Special License Plate After Revocation.

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AN ACT TO REQUIRE PERSONS WHOSE LICENSES HAVE BEEN REVOKED TO HAVE 2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license which was revoked pursuant to any provision of this Chapter , in addition to any other 7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 sh all 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 tha t 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 sp ecial 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 the employer's notification in the person 's possession while operating the employer 's vehicle 21
for normal business duties." 22
SECTION 4. G.S. 20-16.1(b)(1) reads as rewritten: 23
"(b) (1) Upon a first conviction only of violating subsection (a), the trial judge may 24
when feasible allow a limited driving privilege or license to the person 25
convicted for proper purposes reasonably connected with the health, education 26
and welfare of the person convicted and his the person's family. For purposes 27
of determining whether conviction is a first conviction, no prior offense 28
occurring more than seven years before the date of the current offense shall 29
be considered. The judge may impose upon such limited driving privilege any 30
restrictions as in his the judge's discretion are deemed advisable including, but 31
not limited to, conditions of days, hours, types of vehicles, routes, 32
geographical boundaries and specific purposes for which limited driving 33
privilege is allowed. For any limited driving privilege issued pursuant to this 34
subdivision, the judge must impose a special registration plate requirement 35
pursuant to G.S. 20-179.3(h1). Any such limited driving privilege allowed and 36
restrictions imposed thereon shall be specifically recorded in a written 37
judgment which shall be as near as practical to that hereinafter set forth and 38
shall be signed by the trial judge and shall be affixed with the seal of the court 39
and shall be made a part of the records of the said court. A copy of said 40
judgment shall be transmitted to the Division of Motor Vehicles along with 41
any driver's license in the possession of the person convicted and a notice of 42
the conviction. Such permit issued hereunder shall be valid for 30 days from 43
the date of issuance by trial court. Such permit shall constitute a valid license 44
to operate motor vehicles of the class or type that would be allowed by the 45
person's license if it were not currently revoked upon the streets and highways 46
of this or any other state in accordance with the restrictions noted thereon and 47
shall be subject to all provisions of law relating to driver's license, not by their 48
nature, rendered inapplicable." 49
SECTION 5. G.S. 20-20.1(i) reads as rewritten: 50
General Assembly Of North Carolina Session 2025
House Bill 853-First Edition Page 3
"(i) Restrictions. – A limited driving privilege that is not authorized by this section or that 1
does not contain the restrictions required by law is invalid. A limited driving privilege issued 2
under this section is subject to the following conditions: 3
(1) Financial responsibility. – A person applying for a limited dr iving privilege 4
under this section must provide the court proof of financial responsibility 5
acceptable under G.S. 20-16.1(g) and must maintain the financial 6
responsibility during the period of the limited driving privilege. 7
(2) Alcohol restrictions. – A person who received a limited driving privilege 8
under this section may not consume alcohol while driving or drive at anytime 9
while the person has remaining in the person's body any alcohol or controlled 10
substance previously consumed, unless the controlled substance was lawfully 11
obtained and taken in therapeutically appropriate amounts. 12
(2a) Special plate. – A judge shall include in any limited driving privilege order 13
issued under this section a special registration plate requirement pursuant to 14
G.S. 20-82.1. A person subject to this subsection shall obtain a special 15
registration plate for all registered vehicles owned by that person that the 16
person operates or intends to operate. The person shall not operate any vehicle 17
that does not have the special registr ation plate. Notwithstanding the 18
requirements of this subsection, the person may operate a vehicle that is 19
owned by the person's employer and that does not display a special registration 20
plate only if (i) the person is required to operate that vehicle in the course and 21
scope of the person's employment, (ii) the employer has been notified that the 22
person is subject to a license restriction requiring the person to drive only 23
vehicles displaying a special registration plate, and (iii) the person has proof 24
of the employer's notification in the person 's possession while operating the 25
employer's vehicle for normal business duties. 26
(3) Others. – The court may impose any other reasonable restrictions or 27
conditions necessary to achieve the purposes of this section." 28
SECTION 6. This act becomes effective December 1, 2025, and applies to licenses 29
revoked and limited driving privileges issued on or after that date. 30