How long does a temporary registration permit last in North Carolina?

10-day plate: expires at midnight on the tenth day, which includes the date of issuance. The Division of Motor Vehicles will not issue more than three 10-Day Temporary Plates for a vehicle with the same customer number(s) and VIN within a consecutive 12-month period; exempt from that limit are antique vehicles (model year 1984 or older) and any vehicle that would receive a small 10-Day Temporary Plate (small trailer, motorcycle or moped).

How much does a temporary registration permit cost in North Carolina?

10-day plate: $10.00, as stated in the Title Manual. Transporter Plate: license fee $23.13 for each plate, plus an additional $17.00 for vehicles domiciled in Wake, Durham, or Orange County (RTA/transit tax) and $1.00 for Randolph County (PART tax), as stated in the manual.

Who qualifies for a temporary registration permit in North Carolina?

10-day plate: applicant must submit evidence of ownership of the vehicle to a license plate agency; liability insurance with an insurance company licensed to do business in North Carolina is necessary; plates are not to be issued for lack of funds. Applicants must sign an application (Form MVR-39); notarization is required; if jointly owned, the signature of either owner is sufficient; if a business, a counter-signature is required; a representative of the license plate agency must sign the application.

How do I get a temporary registration permit in North Carolina?

10-day plate: visit a license plate agency to obtain a temporary plate (emissions/safety inspections page); Title Manual: request by submitting evidence of ownership to a license plate agency, with the signed/notarized MVR-39 application. Transporter Plate: Form MVR-16A must be properly completed and signed; forms must be submitted by mail to Vehicle Services, RTP Unit, Raleigh (address in the manual); renewals use Form MVR-16AA.

Temporary Registration Permits in North Carolina

The North Carolina temporary permit in one table

Question	North Carolina rule
Duration	10-day plate: expires at midnight on the tenth day, which includes the date of issuance. The Division of Motor Vehicles will not issue more than three 10-Day Temporary Plates for a vehicle with the same customer number(s) and VIN within a consecutive 12-month period; exempt from that limit are antique vehicles (model year 1984 or older) and any vehicle that would receive a small 10-Day Temporary Plate (small trailer, motorcycle or moped). Transporter Plate: no duration stated in the opened manual excerpt.
Fee	10-day plate: $10.00, as stated in the Title Manual. Transporter Plate: license fee $23.13 for each plate, plus an additional $17.00 for vehicles domiciled in Wake, Durham, or Orange County (RTA/transit tax) and $1.00 for Randolph County (PART tax), as stated in the manual.
Who qualifies	10-day plate: applicant must submit evidence of ownership of the vehicle to a license plate agency; liability insurance with an insurance company licensed to do business in North Carolina is necessary; plates are not to be issued for lack of funds. Applicants must sign an application (Form MVR-39); notarization is required; if jointly owned, the signature of either owner is sufficient; if a business, a counter-signature is required; a representative of the license plate agency must sign the application. No credit is given on the purchase of another license for the 10-day plate. Transporter Plate: applicant must qualify for one of the listed purposes; proof of liability insurance (garage insurance) indicating the number of transporter plates covered is required; motorcycles cannot get transporter plates.
How to get it	10-day plate: visit a license plate agency to obtain a temporary plate (emissions/safety inspections page); Title Manual: request by submitting evidence of ownership to a license plate agency, with the signed/notarized MVR-39 application. Transporter Plate: Form MVR-16A must be properly completed and signed; forms must be submitted by mail to Vehicle Services, RTP Unit, Raleigh (address in the manual); renewals use Form MVR-16AA.

The permit types

10-day temporary license plate / Limited 10-Day Temporary Tag (10 Day Plate) - Authorizes an individual to drive their vehicle for inspection and registration when registration cannot be issued until the vehicle is inspected and the owner cannot drive it to the inspection station (emissions/safety inspections page). The Title Manual describes it as a 10-day registration plate requested by submitting evidence of ownership to a license plate agency; the plate is issued only for the empty weight of the vehicle and cannot be used to transport property.
Transporter Plate - A distinct plate category in the Title Manual (not a 10-day permit): issued to an individual or business for the purpose of moving vehicles for specific purposes, including facilitating manufacture/construction/rebuilding/delivery, repossession, pickup/delivery for repair, safety or emission inspection or preparation for sale by a dealer, delivery to/from a motor vehicle auction, moving a replaced vehicle offered for sale, and the other listed purposes in the manual.

What this permit is, and what it is not

The $10 fee for the 10-day plate is stated in the Title Manual opened for this guide. A $5 figure appears in an unopened summary of a different manual; it was not verified, so this guide carries the opened manual's $10 figure.

The process, step by step

Match the situation to the permit. The permit types below are not interchangeable; pick the one that fits the purchase and the paperwork gap.
Gather what the issuing office needs. 10-day plate: applicant must submit evidence of ownership of the vehicle to a license plate agency; liability insurance with an insurance company licensed to do business in North Carolina is necessary; plates are not to be issued for lack of funds. Applicants must sign an application (Form MVR-39); notarization is required; if jointly owned, the signature of either owner is sufficient; if a business, a counter-signature is required; a representative of the license plate agency must sign the application. No credit is given on the purchase of another license for the 10-day plate. Transporter Plate: applicant must qualify for one of the listed purposes; proof of liability insurance (garage insurance) indicating the number of transporter plates covered is required; motorcycles cannot get transporter plates.
Apply through the stated channel. 10-day plate: visit a license plate agency to obtain a temporary plate (emissions/safety inspections page); Title Manual: request by submitting evidence of ownership to a license plate agency, with the signed/notarized MVR-39 application. Transporter Plate: Form MVR-16A must be properly completed and signed; forms must be submitted by mail to Vehicle Services, RTP Unit, Raleigh (address in the manual); renewals use Form MVR-16AA.
Mind the expiry. 10-day plate: expires at midnight on the tenth day, which includes the date of issuance. The Division of Motor Vehicles will not issue more than three 10-Day Temporary Plates for a vehicle with the same customer number(s) and VIN within a consecutive 12-month period; exempt from that limit are antique vehicles (model year 1984 or older) and any vehicle that would receive a small 10-Day Temporary Plate (small trailer, motorcycle or moped). Transporter Plate: no duration stated in the opened manual excerpt.
Do not treat a temporary permit as a renewal extension unless the permit says so. For an already-registered vehicle, renewal runs through the normal renewal process.

Temporary registration permits somewhere else

See Temporary registration permits in New York.

See Temporary registration permits in Ohio.

For all states side by side, see the Temporary Registration Permits by State directory.

Source

Facts verified 2026-10-29.

This page explains how the process works and what the official rules say. It is general information, not legal advice. For a dispute about your specific situation, talk to your state motor vehicle agency.