{"data":{"id":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-20-176","jurisdiction":"us-nc","citation":"N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-176","heading":"Penalty for misdemeanor or infraction.","body":"(a)\tViolation of a provision of Part 9, 10, 10A, or 11 of this Article is an infraction unless the violation is specifically declared by law to be a misdemeanor or felony. Except as otherwise provided in subsection (a1) of this section, violation of the remaining Parts of this Article is a misdemeanor unless the violation is specifically declared by law to be an infraction or a felony.\n(a1)\tA person who does any of the following is responsible for an infraction:\n(1)\tFails to carry the registration card in the vehicle, in violation of G.S. 20-57(c).\n(2)\tRepealed by Session Laws 2016-90, s. 12(b), effective December 1, 2016, and applicable to registration cards issued on or after that date.\n(3)\tFails to notify the Division of an address change for a vehicle registration card within 60 days after the change occurs, in violation of G.S. 20-67.\n(4)\tOperates a motor vehicle in violation of G.S. 20-146.2.\n(b)\tUnless a specific penalty is otherwise provided by law, a person found responsible for an infraction contained in this Article may be ordered to pay a penalty of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00).\n(c)\tUnless a specific penalty is otherwise provided by law, a person convicted of a misdemeanor contained in this Article is guilty of a Class 2 misdemeanor. A punishment is specific for purposes of this subsection if it contains a quantitative limit on the term of imprisonment or the amount of fine a judge can impose.\n(c1)\tRepealed by Session Laws 2014-100, s. 16C.1(c), effective October 1, 2014.\n(c2)\tRepealed by Session Laws 2013-385, s. 5, effective December 1, 2013.\n(d)\tFor purposes of determining whether a violation of an offense contained in this Chapter constitutes negligence per se, crimes and infractions shall be treated identically. (1937, c. 407, s. 137; 1951, c. 1013, s. 7; 1957, c. 1255; 1967, c. 674, s. 3; 1969, c. 378, s. 3; 1973, c. 1330, s. 34; 1975, c. 644; 1985, c. 764, s. 20; 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 852, ss. 7, 17; c. 1014, s. 202; 1993, c. 539, s. 379; 1994, Ex. Sess., c. 24, s. 14(c); 2013-360, s. 18B.14(h); 2013-385, s. 5; 2014-100, s. 16C.1(c); 2016-90, s. 12(b); 2021-185, s. 13(b).)","path":["Chapter 20. Motor Vehicles.","Article 3. Motor Vehicle Act of 1937.","Part 12. Sentencing; Penalties."],"source_url":"https://www.ncleg.gov/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/BySection/Chapter_20/GS_20-176.html","current_through":"S.L. 2026-30","vintage":"","retrieved_at":"2026-08-27T17:58:08Z","sha256":"fc670726584888a00c5ff4a8a1df68dc217a3ff711756f55a19c6630176c863a","source_id":"us-nc","stale":false,"prev":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-20-175.18","next":"us-nc/n.c.-gen.-stat.-20-177"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}