North Carolina HB 853: Special License Plate After Revocation.

Bill Text

GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA
SESSION 2025
H 1
HOUSE BILL 853

Short Title: Special License Plate After Revocation. (Public)
Sponsors: Representatives Pike, Echevarria, Penny, and Greene (Primary Sponsors).
For a complete list of sponsors, refer to the North Carolina General Assembly web site.
Referred to: Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
April 10, 2025
*H853-v-1*
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED 1
AN ACT TO REQUIRE PERSONS WHOSE LICENSES HAVE BEEN REVOKED TO HAVE 2
A SPECIAL LICENSE PLATE OF A DIFFERENT COLOR. 3
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts: 4
SECTION 1. G.S. 20-19 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 5
"(l) Special Registration Plate Restriction. – When the Division restores a person's drivers 6
license which was revoked pursuant to any provision of this Chapter, in addition to any other 7
restriction or condition, it shall require the person to agree to and shall indicate on the person's 8
drivers license a restriction that the person may operate only a vehicle that displays a special 9
registration plate as described in G.S. 20-82.1. 10
A person subject to this subsection shall obtain a special registration plate for all registered 11
vehicles owned by that person that the person operates or intends to operate. The person shall not 12
operate any vehicle that does not have the special registration plate. 13
Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection, a person subject to this subsection may 14
operate a vehicle that is owned by the person's employer and that does not display a special 15
registration plate only if (i) the person is required to operate that vehicle in the course and scope 16
of the person's employment, (ii) the employer has been notified that the person is subject to a 17
license restriction requiring the person to drive only vehicles displaying a special registration 18
plate, and (iii) the person has proof of the employer's notification in the person's possession while 19
operating the employer's vehicle for normal business duties. A person shall be subject to this 20
subsection for the following period: 21
(1) Seven years if the person is also subject to a restriction in subsection (c3) of 22
this section. 23
(2) Three years in all other cases. 24
A violation of a restriction imposed under this subsection shall result in a one-year revocation. 25
If the period of revocation was imposed pursuant to subsection (d) or (e) of this section, or 26
G.S. 20-138.5(d), any remaining period of the original revocation, prior to its reduction, shall be 27
reinstated and the one-year revocation begins after all other periods of revocation have 28
terminated." 29
SECTION 2. Part 5 of Article 3 of Chapter 20 of the General Statutes is amended 30
by adding a new section to read: 31
"§ 20-82.1. Special license plate after revocation. 32
Notwithstanding G.S. 20-63(a), the Division shall issue to any person subject to the 33
restriction set forth in G.S. 20-19(l), 20-179.3(h1), 20-16.1(b)(1), and 20-20.1(i)(2a), a special 34
registration plate that is a different color from those regularly issued and that may be readily 35

General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
Page 2 House Bill 853-First Edition
identified by law enforcement officers. The Commissioner shall designate the color to be used 1
on the special registration plate, which shall remain the same from year to year and shall not be 2
displayed on any other motor vehicles. 3
No person operating a motor vehicle displaying a special registration plate described in this 4
section shall knowingly disguise or obscure the color of the special registration plate. 5
Special registration plates issued pursuant to this section are subject to the regular motor 6
vehicle registration fee in G.S. 20-87 or G.S. 20-88 plus an additional fee in the amount of ten 7
dollars ($10.00), which shall be credited by the Division to the Special Registration Plate Account 8
(SRPA)." 9
SECTION 3. G.S. 20-179.3 is amended by adding a new subsection to read: 10
"(h1) Special Registration Plate. – A judge shall include in any limited driving privilege 11
order issued under this section a special registration plate requirement pursuant to G.S. 20-82.1. 12
A person subject to this subsection shall obtain a special registration plate for all registered 13
vehicles owned by that person that the person operates or intends to operate. The person shall not 14
operate any vehicle that does not have the special registration plate. 15
Notwithstanding the requirements of this subsection, the person may operate a vehicle that is 16
owned by the person's employer and that does not display a special registration plate only if (i) 17
the person is required to operate that vehicle in the course and scope of the person's employment, 18
(ii) the employer has been notified that the person is subject to a license restriction requiring the 19
person to drive only vehicles displaying a special registration plate, and (iii) the person has proof 20
of t