North Carolina Car Insurance

Proof of North Carolina car insurance has to be provided for almost anything you do with the North Carolina DMV.

Driven or not, all registered vehicles have to have insurance in North Carolina.

North Carolina requires that you show proof of insurance to make sure that their drivers have liability coverage before they allow them to hit the road. There are very few exceptions to this requirement. You are even required to provide proof of insurance on a vehicle that you have stored and aren’t even driving it.

So, to save yourself a lot of time and trouble, you should always bring in proof of North Carolina car insurance whenever you have to take care of something at the DMV. If they don’t need it they will tell you, but it is better to have it and not need it; than need it and not have it.

Required North Carolina Car Insurance

North Carolina requires that you carry the following car insurance coverage:

• $30,000 in liability coverage for injuries that you cause to a pedestrian or an occupant in another vehicle.

• $60,000 in liability coverage for the total medical expenses from multiple pedestrians or occupants in a different vehicle than yours. This is all in a single accident.

• $25,000 in liability coverage for the damage you cause to another person’s vehicle or any other property that is not yours.

North Carolina Car Insurance and Your Driver’s License

Whether or not you have to provide proof that you have North Carolina car insurance will depend on the circumstances surrounding why you are getting your license. If you are getting your license for any of the following reasons you will have to provide proof:

• You are getting your license for the first time.

• You have moved from a different state and are applying for a North Carolina license.

• You have been awarded “Limited Driving Privileges” by the courts.

• You are getting your license restored after it has been suspended or revoked.

You can provide proof of insurance by submitting an insurance binder, insurance card or insurance policy to the DMV from an insurance company that is license to sell North Carolina car insurance. You can also fill out a DL-123 DMV form to submit your insurance information.

In the event that you do not own a vehicle and you will not be driving a fleet vehicle, you will have to file for an exemption from providing proof of insurance. You can do so by filling out DMV form DL-123A.

Cancelling Your North Carolina Car Insurance

Do not cancel your North Carolina car insurance before you have turned in your license plates. Even if you have decided to store your vehicle, it still has to have insurance on it as long as it is registered and it has plates.

If the state finds out that you cancelled your insurance before you turned in your plates you will be subject to penalties for not having insurance on a registered vehicle. The best thing to do is to turn in your license plates to the state first, and then cancel your North Carolina car insurance.