Every North Carolina rule, with citations.
The numbers and rules that are unique to North Carolina: passing score, BAC limits, GDL stages, fees, and the others. Different states test different limits, ages, and consequences.
- Passing Score & Test Length How many questions are on the knowledge test, how many you need to pass, and whether there is a time limit. 7 facts →
- License & Test Fees What it costs to apply for a learner permit, take the knowledge and skills tests, and get your first license. 7 facts →
- Retake Rules & Pass Rates After a failed knowledge test: how long you wait before a retake, what the retake costs, and the pass rate where the state publishes one. 3 facts →
- BAC Limits & DUI Consequences Blood-alcohol legal limits for adults, minors, and commercial drivers; refusal-to-test penalties; first-offense consequences. 6 facts →
- Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) Stage-by-stage licensing rules for new drivers: minimum ages, holding periods, supervised hours, curfews, and passenger restrictions. 11 facts →
- Phone & Distracted Driving Laws Whether handheld phone use and texting are banned for all drivers, additional restrictions on minors, and first-offense fines. 4 facts →
- Insurance Requirements Minimum liability coverage required to drive legally, plus uninsured-motorist and SR-22 rules. 7 facts →
- Seatbelt & Child Seat Laws Primary vs secondary seatbelt enforcement, which seats are covered, and child-seat / booster age and weight thresholds. 4 facts →
- Crash Reporting Rules When you must file a written crash report, the deadline, and which agency receives it. 3 facts →
- Required Identification Documents What you need to bring to the DMV office to prove identity, residency, and Social Security number. 4 facts →
- Default Speed Limits Default speed limits where no sign is posted: residential, urban, rural, school zones, and interstate maximums. 8 facts →
- Following-Distance & Headlight Rules How far back to follow another vehicle, when to dim high beams for oncoming and following traffic, and the move-over law for emergency vehicles. 9 facts →
- License Suspension Rules How this state counts violations toward suspension (points or convictions) and how DUI, reckless driving, and excessive speeding factor in. 6 facts →
- Right-of-Way Rules Most right-of-way rules are the same everywhere. These are the ones that are not: whether you stop or merely yield for a pedestrian, whether a divided road excuses you from stopping for a school bus, whether a cyclist may roll a stop sign, and what a funeral procession is owed. 8 facts →
Compare across states
Want to see how North Carolina stacks up nationally? Browse the cross-state fact comparisons for side-by-side tables.