Auto Theft Laws in North Carolina

Stealing a vehicle is a serious crime in North Carolina. The state also punishes related offenses like joyriding, carjacking, and stealing vehicle parts. In addition, it is against the law to possess stolen vehicles or parts, to alter a vehicle's unique identification number, or to forge vehicle titles or registrations. These crimes, and other vehicle-related offenses, are punished according to North Carolina's unique structured sentencing law.

Vehicle Theft Laws and Punishments in North Carolina

North Carolina uses a system called "structured sentencing" to set minimum and maximum punishments for felonies and misdemeanors. These sentencing ranges are determined by:

• The seriousness of the crime. Felonies range from Class A to Class I. Misdemeanors are classified as A1, 1, 2, or 3.
• Previous criminal record. Offenders with prior convictions receive more severe punishments for new crimes.
• Aggravating and mitigating factors. For example, carrying a weapon during a crime or targeting an elderly victim are aggravating factors that lead to longer sentences. Mitigating factors include things like being coerced, only playing a minor role in the crime, and making restitution to the victim.

Is It a Felony to Steal a Vehicle in North Carolina?

North Carolina doesn't have a separate auto theft law. Instead, auto theft is covered by the state's law against larceny. It is larceny if you:

• take another person's property without their permission
• carry it away (in other words, move it from wherever the owner left it), and
• intend to permanently deprive the owner of their property.

(State v. Spera, 290 N.C. App. 207, 891 S.E.2d 637 (2023).)

Larceny—including the theft of a motor vehicle—is either a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the value of the stolen property.

Felony Auto Theft

An offender who steals a vehicle worth more than $1,000 commits a Class H felony.

For a first offender, the typical sentencing range (when there are no aggravating or mitigating factors) is 5-15 months. This could be a prison sentence, but might instead involve "community punishment." Community punishment can include things like probation, community service, or making restitution to the person whose property was stolen or damaged.

(N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1340.11(2) (2025); N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A-1343(a1) (2025); N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A‑1340.17 (2025).)

Misdemeanor Auto Theft

Unlawfully taking a motor vehicle valued at $1,000 or less is a Class 1 misdemeanor. First offenders convicted of Class 1 misdemeanors face up to 45 days of community punishment, which could include a fine. Repeat offenders could face up to 120 days in jail and a fine.

(N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A‑1340.23 (2025).)

Punishments for Stealing Vehicle Parts

Car theft is punished under North Carolina's general larceny laws, but state law specifically addresses the theft of vehicle parts. It is a Class I felony to steal a motor vehicle part if:

• the cost of repairing the vehicle is $1,000 or more, or
• the part is a catalytic converter.

The cost of repairing a motor vehicle includes:

• the cost of replacement parts, and
• the cost of installing replacement parts (including labor).

For a first offender, a typical sentence for a Class I felony is 4-14 months of community punishment. Repeat offenses can be punished with jail time—including mandatory jail terms for people with several prior convictions.

(N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-72.8 (2025); N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A‑1340.17 (2025).)

Is Joyriding a Crime in North Carolina?

It's illegal in North Carolina to take someone's vehicle without permission, even temporarily. The North Carolina criminal code calls this "unauthorized use of a motor-propelled conveyance," but it's commonly referred to as "joyriding."

Joyriding is when you "take or operate" someone else's vehicle without their permission. The key legal difference between joyriding and auto theft is that a joyrider doesn't intend to permanently deprive the owner of their vehicle.

Joyriding is punished in North Carolina as a Class 1 misdemeanor (unless the vehicle is an airplane, in which case it's a Class H felony).

(N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-72.2 (2025).)

Penalties for Carjacking in North Carolina

Carjacking is when a person unlawfully takes a vehicle from its rightful owner or occupant by using (or threatening to use) physical force. In North Carolina, carjackers are charged under the state's robbery laws.

If the carjacker uses (or threatens to use) a gun or other dangerous weapon, it is a Class D felony. This is a serious crime—the typical sentence for a first offender ranges from 51-74 months in prison.

If the carjacking doesn't involve a weapon, it's a Class G felony. For a first offense, the typical sentence for a Class G felony ranges from 10-21 months in prison.

(N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A‑1340.17 (2025); N.C. Gen. Stat. §§ 14-87 and 14-87.1 (2025).)

Penalties for Damaging or Tampering With a Vehicle

It is a Class 2 misdemeanor to damage or tamper with a vehicle without the owner's consent. This includes breaking or removing any of a vehicle's parts.

It is also a Class 2 misdemeanor if you try to commit a crime by:

• climbing onto or into a vehicle
• manipulating a vehicle's brakes, ignition, or other mechanisms while the vehicle is parked and unattended, or
• setting a vehicle in motion while it's parked and unattended.

First offenders can be sentenced to up to 30 days of community punishment; repeat offenders could face up to 60 days in jail and a fine of up to $1,000.

(N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-160.4 (2025).) (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 15A‑1340.23 (2025).)

Penalties for Breaking Into or Stealing From a Vehicle

Several North Carolina laws punish people for breaking into or stealing property from vehicles.

Breaking and entering. It is a felony to break or enter into a motor vehicle. Technically this law only applies if you got into the vehicle to commit another felony, like larceny. But North Carolina law assumes that, if you were caught inside someone else's vehicle illegally, then you were there to commit a felony.

