Top Plates and Registration

North Carolina requires you to surrender your license plates if you move out of state. Take the plates to any DMV office, or, if you've already moved, mail them to:

• DMV Vehicle Registration Section

• Mail and Distribution Unit

• 3148 Mail Service Center

• 1100 New Bern Ave.

• Raleigh, NC 27699-3148

Make sure to state in your letter where the vehicle is now registered, and ask for a receipt.

If you have some unused time on your license plate, you can get a refund when you turn in your license plate or registration sticker to the DMV.

Never cancel your liability insurance coverage on a vehicle until after you have canceled the registration and surrendered the plates. There's a $50 fine in North Carolina if you interrupt insurance coverage on a registered and plated vehicle.

Top Things to do When You Move to a New State

In Your Old State

• Notify your insurance company of your move and provide a new address.

• Notify your leasing company if your vehicle is leased.

In Your New State

• Apply for a new driver's license. After establishing residency most states require that this be done within a set amount of time, usually ranging between 30 and 60 days.

• Apply for a new registration. This too must be completed within a set amount of days after establishing residency.

• Apply for new license plates. This generally coincides with the registration process.

• Apply for a new vehicle title. Unlike the aforementioned, applying for a new title generally, depending on your state, is not mandatory. If you plan on selling your vehicle, only then will you need an updated title to correspond with your new state.

• If you're a prospective new driver, you will need to check if your permit is honored in your new state.

• If you completed a driver education course in your old state you will also need to investigate whether your new state will honor the completion certificate.

• Learn if your new state requires vehicle inspections.

• Check out our New to Your State? section for more information.

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