{"data":{"id":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-20-109","jurisdiction":"us-nc","citation":"N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-109","heading":"Altering or changing engine or other numbers.","body":"(a)\tIt shall be unlawful and constitute a felony for:\n(1)\tAny person to willfully deface, destroy, remove, cover, or alter the manufacturer's serial number, transmission number, or engine number; or\n(2)\tAny vehicle owner to knowingly permit the defacing, removal, destroying, covering, or alteration of the serial number, transmission number, or engine number; or\n(3)\tAny person except a licensed vehicle manufacturer as authorized by law to place or stamp any serial number, transmission number, or engine number upon a vehicle, other than one assigned thereto by the Division; or\n(4)\tAny vehicle owner to knowingly permit the placing or stamping of any serial number or motor number upon a motor vehicle, except such numbers as assigned thereto by the Division.\nA violation of this subsection shall be punishable as a Class I felony.\n(b)\tIt shall be unlawful and constitute a felony for:\n(1)\tAny person, with intent to conceal or misrepresent the true identity of the vehicle, to deface, destroy, remove, cover, alter, or use any serial or motor number assigned to a vehicle by the Division; or\n(2)\tAny vehicle owner, with intent to conceal or misrepresent the true identity of the vehicle, to permit the defacing, destruction, removal, covering, alteration, or use of a serial or motor number assigned to a vehicle by the Division; or\n(3)\tAny vehicle owner, with the intent to conceal or misrepresent the true identity of a vehicle, to permit the defacing, destruction, removal, covering, alteration, use, gift, or sale of any manufacturer's serial number, serial number plate, or any part or parts of a vehicle containing the serial number or portions of the serial number.\nA violation of this subsection shall be punishable as a Class I felony. (1937, c. 407, s. 73; 1943, c. 726; 1953, c. 216; 1965, c. 621, s. 3; 1967, c. 449; 1973, c. 1089; 1975, c. 716, s. 5; 1979, c. 760, s. 5; 1979, 2nd Sess., c. 1316, s. 47; 1981, c. 179, s. 14; 1987, c. 512; 1993, c. 539, s. 1255; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c).)","path":["Chapter 20. Motor Vehicles.","Article 3. Motor Vehicle Act of 1937.","Part 8. Anti-Theft and Enforcement Provisions."],"source_url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-109.html","current_through":"S.L. 2026-30","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T17:58:08Z","sha256":"44908c5d08a2281687984ca63e678f4bb165835a809751dbc15be2ad506986a3","source_id":"us-nc","stale":false,"prev":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-20-108","next":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-20-109.1"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}