(a) All records of the Division, other than those declared by law to be confidential for the use of the Division, shall be open to public inspection during office hours in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-43.1 A signature recorded in any format by the Division for a drivers license or a special identification card is confidential and shall not be released except for law enforcement purposes or to the State Chief Information Officer for purposes of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143B-1385 or the State Board of Elections in connection with its official duties under Chapter 163 of the N.C. Gen. Stat.. A photographic image recorded in any format by the Division for a drivers license or a special identification card is confidential and shall not be released except for law enforcement purposes or to the State Chief Information Officer for the purposes of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143B-1385 or the State Board of Elections in connection with its official duties under Chapter 163 of the N.C. Gen. Stat..

(b) The Commissioner, upon receipt of notification from another state or foreign country that a certificate of title issued by the Division has been surrendered by the owner in conformity with the laws of such other state or foreign country, may cancel and destroy such record of certificate of title. (1937, c. 407, s. 8; 1947, c. 219, s. 1; 1971, c. 1070, s. 1; 1975, c. 716, s. 5; 1995, c. 195, s. 1; 1997-443, s. 32.25(d); 2013-360, s. 7.10(b); 2014-115, s. 56.8(d); 2015-241, s. 7A.4(c); 2016-94, s. 24.1; 2017-6, s. 3; 2018-146, ss. 3.1(a), (b), 6.1.)