End of an era: North Carolina DMV eliminates stickers, routine paper registration on Oct. 1

Richard Stradling, The News & Observer on Sep 15, 2026

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RALEIGH, N.C. — Registering a car or truck in North Carolina has long included two rituals: applying a new sticker to your license plate, and finding a safe, handy place for the paper registration card in case you ever got pulled over.

That ends Oct. 1.

The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles will no longer send you a sticker for your license plate to show when your registration will expire. And a paper copy of the registration will become optional, something that you’ll have to print yourself or pay extra for.

Lawmakers voted this summer to end the stickers and routine printing of registration cards. Both had become redundant. Law enforcement officers in North Carolina already use an electronic system to confirm a vehicle’s registration is valid based on the plate number and don’t need confirmation from a sticker or paper card.

The change will save the DMV an estimated $4.8 million a year, said spokesman Marty Homan. That’s about $2 million to print cards and stickers and $2.8 million to mail them. Lawmakers reduced the DMV’s budget by $4.8 million, Homan said, so the savings is not a windfall for the agency.

Here’s what else you should know about vehicle registration:

Do I need a paper copy of my registration in other states?

Not likely, but you might. Law enforcement officers in most other states are also able to confirm your registration electronically, but to be safe you can carry a paper copy in your console or glove box as you always have.

How do I get a paper copy?

Starting Oct. 1, you’ll be able to download a PDF of your registration from the DMV website that you can save to your phone and/or print yourself for free. The DMV will also email you a copy at your request.

You can also ask the DMV to print and mail you a copy or have one printed at a DMV license plate agency office. Both of those options will cost $5.

Any other changes to the vehicle registration process?

No. You must still renew your registration at the same rates and pay the vehicle property tax every year. Unless your vehicle is more than 30 years old, you must first get a safety inspection. If you live in one of 19 urban counties, you also still need an emissions test, though state and federal regulators are working to eliminate that requirement for all but Mecklenburg County.

Will the DMV still let me know when it’s time to renew my registration?

Yes. The DMV will continue to mail you a renewal notice 90 days before your registration expires. If you have a myNCDMV account, you will also receive an email reminder.

If I renew by mail, will I get a receipt?

Yes. While you won’t get a copy of your registration without paying $5 extra, the DMV will mail you a receipt confirming that your registration was successfully renewed.

Do I need to keep the sticker on my license plate?

Until Oct. 1, yes. But after that, you’re free to scrape it off, along with the other stickers you’ve accumulated over the years underneath it. Or you can keep them on as a reminder of a bygone era.