NC could ditch physical car registration cards and stickers under budget plan
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Proposed budget provision would eliminate physical registration cards and stickers.
- The DMV must develop and maintain a secure electronic vehicle registration system.
- Drivers may request a printed registration for a fee.
North Carolina’s car registration methods could be switching entirely to digital.
A provision in the proposed state budget would eliminate physical motor vehicle registration cards and renewal stickers and replace them with an electronic system.
The move is intended “to reduce administrative costs, streamline vehicle registration processes, and enhance efficiency,” according to the North Carolina General Assembly’s proposed budget.
Per state law, drivers in North Carolina are currently required to keep a printed copy of registration inside the vehicle.
The proposed budget instructs the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, under the Department of Transportation, to develop and maintain a “secure and user-friendly vehicle registration system” that allows drivers and law enforcement to “access and verify registration status without the need for physical registration cards or renewal stickers.”
Drivers can apply in-person or online for a printed copy of the registration, according to the proposed budget. Applicants would pay “a fee” that would not exceed the cost to print and mail the physical registration.
Renewal will still be required annually, and the Division of Motor Vehicles is instructed to update the electronic registration records.
The state budget bill, which is a year overdue, was published on Tuesday. Lawmakers are scheduled to hold votes on the bill over the next few days, and will adjourn ahead of the Fourth of July holiday.
This story was originally published June 30, 2026 at 11:46 AM with the headline "NC could ditch physical car registration cards and stickers under budget plan."
