• Tax Office

  • Department:

Military Issues

North Carolina Personal Property and How If Affects You


  • North Carolina has a Personal Property Tax on motor vehicles, boats, airplanes, jet skis, motorcycles and mobile homes.
  •  If you purchase or register a vehicle in North Carolina, three months later you will receive a tax bill.  If you do not claim North Carolina as your Home of Record, you must furnish a current Leave and Earnings Statement (LES) to the Tax Office and they will release the charges.
  •  If your vehicle is titled in your name, and that of a dependent or some other significant person who is not Military, you will be responsible for the tax based on one-half (1/2) of its retail value. You must furnish the Tax Office with a current LES to maintain this exemption.
  • The Military Spouses Relief Act does exempt qualifying military spouses from NC ad valorem taxes. In order to qualify, the military spouse must provide proof of having established and maintained a domicile in the same state as the military member. In order to receive the exemption, military spouses must provide a copy of their Dependent Military ID, the military member’s LES, and a tax return, driver’s license or other document showing proof of residency in the military member’s state of residence.
  • Regardless of Home of Record everyone must pay the North Carolina Road Use tax that is collected by the DMV at the time of registration of the vehicle in North Carolina.
  • The Tax Office will require that you furnish a current (LES) each year after tag renewals to ensure that you are still eligible for the exemption.
  •  If you lease a vehicle from a Company such as Navy Federal or Ford Motor Credit they will be billed initially for the tax and depending on your lease agreement with these companies, you will be held liable for the taxes.  The lease companies are a business entity and cannot claim your exemption.
  •  If you have paid personal property taxes and have not notified the Tax Office of your Military Non Residence Status please contact the office and ask if you would qualify for a refund.

If you have any questions concerning Taxation of Motor Vehicles, or any other personal property, you are encouraged to contact the Onslow County Tax Office at 910-989-2201. You can also email questions to Betty_Brown@onslowcountync.gov. The Office is located at 39 Tallman Street in Jacksonville across from the Courthouses and Jail and up the Street from the USO.  We look forward to helping you resolve any questions that arise.