Vehicle Lifts in North Carolina: G.S. 20-63 and covered plates

Families in North Carolina who put a scooter carrier on the back of a car or truck want to know whether the carrier puts them on the wrong side of the plate law. North Carolina's statute actually lists devices that may not cover a plate, so the question has a concrete answer.

After the law, we look at lifts for different vehicles and devices, and at what the state's heat, humidity and storms mean for a device that rides outside.

North Carolina's plate and lamp rules

When a vehicle has one plate, it goes on the back: "when only one registration plate is issued for a motor vehicle other than a truck-tractor, said registration plate shall be attached to the rear of the motor vehicle" (G.S. 20-63(d)).

Subsection (g), titled "Alteration, Disguise, or Concealment of Numbers," is the part that matters for a hitch lift. It makes it a Class 2 misdemeanor for "Any operator of a motor vehicle who shall willfully mutilate, bend, twist, cover or cause to be covered or partially covered by any bumper, light, spare tire, tire rack, strap, or other device" any part of a registration plate or its figures, or who "shall display a number plate in other than a horizontal upright position." It also makes it an infraction to "intentionally cover any number or registration renewal sticker on a registration plate with any material that makes the number or registration renewal sticker illegible" (G.S. 20-63(g)).

The offense is written around willful covering, so once you know a carrier hides the plate, fix it. Move the plate to a lift-mounted holder that keeps it horizontal and upright.

Rear lamps "shall exhibit a red light plainly visible under normal atmospheric conditions from a distance of 500 feet to the rear," and "One rear lamp or a separate lamp shall be so constructed and placed that the number plate carried on the rear of such vehicle shall under like conditions be illuminated by a white light as to be read from a distance of 50 feet to the rear" (G.S. 20-129(d)). We did not find a plate mounting height in G.S. 20-63, and we could not confirm on the state's own pages whether North Carolina's vocational rehabilitation services help pay for vehicle modifications, so we do not cover either here.

Weather on North Carolina roads

NOAA's North Carolina summary says summer average temperatures were the warmest on record for 2005 to 2020, and that 2010 to 2020 saw the largest number of very warm nights. Annual precipitation has ranged from 34.8 inches in 2007 to 68.4 inches in 2018, and in September 2018 Hurricane Florence "dropped 20 to 36 inches in eastern North Carolina."

A scooter or chair on an outside platform will sit in that heat and rain. A fitted cover keeps the seat and controls drier. Before a storm, plan where the vehicle and the device will wait it out, and do not drive through flooded roads with a loaded lift. Inside hoists keep the device in the cabin but use cargo space.

Lifts worth a look

• Harmar AL300HD Heavy-duty Fusion Lift: carries virtually all scooters and power chairs up to 400 lb, in Harmar's words, held by four self-tensioning Q'Straint retractors and a rear wheel cradle. It needs a Class III or greater hitch, and a license plate mount is in the package.
• Harmar AL580-HDX: Harmar's high-capacity hitch lift for heavier mid-wheel drive power chairs with 14 in drive wheels, rated for 450 lb on a Class III or greater hitch. A license plate riser is among the options.
• Harmar AL815CC Crew Cab Hoist Lift: designed for crew cab trucks, with an arm that adjusts from 49.25 to 67 in to reach into the cab. It lifts 135 lb with powered lifting and rotation.
• ComfyGO GO Lift Portable Lift: not mounted at all. It rolls on casters and raises a wheelchair or scooter from 9.5 in up to 32.8 in for loading into a trunk, on flat, non-slippery surfaces. ComfyGO says it is never a patient lift.

Specs come from each product's page on our site.

Help in North Carolina

The North Carolina Assistive Technology Program provides "device demonstration, short-term device loans, and reutilization of assistive technology" through 9 centers "from the mountains to the coast." The AT3 Center lists a financial loan program for the state as well. A short-term loan of a lighter chair or travel scooter can tell you which lift you really need.

Ordering and delivery to North Carolina

We work with a team of credentialed local specialists to guarantee timely, safe, and optimal delivery and installation. Use the vehicle lift fit check to match your hitch, vehicle and device. We ship to the lower 48 states and DC, with free shipping over $500 ($15 under $500), and we cover the sales tax on every order. Most products are processed in 2-5 business days, and some brands differ. More is on the North Carolina shipping page.

Questions about vehicle lifts in North Carolina

Is it a crime in North Carolina for a scooter carrier to cover my plate?

G.S. 20-63(g) makes it a Class 2 misdemeanor for an operator who "shall willfully" cover or partially cover a registration plate with "any bumper, light, spare tire, tire rack, strap, or other device." A carrier or the device on it can do exactly that. Relocate the plate to a holder where it is fully visible.

Can my plate be mounted sideways on a lift bracket?

No. The same subsection, G.S. 20-63(g), covers anyone who "shall display a number plate in other than a horizontal upright position." Whatever bracket or riser you use, the plate must sit horizontal and upright. Check it with the lift folded and with a device loaded, since the view can change.

Does a relocated plate need its own light?

G.S. 20-129(d) requires a rear lamp or separate lamp that lights the rear plate with white light so it can be read from 50 feet behind the vehicle. If the factory lamp no longer reaches the plate on its new mount, add lighting there. Rear lamps must also show red light visible from 500 feet.

Is there a lift that does not mount on the vehicle?

Yes. The ComfyGO GO Lift is a portable lift on casters that raises a wheelchair or scooter from 9.5 in to 32.8 in so you can guide it into a trunk. ComfyGO says to use it on flat, non-slippery surfaces and only for chairs and scooters, never for people.

Browse the vehicle lift collection, use the fit check, or start the full assessment. Questions? Email us at info@faithmobility.com.

Sources

• G.S. 20-63, Registration plates
• G.S. 20-129, Required lighting equipment of vehicles
• NOAA NCEI State Climate Summaries: North Carolina (2022)
• NCDHHS: North Carolina Assistive Technology Program
• AT3 Center: State AT Programs
• Harmar AL300HD product page
• Harmar AL580-HDX product page
• Harmar AL815CC product page
• ComfyGO GO Lift product page