Frequently Asked Questions on Registered Motor Vehicles

BASICALLY, the new statute implemented on January 1, 1993, has changed the way property tax is collected on registered motor vehicles. These vehicles (cars, trucks, trailers, motorcycles, and similar property) will no longer have to be listed in January. Unregistered (untagged) motor vehicles must still be listed annually in January and will be billed with other personal property.

When you receive your vehicle registration renewal card from the DMV, please make sure your address and county are correct. If the address and county are not correct, the DMV must be notified so you are taxed by the proper county and municipality.

About three months after your registration renewal, you will receive a bill which is payable on the first day of the following month. For example, if you have a March renewal, you will receive the bill in June, it will be due on July 1st, and must be paid by July 31st to avoid the addition of interest. You will receive a separate tax bill on each registered vehicle you own.

You may get a bill from a county in which you do not reside at the time of registration renewal. If this were to occur, you may go to either the county which billed you or in the county which should have billed you in order to correct the error. All incorrect billings should be corrected within thirty (30) days.

The valuation of your motor vehicle may be appealed in the same manner as the valuation of your other property. The burden of proof will remain with you, the taxpayer. By statute, a valuation appeal must be completed within thirty (30) days from the date the notice is prepared.

Your vehicle tax bill can be paid through mail by check or money order. You may also pay in person at the Edgecombe County Collector’s Office located in Suite 146 at the Edgecombe County Administration Building. Bills can be paid by credit/debit card in person only. If your registration is blocked, payment must be made in cash.

Property Taxes on Registered Motor Vehicles are based on the tag and date of registration. If you transfer the tags to another vehicle, you will not be taxed on the second vehicle until you renew the tags. In other words you pay taxes for the whole year on the first vehicle, rather than part of the year on each vehicle.

When you turn tags into the DMV, they will give you a special receipt to give to the tax office. If you bring that receipt and a bill of sale showing that you sold the vehicle, you can have the taxes prorated to reflect the number of months you owned the vehicle. This must be done within 365 days of the date on which the tag was surrendered, otherwise the bill for the entire year will be due. (Form to request proration).

To insure the assessment and registration functions run smoothly, we suggest you follow these instructions:
• Notifty the DMV of any address change
• Register your vehicle on time
• Pay your taxes on time
• Make sure the County you reside in appears on your registration
• Report all incorrect billings immediately