In North Carolina, the minimum requirements of liability for private passenger vehicles are $30,000 for bodily injury for one person; $60,000 bodily injury for two or more people and $25,000 property damage. North Carolina law requires each company to notify DMV upon the insurance of a new policy and when coverage has been cancelled.

If there is a break in car insurance coverage, you must re-certify with the correct insurance information and submit payment of $50.00 within 10 days from the date of the letter (notifying you that the NC DMV has been alerted to the uninsured status of your vehicle) in order to retain your license plate. Failure to respond within the required time can result in the loss of your license plate for 30 days.

In order to re-license after 30 days, you must provide proof of insurance coverage Form FS-1 (which you can obtain from your insurance agent), $50.00 restoration fee, $50.00 service fee (if a plate pick up order is issued) and the appropriate license plate fee.

If you are found driving or in are involved in an accident without insurance the penalties can be harsher, including the suspension of your driver's license and 3 points on your driving record. For more information on the penalties you can read through the NC General Statutes Chapter 20, Article 9A, the Motor Vehicle Safety and Financial Responsibility Act.

The registration (tags) sticker of a vehicle in North Carolina expires at midnight on the last day of the month designated on the sticker. It is lawful, however, to operate the vehicle on a highway until midnight on the fifteenth day of the month following the month in which the sticker expired.

NCGS 20‑111 notes the violation of registration provisions. Here it states that it is unlawful for any person to drive a vehicle on a highway, or knowingly permit a vehicle owned by that person to be driven on a highway, when the vehicle is not registered with the Division or does not display a current registration plate. The penalties are not listed here directly but appear to be a fine and/or jail time. Check with the NC DOT to find out for certain what penalties you may receive for driving with expired tags.