New Hanover County

Marriage Licenses

Available in Room 101, Vital Records Office
New Hanover County Courthouse in the basement 24 N. Third Street, Wilmington.
Phone: (910) 798-7754
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Cost: $50 cash, check, or money order; $10 additional for a certified copy.
Website: www.nhcgov.com

Both bride and groom must bring three forms of ID: driver’s licenses (or DMV picture ID), and Social Security cards, and certified birth certificates. If divorced in the past 60 days, bring divorce papers. For ages 16 and 17, parental permission is required. Ages 15 and younger, must see a judge. Documentation available online.

Birth And Death Certificates

Available in Room 101, Vital Records Office
New Hanover County Courthouse in the basement 24 N. Third Street, Wilmington.
Phone: (910) 798-7754
Hours: 8 a.m. to 4:45 p.m., Monday-Friday.
Cost: $10 per certified copy.
Website: www.nhcgov.com

Requirements: Certified copies of birth and death certificates are available to immediate family members only. Family member must present identification. Non-certified copies are available to the public. For information on military discharge certificates, you must go into the office. Documentation available online.

Passports

Applications available at all post offices in Wilmington:

Main Office (152 N. Front Street)
Myrtle Grove Station (5675 Carolina Beach Road)
Azalea Station (3916 Oleander Drive)
Dogwood Branch (314 Lennon Drive)
Magnolia Station (Market Street)
Wrightsville Beach (206 Causeway Drive).
Phone: (877) 487-2778 or (910) 313-3293  Hours: (for Wilmington post offices): 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Monday through Friday.
Website: www.travel.state.gov/passport

Cost: It costs $67 for a routine passport application for an adult, the Post Office charges $30 to process and $15 for a photo. If you want to receive the passport in three weeks, it costs $60 more; Post Office charges an additional $58.80 fee to get a passport in two weeks. To pay the U.S. Department of State, you can only use check or money order. The Post Office can convert money into a money order. The Post Office will take cash, money order, debit or credit cards. Bring: Certified birth certificate (with affixed state seal and a file date)*, driver’s license (or state picture ID), and two, 2-by-2 inch photos. *If a birth certificate is not available and the government has a letter from a state agency as proof that there is no record of a birth certificate on file, the government will accept secondary evidence of citizenship, such as hospital certificates, school records, family Bible records, newspaper files etc. It takes six weeks to get a passport, which are valid for 10 years for adults and five years for those younger than 16 years old.

Vehicle Registration

2390 Carolina Beach Rd, Wilmington 28401
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Phone: (910) 763-6752

13 S. Kerr Avenue, Wilmington 28405
Hours: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Phone: (910) 397-0277

Driver's Licenses

DMV Building
1 Station Road, Wilmington 28405
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Phone: (910) 350-2005

New Hanover County (South)
2390 Carolina Beach Road, Wilmington 28401
Hours: 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday-Friday
Phone: (910) 251-5747

Getting A Driver's License

First-time drivers must take written, vision, sign and road tests. Drivers who want to renew valid North Carolina licenses must take highway signs and vision tests, and possibly a driving test. Out-of-state drivers must surrender the old license and take a written test in addition to sign and vision tests, and possibly a driving test if the license has been expired for more than a year. Bring a driver’s license with a photograph and one form of identification; one must show a birth date and full name. The driver must have two of 11 possible forms of identification. Such forms can include a birth certificate, North Carolina school transcripts signed by a school official, military discharge (Form DD214) or a passport. Proof of Social Security is required. A birth certificate is preferred and must be a certified copy. Proof of residency, such as a lease agreement, utility bill or bank statement, must be provided. Drivers must also bring proof of liability insurance and a valid Social Security number or individual identification taxpayer number if not eligible for a Social Security number. If a driver is renewing a license that has been suspended or revoked or is getting a North Carolina license for the first time, he must have Form DL123, proof of liability insurance, filled out by the insurance company, or a copy of the original insurance policy less than 30 days old. An out-of-state driver must have a Form DL123, must take written, vision and sign tests and possibly a road test and must surrender the old license.

Driver's License Fees

Learner’s permit: $15 for 18 months
Duplicate license or identification card: $10
Class C license, depending on age of driver and time of renewal: $4 per year
Class A or B license, depending on age of driver or time of renewal: $4 per year Approximate fees: $4 for each year that the license is valid for a Class C license; $4 per year for license classes A and B; $15 per year for a commercial driver’s license (CDL) classes A, B and C; plus $3 per year for each additional endorsement. No credit or debit cards are accepted. Cash is accepted, correct change is appreciated. Personal checks are accepted if they are labeled with the same address that appears on your driver’s license or if they are drawn from any North Carolina bank. No out-of-state or company checks are accepted.

Registration: To renew auto registration, owner must bring renewal card from the Department of Motor Vehicles with any changes noted on registration, a driver’s license and the name of the liability insurance carrier and the policy number. The price is $28 for cars, starting at $28 for trucks, $18 for motorcycles and starting at $19 for trailers. Checks are accepted with proper identification. County tax offices may block vehicle registration for failure to pay county property tax, and the DMV may block registration for failure to maintain liability insurance.

Titles: To change an out-of-state title, an owner must show the title or the registration, valid picture identification, the insurance policy number and declare the vehicle mileage. For a new title, mileage information is required if the car is less than 10 years old. Driver’s license number is also required. The division prefers that a driver’s license be obtained before tags are purchased. If a lien holder has the title, bring the current registration and name and address of the lien holder in lieu of title. After tags are issued, car owners have 10 days to get a safety inspection sticker. Title fee for people moving from out-of-state is $40 in addition to the car plate fee of $28, plus a highway use tax, which is 3 percent of the DMV assessed value with a cap of $150, plus notary fees of between $5 and $7 . The cost of title and tags for existing residents is $68 plus tax, includes license plate, which is 3 percent of the DMV assessed value. There is a cap of $1,500 only for motor homes. Odometer disclosure is required on vehicles 10 years old and newer. Replacement fee for license plate with current registration is $15. To register a vehicle that wasn’t purchased from a dealer, the new owner needs the title properly assigned to him by the registered owner. Checks are only accepted with two forms of identification.