document fee, less trade-in.Charged instead of state sales tax, each time a title is transferred. NCDMV publishes no public highway-use tax calculator; the value can be checked at a license plate agency or by calling NCDMV Customer Service. | Buyer |
| Notary fee at the counter (maximum, cash only) | $6–$11NCDMV's maximum permitted charge per transaction, cash only. A bank or independent notary is not bound by it, and the seller's title assignment is usually notarized elsewhere before delivery.License plate agencies: $9 one signature, $10 two, $11 more than three. State offices (Raleigh Central Service Office License Plate Agency and West Charlotte Driver License Office): $6/$7/$8. Charged per transaction. | Either party |
| Private passenger license plate | $46.25Private passenger class only. NCDMV publishes different amounts by class — a private truck rated at 5,000 pounds is $70, a motorcycle $29.50 — and county and regional registration taxes are added in four counties.Only if you are registering the vehicle. Other classes differ — a private truck rated at 5,000 pounds is $70, a motorcycle $29.50. | Buyer |
| County and regional transportation registration taxes | VariesVaries by the county of registration — NCDMV publishes county registration taxes of $7 in Durham, Orange and Wake and $1 in Randolph, plus regional transportation taxes of $10 in Durham, Orange and Wake and $1 in Randolph.Flat amounts added to the plate fee in the counties NCDMV names; no charge in the other counties.Official calculator | Buyer |
| Vehicle property tax | VariesVaries by the county's assessed value of the vehicle and the local tax rate.Collected by NCDMV for the county under Tag & Tax Together. Payment can be deferred 60 days by taking a limited registration plate.Official calculator | Buyer |
| Safety inspection (or combined safety and emissions inspection) | $13.60–$30Paid to the inspection station, not to NCDMV. $13.60 is the safety inspection alone; $30 is the combined safety and emissions inspection charged in the 19 emissions counties.$13.60 for a safety inspection only, $30 for the combined safety and emissions inspection in the 19 emissions counties. Paid to the inspection station, not to NCDMV. | Buyer |
| Late penalty for applying after 28 days | $20The NCDMV late penalty fee. The separate $20 civil penalty and Class 2 misdemeanor under G.S. 20-73(c) are not included in this figure.NCDMV: charged if the buyer or recipient fails to submit a request for title transfer within 28 days from the date of delivery or notary date, whichever is later. | Buyer |
| Instant title (optional expedited service) | $105.75NCDMV's fee table adds '(may be additional fees)'. The ordinary title fee is charged in addition.NCDMV notes there may be additional fees, and lists the license plate agencies that issue instant titles over the counter. | Buyer |
| License plate transfer to the seller's replacement vehicle | $25.50The transfer itself. NCDMV waives it where a single-owner title becomes joint or joint becomes single with one name in common, and where the owner has died and the title passes to a surviving spouse.Waived when a single-owner title becomes joint or vice versa with one name in common, and when the registered owner has died and the title passes to a surviving spouse. | Seller |
North Carolina charges a 3 percent highway-use tax instead of a state sales tax, and it is assessed every time a title is transferred.
Inspection, emissions, notary and odometer
- Inspection
- Sometimes required
- Required before the vehicle can be registered, unless it received a passing North Carolina inspection within the previous 12 months
- Not required for a title-only application on a vehicle that will not be operated
- Vehicles more than 30 years old, and antique-plated vehicles, are exempt
- NCDMV can issue a 10-day temporary plate to drive an unregistered vehicle to the inspection station
- Emissions
- Sometimes required
- Vehicle is registered in one of the 19 emissions counties: Alamance, Buncombe, Cabarrus, Cumberland, Davidson, Durham, Forsyth, Franklin, Gaston, Guilford, Iredell, Johnston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, New Hanover, Randolph, Rowan, Union or Wake
- The on-board diagnostic emissions test is conducted at the same visit as the annual safety inspection
- Exempt: some light-duty vehicles less than 3 years old or with fewer than 70,000 miles, vehicles 20 years old or older, diesel-operated vehicles, farm-registered vehicles, antique-plated vehicles, and vehicles over 8,500 pounds GVWR
- Notarization
- Required
- The seller's assignment and warranty of title on the reverse of a North Carolina title (G.S. 20-72(b))
- The buyer's Title Application (MVR-1), per MVR-106 and NCDMV's required-document footnote
- Every signature on every required document where co-owners are involved, with a black-and-white copy of the other owner's license
- Not required on MVR-180 or MVR-181, which carry no notary block
- Odometer disclosure
- Sometimes required
- NCDMV's required-document table and MVR-106: required when the vehicle is less than 10 years old
- The MVR-180 form itself: exempt only at 20 years for model year 2011 and newer, at 10 years for model year 2010 and older
- Always exempt: gross vehicle weight rating over 16,000 pounds, a vehicle that is not self-propelled, and a new vehicle before its first transfer for purposes other than resale
What happens to the plates
License plates belong to the owner, not the vehicle: the seller removes the plate at the time of sale and either transfers it to a replacement vehicle for $25.50 or surrenders it to NCDMV.
- The seller keeps the plates
- The seller may move the plates to a replacement vehicle
- The seller surrenders the plates
- The buyer gets new plates
G.S. 20-72(a): 'Whenever the owner of a registered vehicle transfers or assigns his title or interests thereto, he shall remove the license plates. The registration card and plates shall be forwarded to the Division unless the plates are to be transferred to another vehicle', and an application to assign the plates to the other vehicle must be made within 20 days after the date the plates were last used on the old vehicle. NCDMV's License Plates page adds that if you 'sell a vehicle without transferring the plate' you must immediately surrender it, and that the plate must be returned before liability insurance is cancelled. Transfer requires liability insurance on both vehicles, a current inspection on the receiving vehicle, a valid plate, and a match between the applicant's license and the vehicle title. The $25.50 transfer fee is waived when a single-owner title becomes joint (or vice versa) with one name in common, and when the registered owner dies and the title passes to a surviving spouse.
How to submit
- In person at a state title office
- In person at an authorized third-party office
- By mail
North Carolina titles and registers a vehicle in the same transaction at a license plate agency, so bring proof of North Carolina liability insurance to the title appointment — a title-only application is available for a vehicle that will not be operated.
Official state links
Source: North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV). Checked July 26, 2026. Report a correction