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Department of Transportation – NC DMV

division of motor vehicles

License issues in North Carolina, the kinds dealing with your ability drive a car (motor vehicle) are handled by the Division of Motor Vehicles or NC DMV. It is a division of the NC Department of Transportation (DOT) and is responsible for:

  • Vehicle Registration
  • Driver’s Licenses
  • North Carolina Identification Cards or “NC ID”
  • Property Tax for Vehicles
  • Change of Address
  • Duplicate License or Duplicate ID
  • REAL ID

NC DMV has its own APP on both Apple and Google Play, as well as a website called: ncdot.gov/dmv

Do NOT confuse that with the private company website called DMV.org that looks like an official DMV website. It is not the official website in North Carolina if you have questions about your driver’s license or other license and registration issues.

License Suspended in NC - What’s the Difference Between a Suspension and Revocation? driving while license revoked

Defense lawyers, prosecutors, and even judges in North Carolina tend to use the terms interchangeably. DWLR in NC stands for “Driving While License Revoked” and may also involve a revocation due to “impaired revocation” or what is known as DWLR Imp Rev.

A license suspension is said to be the temporary withdrawal of a driver license, for a set or specific period of time, and may allow for reinstatement after the terms and conditions of suspension are cleared or otherwise fulfilled.

Once the terms are “fulfilled,” you may apply for a NC drivers license at one of the many NC DMV license offices. You may be required to submit proof of identity and compliance with the NC insurance laws for reinstatement.

A revocation on the other hand is said to “terminate” the NC drivers license. There are requirements for eligibility and possibly additional terms to obtain a reinstatement hearing through the NC Division of Motor Vehicles.

Proof of Insurance is often required, which may be fulfilled through use of a special form called a DL-123 in North Carolina. The DL-123 form is a type of certification of liability insurance.

Why is My License Revoked?

There are several different reasons why your license may be revoked or suspended by NC DMV, including things like:

  • Accumulation of Moving Violations / DMV Points
  • Excessive speeding and speeding tickets / moving violations
  • DWI charges in NC, DUI, and out-of-state “drunk driving”
  • DWLR Driving While License Revoked
  • Driving While License Suspended
  • Moving violations during a period of revocation or suspension
  • Failure to Appear or “FTA”
  • Failure to Pay Fine
  • Ignition Interlock Violations
  • 30 day civil revocation “Civ Rev” – DWI revocations
  • Willful Refusal to submit to breath, blood DWI testing
Questions About Your NC Drivers License – Call Bill Powers

If you have questions about your license in NC, give us a call. We’re here to help. The Powers Law Firm PA provides legal assistance to people in Charlotte, Gastonia, Monroe NC, Iredell County (Statesville and Mooresville) and Salisbury will NC DMV issues.

It can be complicated and a bit confusing at times. Our traffic lawyers provide a free consultation and are more than willing to meet in person or conduct a secure video conference to explain your legal rights and options.” Bill Powers, Defense Attorney

What is NC DOT?

The North Carolina Department of Transportation exits by statutory mandate under Article 1, Chapter 136 of N.C.G.S., as “Organization of Department of Transportation.”

There are several “divisions” of NCDOT including:

  • Aviation
  • NC DMV Division of Motor Vehicles
  • North Carolina Ports Authority (Sea Ports)
  • Rail Division (Trains, Freight and Passenger Rails)
  • Division of Bicycle and Pedestrian Transportation
  • NC Ferry System
  • Highways Division
  • Public Transportation – Local Transit, Buses, Light Rail
  • Turnpike Authority of North Carolina

Of more than 80,000 state employees of North Carolina, there are approximately 12,000 NC DOT workers.

Common DMV Fees in North Carolina
  • Class A Commercial Driver’s License or “CDL” $5.00/year
  • Class B Commercial Driver’s License $5.00/year
  • Class C “Regular Driver’s License” $5.00/year
  • Duplicate License Fee: $13.00 (one-time fee)
  • North Carolina ID Card: $13.00 (one-time fee)
  • NC Learner Permit: $20.00
  • Commerical Lerner Permit: $20.00
  • Motorcycle Learner Permit: $20.00
  • Motorcycle Endorsement: $2.30/year
  • NC REAL ID – Free of Charge
  • School Bus Driver Endorsement: $4.00/year
  • Commercial Driver License Endorsement: $4.00/year
Helpful Information About Criminal Charges
Client Reviews
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I am so fortunate to have had Bill Powers on my case. Upon our first meeting, Bill insisted that through the emotions of anger, sadness, confusion, and betrayal that I remain resilient. He was available to answer questions with researched, logical, truthful answers throughout our two year stretch together... J.R.
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Bill Powers and his firm were a true blessing. If anyone is contacting an attorney, it's more than likely not from a positive life experience. If there was a rating for "bedside manner" for lawyers he'd get a 10/10 for that as well. The entire staff were helpful... K.C.
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Bill Powers’ staff has handled several traffic citations for me over the years, and they exceeded my expectations each and every time. Would highly recommend anyone faced with a traffic citation or court case contact his office and they will handle it from there. M.C.
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Bill and his staff are flat out great. I (unfortunately) was a repeat customer after a string of tickets. These guys not only took care of the initial ticket for me, but went the extra mile and reduced my problems from 3 to just 1 (very minor one) on the same day I called back! I would recommend them to anyone. A.R.