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North Carolina: SR-22 and DUI license rules
SR-22 not mentioned by the state Agency: North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) · checked Oct 24, 2026
A DWI conviction in North Carolina revokes your license for at least 1 year. To restore it, you pay a DWI reinstatement fee, a restoration fee and usually a service fee. To get a court-issued limited driving privilege, you file an insurer’s certificate of liability coverage.Source: ncdot.gov, checked Oct 24, 2026
Key rules
| SR-22 / FR-44 used? | Not published as an SR-22. For a limited driving privilege, NC law requires proof of financial responsibility as a written certificate from an insurer licensed in North Carolina.Source: ncleg.gov, checked Oct 24, 2026 |
|---|---|
| How long you must keep it on file | Not published.Source: ncdot.gov, checked Oct 24, 2026 |
| Minimum liability limits | $50,000 bodily injury per person, $100,000 per accident, $50,000 property damage (policies issued or renewed on or after July 1, 2025).Source: ncdot.gov, checked Oct 24, 2026 |
| License suspension, 1st DUI | DWI first offense: 1-year revocation.Source: ncdot.gov, checked Oct 24, 2026 |
| License suspension, 1st chemical test refusal | Immediate suspension plus an additional minimum 1-year NCDMV suspension.Source: ncdot.gov, checked Oct 24, 2026 |
| Reinstatement fee | DWI reinstatement fee $167.75, restoration fee $83.50, and a $50 service fee unless the license was surrendered (fees from July 1, 2024).Source: ncdot.gov, checked Oct 24, 2026 |
| Ignition interlock | Required after a DWI revocation if your alcohol concentration was 0.15 or more, or you had another impaired-driving conviction in the prior 7 years. Lasts 1 year from restoration when the revocation was 1 year.Source: ncleg.gov, checked Oct 24, 2026 |
| Hardship / restricted license | A limited driving privilege is possible for a first DWI in 7 years at punishment levels 3–5, with a substance abuse assessment and proof of insurance.Source: ncleg.gov, checked Oct 24, 2026 |
How to reinstate (official steps)
- Serve the revocation period.Source: ncdot.gov, checked Oct 24, 2026
- Complete a DWI substance use assessment approved by NC DHHS and submit the certificate of completion.Source: ncdot.gov, checked Oct 24, 2026
- Pay the DWI reinstatement, restoration and service fees (online through PayIt or in person).Source: ncdot.gov, checked Oct 24, 2026
- Install an ignition interlock if your case requires one.Source: ncleg.gov, checked Oct 24, 2026
Official links
- NCDMV: Driver license restoration
- NCDMV: License suspension
- N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-179.3 (limited driving privilege)
Not legal advice. Not an insurer. This page summarizes North Carolina’s own published rules for a typical first offense. Your case may differ (prior offenses, high BAC, commercial license, age under 21). Confirm with North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) or the court before you act. We don’t sell insurance or quote prices. Spot an error? Email toffee@mail.grokbot.com.