The DL-123 is how North Carolina proves you are insured
The NCDMV proof of insurance page lists the DL-123 insurance form, provided by a North Carolina insurance company. A policy from a North Carolina-licensed insurer showing its issue and expiration dates is also accepted. So is an insurance card with your name, policy number and coverage dates.
State law explains why the form matters at restoration. Under G.S. 20-19(k), you must show that you told your insurer you are seeking restoration. You also prove you are financially responsible. An insurer's certificate counts as proof for 30 consecutive days after it is issued, so time the request close to your DMV visit.
Three years of coverage, counted from the day NCDMV restores you
The same statute sets the clock. Financial responsibility has to stay in effect for not less than three years after the date your license is restored. Dropping it inside that window is grounds to suspend the restored license for 30 days.
That makes the DL-123 more than a one-day document. It shows NCDMV a live policy, and the law expects that policy to keep running.
DWI and restoration fees at NCDMV
Restoration has two steps on the NCDMV reinstatement page. First you pay every required fee. Then you reapply at a driver license office, or online if a Failure to Appear or Failure to Pay caused the suspension.
The DWI reinstatement fee is $167.75 when a DWI suspension term ends. Other suspensions carry an $83.50 restoration fee. A $50 service fee applies unless you surrendered the license to the court or mailed it to NCDMV before the effective date.
Online payment runs through PayIt, which adds $3 per transaction plus a 1.85 percent card fee. NCDMV says processing can take up to 24 hours after payment.
Only a North Carolina policy counts
Every registered vehicle needs continuous liability insurance from a company licensed to do business in North Carolina. The vehicle insurance requirements page is blunt: out-of-state policies are not accepted. Policies issued or renewed after July 1, 2025 need $50,000 for one injured person and $100,000 for two or more. Property damage needs $50,000.
Older policies carried $30,000, $60,000 and $25,000, as the North Carolina Department of Insurance explains in its notice on the change.
A lapse on a registered car is a separate penalty
Insurers must tell NCDMV when liability coverage on a vehicle is canceled or lapses. NCDMV then mails the registered owner a termination notice. Starting October 1, 2026, you have 30 days to respond, up from 10.
The civil penalty depends on prior lapses within three years of the current one. It is $50 for a first lapse, $100 for a second and $150 after that, plus a $50 restoration fee. If your coverage never actually lapsed, your insurer electronically submits a Certificate of Insurance (FS-1), and NCDMV clears the fines.