In most cases involving motor vehicles, this crime is punished as a Class I felony. But it is a more serious Class H felony if:

• the vehicle is operated by law enforcement or the military, or
• the perpetrator steals property worth $1,500 or more.

The penalties are even more severe if property stolen from a vehicle is worth $20,000 or more. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-56 (2025).)

Stealing fuel. It is a Class 1 misdemeanor to steal under $1,000 of fuel from a gas station. In addition to the other penalties for a Class 1 misdemeanor, repeat offenders will have their driver's licenses revoked. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-72.5 (2025).)

Other thefts. People who steal from vehicles can also be charged under North Carolina's general larceny statutes. As we discussed above, it is a Class H felony to steal more than $1,000 of property, and a Class 1 misdemeanor to steal property worth less than that. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-72.5 (2025).)

Penalties for Possessing Stolen Vehicles or Vehicle Parts

People who possess stolen vehicles or vehicle parts can be charged with felonies even if they weren't involved in stealing them. It is also against the law to tamper with the ID number on a vehicle or vehicle part.

Felony possession of stolen vehicles and parts

It is a Class H felony to knowingly receive, or transfer possession of, a stolen motor vehicle. A defendant can't get out of a conviction just by claiming they didn't know the vehicle was stolen. The penalty also applies if the prosecutor can prove the defendant should have known the vehicle was stolen. For instance, buying a car from a known car thief should indicate to the buyer that it's likely stolen. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-71.2 (2025).)

An offender who knowingly possesses a catalytic converter that has been unlawfully removed from a motor vehicle faces a Class I felony conviction. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 14-164.1 (2025).)

Chop shop activities

"Chop shops" are locations that take stolen vehicles and vehicle parts, and use them for criminal purposes. For example, a chop shop might dismantle a stolen vehicle to sell its parts, or to put those parts into a different vehicle.

It is a Class G felony to engage in chop shop activities in North Carolina. First offenders face from 10-21 months in prison, even if there are no aggravating factors. Repeat offenders face years-long prison sentences.

Activities covered by this law include:

• altering, destroying, disassembling, reassembling, or storing vehicles or vehicle parts that you know—or should know—were obtained illegally
• allowing a chop shop to operate on your property when you know—or should know—what's going on
• buying, selling, transferring, or possessing a vehicle or vehicle part that you know—or should know—has had its VIN or other ID numbers altered or removed, and
• buying, selling, transferring, or possessing a vehicle or vehicle part that you know—or should know—came from a chop shop.

(N.C. General Statute § 14-72.7 (2025).)

Altering Vehicle Identification Numbers

United States law requires all vehicles to come with Vehicle Identification Numbers. The VIN enables law enforcement and potential buyers to look up the vehicle's history. This tracking makes it more difficult to profit from stealing vehicles or lying about their maintenance history.

It is illegal in North Carolina to alter, destroy, or remove a vehicle's VIN, or the numbers that identify its engine or transmission. Similarly, it is illegal to place fake serial numbers on a vehicle. This law also applies to vehicle owners who allow other people to alter or destroy these ID numbers. Anyone who violates this law is guilty of a Class I felony. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-109 (2025).)

It is a Class 2 misdemeanor to knowingly buy, sell, or possess a vehicle (or a vehicle part) whose ID numbers have been deliberately altered or removed to conceal or misrepresent the vehicle's identity. (N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-108 (2025).)

Crimes Involving Leased or Rented Vehicles

If you rent a vehicle and refuse to return it, you could be charged with a crime. This doesn't apply if you're just late getting a rental car back—you have to "willfully" fail to return it. This is a Class H felony if the rental vehicle is worth more than $4,000, and a Class 3 misdemeanor (usually resulting in community punishment) if the vehicle is worth less than that. (N.C. General Statute § 14-167 (2025).)

In addition, it is a Class I felony to fraudulently rent a vehicle. This is when you sign a rental agreement knowing that you don't plan to return it, or that you're going to try to sell the vehicle or its parts. (N.C. General Statute § 20-106.1 (2025).)

Finally, it is a Class 2 misdemeanor to deliberately:

• damage a rented vehicle, or
• use a rented vehicle in a way that violates state law.

(N.C. General Statute § 14-165 (2025).)

Penalties for Fraud-Related Vehicle Offenses

It is a Class I felony to:

• forge or alter a vehicle's title, registration, or related documents to commit fraud (C. General Statute § 20-71(a) (2025)
• use forged or altered vehicle paperwork to commit fraud (N.C. General Statute § 20-71(a) (2025), or
• change the mileage on a vehicle's odometer (N.C. General Statute § 20-343 (2025).

It is also against the law to submit false information when applying for an auto insurance policy. If you do this for a personal vehicle, it's a Class 3 misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000. If you do it for a vehicle that requires a Commercial Drivers License, it is a Class H felony. (N.C. General Statute § 58-2-164 (2025).)

Getting Legal Help

North Carolina's punishments for auto theft and related crimes can include hefty fines and significant time behind bars. And not all vehicle crimes involve professional car thieves or long-term criminal enterprises. For example, a joyriding charge could arise from a disagreement about whether someone had permission to borrow a vehicle. So, if you've been accused of one of these offenses, you should find an experienced criminal defense attorney in your area as soon as you can. A good lawyer will be able to evaluate the strength of the prosecution's case and help you decide how to proceed.