Quick Answer
No. North Carolina requires a valid Social Security number or federal documents showing legal presence for any driver's license (N.C. Gen. Stat. §20-7), so an ITIN doesn't qualify. DACA recipients can get a limited-duration license. Visitors may drive on a valid home-state or home-country license, but residents must get an NC license within 60 days.
Can You Get a Driver's License in North Carolina Without Legal Status?
No. N.C. Gen. Stat. §20-7(b1) bars the NC Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) from issuing a driver's license without a valid Social Security number, and the only exception covers people with federal documents showing temporary legal presence. North Carolina has no license for residents without status, and an ITIN doesn't count.
Read the statute: N.C. Gen. Stat. §20-7.
Who Can Get a North Carolina Driver's License?
Citizens, green-card holders and people with documented temporary legal presence can get a North Carolina license. Under §20-7(s), applicants with temporary status, including DACA recipients, receive a limited-duration license with a distinguishing mark that expires when their authorized stay ends. H-2A farmworkers' licenses expire 3 years after the visa was issued, or sooner.
- U.S. citizens and permanent residents (standard license)
- Visa holders, asylees, refugees and TPS holders with valid federal documents (limited-duration license)
- DACA recipients with a valid Employment Authorization Document (limited-duration license)
Can I Drive in North Carolina With a License From Another State?
Yes, if you live in that state. N.C. Gen. Stat. §20-8 lets nonresidents aged 16 or older drive with a valid license from their home state or country, and unlike Florida and Tennessee, North Carolina hasn't voided other states' licenses. Anyone who moves to North Carolina must get an NC license within 60 days.
That means a Virginia or Maryland license doesn’t solve driving for someone who lives in North Carolina: the 60-day rule in §20-7(a) applies, and the NC license requires an SSN or legal presence. The nonresident exemption is in §20-8(3).
Can I Drive in North Carolina With a License From My Country?
Yes, as a nonresident. The same §20-8 exemption covers a valid license from your home country if you're at least 16 and follow that license's restrictions and vehicle classes. It's meant for visitors: once North Carolina is your home, you need an NC license, which requires an SSN or proof of legal presence.
An International Driving Permit only translates your license; carry it with the original.
What Are Your Options in North Carolina Without a License?
North Carolina requires a Social Security number for a regular license, and driving without any license is a Class 3 misdemeanor under G.S. 20-35. Until you qualify through a work permit, the alternatives are relocating to Virginia or another licensing state, or not driving.
- Know the penalty. G.S. 20-35(a1) lists driving without a license among Class 3 misdemeanors.
- Virginia is next door. Virginia borders North Carolina and licenses residents regardless of status, but only people who actually live there qualify, and its license doesn't let a North Carolina resident drive at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can undocumented immigrants get a driver's license in North Carolina?
No. N.C. Gen. Stat. §20-7 requires a valid Social Security number or federal documents showing legal presence, and North Carolina has no license for residents without status.
Can I use an ITIN for a North Carolina driver's license?
No. NCDMV needs a valid Social Security number or legal-presence documents. An ITIN is only an IRS tax number.
Can DACA recipients get a North Carolina driver's license?
Yes. DACA recipients with a valid Employment Authorization Document get a limited-duration license that expires when their authorized stay ends.
Can I use a Virginia license while living in North Carolina?
No. North Carolina's nonresident exemption covers people who live elsewhere. Anyone who moves to North Carolina must get an NC license within 60 days.