How do Wilmington police handle the enforcement of tag compliance? | MyReporter

Vehicle owners are likely familiar with the annual requirement to register their vehicles -- a legal obligation for drivers within the state of North Carolina.

The N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) mails a renewal notice about 60 days before a vehicle's registration expires, according to the N.C. DMV webpage.

However, some drivers either forget or intentionally neglect to renew their vehicle registration, leading to expired or invalid license plates. But how prevalent is this issue in Wilmington, and how do law enforcement officers work to enforce vehicle registration laws?

Lt. Greg Willett, public information officer with the Wilmington Police Department, provided insight into the enforcement of tag compliance in Wilmington.

"It's a way for the state to ensure that...those on the road have insurance," Willett said, adding that vehicle registration is a regulatory process controlled by the state.

How is vehicle registration enforced?

Registration stickers are attached to the top right-hand corner of license plates, indicating the month and year of registration. Officers look at this sticker to determine if plates are valid, Willett said.

"The next step would be to actually run that tag through DCI, which is the Division of Criminal Information," Willett said. "Once (officers) run the tag, (they'll) get a readback, and (they) can see on there if the DMV has it listed as expired."

This step can be important because people may forget to attach their registration sticker onto their tag, the sticker might have fallen off, or have been stolen, Willett said.

"You may have a vehicle that's showing an expired tag, but you run it through the computer, and it actually shows as valid," Willett said.

When officers encounter a driver with an expired license plate, it's up to their discretion whether they issue a verbal warning, written warning, or a citation, Willett said. Those issued a citation receive a fine and a traffic court date for the future.

The DMV additionally charges a late fee for registrations renewed after 15 days of their initial expiration date.

How often do Wilmington police encounter expired tags?

Encountering drivers with expired tags is a relatively frequent occurrence for Wilmington police officers.

"If you're being attentive...if you're out there specifically looking for expired tags, you'll come across maybe two a shift," Willett said.

Data provided by the Wilmington Police Department indicates that officers issued 1,741 tickets for expired registration in Wilmington in 2023.

What challenges do officers face?

It can be difficult for officers to visually spot expired registration stickers, Willett said.

Additionally, changes in the appearance of these stickers over recent years has increased this challenge. Registration stickers used to be color-coded by the year, making expired stickers easier to recognize, Willett said.

"When the state went to the stickers they use now, it actually became more of a challenge," Willett said.

While Willett mentioned tag compliance is a regulatory law addressed by police, he said that other legal violations and crimes may take priority in terms of enforcement.

This article originally appeared on Wilmington StarNews: MyReporter: How do Wilmington police enforce license tag compliance?