Vehicle Property Taxes

​​​​North Carolina property tax law requires counties to assess the value of motor vehicles registered with the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles.

As part of NCDMV’s Tag & Tax Together program, the vehicle owner pays the property tax at the same time as the vehicle’s registration renewal fee.

North Carolina residents who have not registered their vehicles or who have not renewed their vehicle registrations are required to list their vehicles with their county of residence by Jan. 31 of each year.

Pay Property Tax for a New Vehicle​​

Customers seeking to title and register a newly purchased vehicle may choose to defer payment of vehicle property tax for 60 days. All other charges are due at the time of title and registration. Owners will be issued a limited registration plate and vehicle property tax must be paid within 60 days of registration. A permanent sticker will then be issued for the remainder of the year. There is no grace period.​

Vehicle Property Tax Values & Estimates

Questions regarding vehicle values and appeals on tax values must be directed to the tax assessor in the county where the vehicle is registered, not NCDMV. Owners can also estimate their vehicle property tax using NCDMV's vehicle property tax estimator. For property tax exmeption, contact your county tax office.​

Late Payments

Interest is charged on late vehicle property tax payments and on late registration renewals. It accrues at a rate of 5 percent for the remainder of the month following the date in which the registration sticker expired. Beginning the second month following the due date, interest accrues at .75 percent per month until the taxes and fees are paid. 

A late fee will also be charged on registration renewal beginning on the first day of the month following the expiration date.

Previous Tax Payments

• Vehicle Property Tax Estimator

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