# North Carolina — Vehicle title transfer deadlines and late penalties by state

For North Carolina, deadline to apply for title is within 28 days after the vehicle is transferred; statute is G.S. 20-73, verified against its source on 2026-08-18.

- **State:** North Carolina _(our reading, not quoted from the source)_
- **Deadline to apply for title:** within 28 days after the vehicle is transferred _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Statute:** G.S. 20-73 _(verified: appears in the quote below)_
- **Penalty for missing it:** a civil penalty of twenty dollars ($20.00) _(per ncleg.gov, not stated by the source above)_

## What the source says

> A person to whom a vehicle is transferred, whether by purchase or otherwise, must apply to the Division for a new certificate of title. An application for a certificate of title must be submitted within 28 days after the vehicle is transferred.

## What ncleg.gov says

> A person to whom a vehicle is transferred who fails to apply for a certificate of title within the required time is subject to a civil penalty of twenty dollars ($20.00) and is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor.

Source: https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-73.html

## Source

- https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-73.html

Last verified: 2026-08-18. Review by: 2027-08-18.
Part of [Vehicle title transfer deadlines and late penalties by state](https://referencesource.org/vehicle-title-transfer-deadlines-by-state/).