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North Carolina Driver License

North Carolina Driver License

In order to obtain a driver’s license in the state of North Carolina, new drivers need to follow a specific licensing process established by the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV).

Steps to get a North Carolina limited learner’s permit

Teenagers, who are between the ages of 15 and 17, may be eligible for a limited learner’s permit in North Carolina. It has a number of strict requirements and restrictions to help gain on-the-road experience necessary to drive.

Requirements for a limited permit

  • In the first place, you must be at least 15 years old and enroll in an approved driver education course, thereby earning your Driver’s Education Certificate
  • Secondly, you must also get your Driving Eligibility Certificate
  • Thirdly, you must make an appearance at a local DMV office and apply for the limited learner’s permit in person
  • You will need to have your vision checked to see whether you comply with vision standards. In addition, you must get at least 20/40 and if your vision is not good enough, you will need to wear corrective lenses
  • Then, you must take and pass the road sign recognition test to show that you know the signs and can identify them
  • The next step is to prepare for the written knowledge test and pass it
  • After the steps mentioned above, you will need to pay the limited permit fee of $21.5 and receive the permit to practice supervised driving

List of acceptable documents

  • One valid document, which bears your full legal name and date of birth
  • Social Security Number (or Social Security Card)
  • Evidence of legal presence in the US
  • North Carolina residential address (two documents)
  • One document proving liability insurance
  • Driver’s Education Certificate
  • Certificate of Driving Eligibility

Steps to get a North Carolina limited provisional license

A limited provisional license is for individuals, who are 16 and 17 years old and want to drive. In addition to this, the license allows the licensee to drive unsupervised, however, with some driving restrictions.

Requirements

  • To start with, you must have held your limited learner’s permit (for at least 12 months)
  • You must have clean driving record without any moving violations and seat belt/mobile infractions
  • Then, you must practice supervised driving for at least 60 hours and 10 of these hours must be at night
  • Afterwards, you must schedule on-the-road test and pass it. To clarify, the test is a demonstration of your driving abilities and you will be able to perform basic driving patterns
  • You should pay $21.5 for the license

Bring the following documents

  • Current limited learner’s permit
  • Completed driving log
  • Liability insurance coverage
  • Application signed by a parent or legal guardian

Driving restrictions

  • Driving only between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. (except for emergency causes)
  • Only carrying one unrelated and under 21 years of age passenger
  • Not using mobile or other additional technologies while driving on a public street, area or highway (except for emergency situations, such as calling a hospital, health clinic, fire department and so on)

Steps to get a full provisional license

A full provisional license is for teenagers between the ages of 16 and 17, who already hold their limited provisional license. It might be important to know that the previous restrictions (time, number of passengers, supervision) do not apply to this type of license.

Requirements

  • In the first place, you must have held your limited provisional license for at least six months
  • Secondly, you must have completed at least 12 hours of supervised driving, including 6 hours of nighttime driving
  • Then, you must apply for the license at the nearest DMV office and pay the license fee of $5.5 (per year)
  • You must also present your current license, identity, Social Security Number, residential address and liability insurance coverage documents.

North Carolina full (adult) driver’s license

A full license gives permission to drive legally without any restrictions or obligatory supervision.

Requirements

  • You must hold your North Carolina permit
  • Schedule an on-the-road test and take it. On the exam day, you should bring your liability insurance coverage documents, vehicle registration certificate, proper forms of identification, as well as your current permit
  • Finally, pay the license fee of $5.5 (per year) and receive the full driver’s license

Driver’s license renewal in North Carolina

The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) reminds driver of the upcoming renewal up to 60 days before the expiration date. Nonetheless, you have the right to renew the license six months before it is due to expire, even if you do not get any reminding or notification.

The renewal duration is eight years for persons between the ages of 21 and 65, whereas it is five years for persons 66 years old and older.

Renew in person

To start with, you should call at (919) 715-7000 and schedule an appointment for visiting a DMV office. Then, you should show up and pass both the road sign recognition and vision tests. You must also submit the following documents:

  • Your current driver’s license
  • Documents bearing your full legal name and date of birth
  • Social Security Number
  • Two valid forms of North Carolina residency
  • Once you complete these steps, you will need to pay the license renewal fee of $5.5 (per year) and renew the license for five or eight years.

Renew online

To renew your driver’s license online, you must:

  • Go through this link and login to your account
  • Enter your current drives license number
  • Give the last four digits of your Social Security Number (SSN)
  • Furnish with a valid email address
  • Make the renewal fee payment by a credit or debit card, which is $5.5 per year

Pay attention to the fact that you cannot renew online if you want to renew your provisional license or learner’s permit. You may not also renew online if you have restrictions on your license or name/address change.

Renew by mail

You may renew the driver’s license by mail providing that you have been out of state for at least 30 continuous days or you are serving in the US Armed Forces. You must also have a permanent residence address, a current license (or not expired for more than two years), a signed and dated Sex Offender Affidavit and a photo on file with DMV.

To renew, you must complete the application form, have your licensed doctor sign the vision statement and send the packet by mail, including the renewal fee.

Note that you are not allowed to renew a provisional driver’s license by mail. You may not also be able to renew by mail if you are not younger than 72.

Duplicate license

You may request a duplicate license as long as it is not cancelled, suspended or expired. To have a duplicate license, you should go to a DMV office and present your driver’s license in order to apply for a new one.

In case you have lost or destroyed the license, you can replace it by providing two valid forms of identification and the license fee.

North Carolina driver’s license fees

  • Regular Driver’s License Fee: $5.5 per year
  • Duplicate Fee: $14
  • Commercial Driver’s License Fee: $21.5 per year
  • Commercial Duplicate Fee: $14
  • Learner’s Permit Fee: $21.5
  • Limited Provisional License Fee: $21.5
  • Learner’s Permit Duplicate Fee: $14
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Seda S

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