License plate agency in Manteo to close Dec. 31, OBX plates likely to go on hold

From SamWalkerOBXNews.com

The license plate agency located in Manteo will close at the end of the year, likely leaving Dare County without a place to purchase and renew plates in person for at least several months.

And that also leaves in limbo access to the exclusive, standard issues plates that start with “OBX” and are only available at the office located inside Island Pharmacy.

The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles announced on Tuesday that Rebecca Luton, who has been the contractor operating the license plate agency in Dare County since 1997, will not be renewing her contract that expires at the end of the year.

In North Carolina, NCDMV oversees LPAs, but the agencies are managed by private businesses or local governments.

LPAs offer vehicle registration services and title transactions, as well as vehicle license plate renewals, replacement tags and duplicate registrations. Currently, 125 license plate agencies operate across North Carolina.

With the closing of the Manteo office on December 31, that means the closest offices to the Outer Banks will be in Columbia, Engelhard, Moyock and Elizabeth City.

There are also license plate agencies in Hertford, Edenton, Plymouth and Washington.

Many vehicle services can be completed online, including property tax payments and registration renewals, at MyNCDMV.gov.

Applications for a new contractor are being accepted now through the end of the year by NCDMV.

But they will have to be reviewed, interviews conducted and training that takes place before a new contractor can open, and that process could take several months, according to NCDMV spokesperson John Brockwell.

Brockwell said that until the new contractor is in place, the standard issue “OBX” plates will likely not be available.

Many locals, and even North Carolina residents from around the state, prefer to get their new plates at the license plate agency at Chesley Mall on U.S. 64 because of the “OBX” perk.

First made available in 1999 after a request to the NCDMV by state Sen. President Pro Tem and Dare County native Marc Basnight, the first three letters of “OBX” are followed by a five digits letter/number combo, and are available on all three styles of standard plates from NCDMV.

That includes the First In Flight plate, which was created in 1980 by another Dare County state Sen. Melvin Daniels, Jr., and the First In Freedom and In God We Trust/To Be Rather To Seem plates.

But they are only available for purchase in-person in Manteo.

Otherwise, vehicle owners have to get “OBX” as a personalized option, for an extra fee, at any other office or online.

The contractor applications, Form MVR-93I, Form MVR-93B, or Form MVR-93M, can be found on the Connect NCDOT website. Interested applicants may call 919-615-8521 with questions. All applications must be submitted via email to ApplicationLPA@ncdot.gov. No mail-in applications will be accepted.

So starting in 2025, the four closest license plate agencies to Dare County offering service Monday through Friday, except on state holidays, are located at:

• Columbia, 106 S. Waters St. (Tyrrell Co. Office Building), from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Engelhard, 34910 U.S. Hwy. 264 (Spencer’s Furniture Store), from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Elizabeth City, 1545 N. Road St., Suite E (Country Club Plaza), from 9 a.m.-5 p.m.
• Moyock, 257 Caratoke Hwy. (N.C. Hwy. 168), from 8 a.m.-5 p.m.