North Carolina driver's license
Get your first license in North Carolina after moving to the US.
How it goes
- 1You arriveYou have moved to North Carolina and you want to drive here.
- 2Your permitYou practice on the road with a learner permit.
- 3The written testYou take the written test.
- 4Behind the wheelYou take the drive test behind the wheel.
- Your licenseYou pass the tests, and the license is yours.
What it costs
A first license
$32.50
You pay this when you apply.
If you just arrived in the US
If your license from another state has expired
If it expired more than two years ago, you take the full test: written, road signs, vision, and driving. If it expired less than two years ago, you only take the road signs and vision tests.
Documents you need
- Documents that are still validEach document has its own expiration rule: a foreign passport must be unexpired and come with an unexpired U.S. visa and I-94, and a North Carolina Limited Driving Privilege cannot be expired more than one year. An expired immigration document still counts if it comes with a USCIS letter extending its expiration date, such as Form I-797.
Your Social Security Number
Giving your number, and who may see it
Your Social Security number is not a public record, and the DMV cannot share it except where federal law allows. Permitted uses include driver-license administration, child-support enforcement, taxpayer identity checks, and removing deceased people from county jury lists.
Tests you take
Eye test
You identify letters or symbols from a set distance. Vision of 20/40 or better in at least one eye gets you an unrestricted license; anything less and your license is restricted to require corrective lenses.
Tries you get on the written test
If you do not pass, you can take the test again in seven calendar days. NCDMV publishes no limit on the number of attempts.
Using an interpreter
You can request ASL or language interpreter help for a DMV visit online. The written test is offered in different languages, and oral tests are available on request.
You can request interpreter services at ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/Pages/interpreter-services.aspx.
What to bring to the drive test
Who comes with you
If you hold a limited learner's permit, a supervising driver must sit beside you in the front seat while the car is moving. No one else can sit in the front seat.
The car and its insurance
Proof of liability insurance from a North Carolina-licensed insurer, in your name: Form DL-123 from your insurance agent, your policy, an insurance binder, or an insurance card showing your name, policy number, and issue and expiration dates. Digital proof of insurance is not accepted for the paper Form DL-123 route.
Where to go
Who gives the tests
The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles. The driving skills test checks your ability to perform basic driving patterns.
Other states
U
Every source, quoted11 sources
Every fact on this page is quoted from the page that publishes it, in the words it uses.
“(i) Fees. - The fee for a regular drivers license is the amount set in the following table multiplied by the number of years in the period for which the license is issued: Class of Regular License Fee for Each Year Class A $6.50 Class B $6.50 Class C $6.50”
ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-7.htmlChecked July 28, 2026
“Applicants with a driver's license issued by another state, expired more than two years, shall complete the full examination, to include the knowledge examination, road signs test, visual acuity test, and road test.”
“Valid, unexpired documents issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security or U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services An expired immigration document may be valid if accompanied by a letter from U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services extending the expiration date (e.g., I-797)”
ncdot.gov/dmv/help/Pages/proving-identity.aspxChecked August 1, 2026
“The social security number of an applicant is not a public record. The Division may not disclose an applicant's social security number except as allowed under federal law.”
ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/ByArticle/Chapter_20/Article_2.pdfChecked August 1, 2026
“The Visual Acuity Test, which examines an applicant's visual ability to identify letters or symbols from a specific distance. The applicant's vision shall be 20/40 or better in at least one eye to receive an unrestricted license. A license shall be restricted to require corrective lenses if acuity is less than 20/40 in either eye or both eyes together.”
“may retake the test in seven calendar days”
ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/new-drivers/Pages/driver-license-tests.aspxChecked August 1, 2026
“Written knowledge Covers traffic laws and safe-driving practice Tests offered in different languages Oral tests available, upon request”
ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/new-drivers/Pages/driver-license-tests.aspxChecked August 1, 2026
“Request interpreter services -> https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/Pages/interpreter-services.aspx”
ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-license-appointments/Pages/default.aspxChecked July 26, 2026
“A supervising driver must be seated beside the permit holder in the front seat of the vehicle when it is in motion. No person other than the supervising driver can be in the front seat.”
ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/PDF/ByArticle/Chapter_20/Article_2.pdfChecked August 2, 2026
“you will need to provide proof of liability insurance coverage from a North Carolina-licensed insurance carrier. The proof of insurance must reflect your name.”
ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/new-drivers/Documents/driver-handbook.pdfChecked August 1, 2026
“Driving skills Assesses applicant's driving skills and ability to perform basic driving patterns”
ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/driver-licenses/new-drivers/Pages/driver-license-tests.aspxChecked August 1, 2026
Applying for a driver's license in North Carolina?
Answer a few questions and see the steps that apply to you.