Having the nation's second largest state-maintained road system, North Carolina relies on the Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) to license drivers and register vehicles. The North Carolina Department of Transportation (NCDOT) has its roots in the early part of the 20th century, with the establishment of the State Highway Commission. The Commission's Motor Vehicle Bureau administered taxes on automobile licenses, the gasoline tax, and the bus and truck franchise tax.

In 1923, the Department of Revenue took on the duty of collecting license taxes and taxes on insurance companies, and this included the motor vehicle taxes. The Motor Vehicle Bureau then became part of the Department of Revenue. Originally, the state's Highway Patrol was part of the Bureau, but by 1941, with North Carolina's growth and the Patrol's growing responsibilities, the General Assembly created the Department of Motor Vehicles. Only the gasoline tax unit was left with the Revenue Department; the rest of the Bureau became part of the new department.

In 1971, the State Highway Commission and the DMV were combined to form the NC Department of Transportation and Highway Safety. "Highway Safety" was dropped from its name in 1979, when the Highway Patrol Division was transferred to the newly created Department of Crime Control and Public Safety.

Today, NCDOT comprises 11 divisions, including the Division of Motor Vehicles and the License and Theft Bureau, which oversees vehicle services such as registering and titling. NCDOT plays its part in the safety and regulation of the drivers who travel on one of the nation's most extensive road systems.

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