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Resources / NC Chapter 20 / Article 3 / Part 2. Authority and Duties of Commissioner and Division

North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 20

G.S. 20-43. Records of Division

The full text of G.S. 20-43 (Records of Division), with plain-English commentary from North Carolina DWI defense attorneys Chris Adkins and Chris Purkey in the side column. Article 3: Motor Vehicle Act of 1937.

§ 20-43. Records of Division.

(a) All records of the Division, other than those declared by law to be confidential for the use of the Division, shall be open to public inspection during office hours in accordance with G.S. 20-43.1. A signature recorded in any format by the Division for a drivers license or a special identification card is confidential and shall not be released except for law enforcement purposes or to the State Chief Information Officer for purposes of G.S. 143B-1385 or the State Board of Elections in connection with its official duties under Chapter 163 of the General Statutes. A photographic image recorded in any format by the Division for a drivers license or a special identification card is confidential and shall not be released except for law enforcement purposes or to the State Chief Information Officer for the purposes of G.S. 143B-1385 or the State Board of Elections in connection with its official duties under Chapter 163 of the General Statutes.

(b) The Commissioner, upon receipt of notification from another state or foreign country that a certificate of title issued by the Division has been surrendered by the owner in conformity with the laws of such other state or foreign country, may cancel and destroy such record of certificate of title. (1937, c. 407, s. 8; 1947, c. 219, s. 1; 1971, c. 1070, s. 1; 1975, c. 716, s. 5; 1995, c. 195, s. 1; 1997-443, s. 32.25(d); 2013-360, s. 7.10(b); 2014-115, s. 56.8(d); 2015-241, s. 7A.4(c); 2016-94, s. 24.1; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, ss. 3.1(a), (b), 6.1.)

Official text of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-43 as published by the North Carolina General Assembly (Chapter 20 PDF, retrieved November 10, 2026). Verify the current version on ncleg.gov ↗.

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