Pathway lookup
Automotive in North Carolina
These pages summarize rules to help you plan. They are not legal advice. Before you place students at a work site or change a program, check with your state agency, your district's counsel and your insurance carrier.
In short
North Carolina students take IT11 through IT18 toward ASE Entry-Level; teachers need ASE certifications within 6 months, and job-site exhaust welding needs an NCDOL-approved arrangement.
State program: AUTO pathway, Supply Chain and Transportation cluster: IT11, IT16 (pilots), IT17 Honors, IT18 Honors; CIP not shown by DPI
What a high school can deliver
Shop safety credentials, ASE Entry-Level preparation and articulated college credit with a B and 93 on the post-assessment; whether a 16- or 17-year-old can hold the inspection mechanic license is open.
Credentials students can earn
S/P2 Automotive Service Safety and Pollution Prevention and Lifting It Right: School Edition (IT11); ASE Entry-Level promoted on the pathway page; IT17 and IT18 credentials ()
Age and hour requirements
No age gate on ASE student tests. NCDMV safety inspection mechanic license states no age beyond a valid driver's license: 8-hour community college course and written exam at 80% (G.S. 20-183.4; 19A NCAC 03D .0521).
Other agencies involved
None for the program. NCDMV licenses safety inspection mechanics after an 8-hour community college course.
Who can teach it
License 74015 Automotive Service, not issued provisionally: bachelor's plus 2 years, associate plus 4, or diploma plus 6; ASE A4, A5, A6 and G1 (or Master A1-A8) within 6 months of hire.
Child labor rules for work placements
Youth employment certificate for every minor; no work 11 p.m.-5 a.m. before a school day without parent and principal approval. 13 NCAC 12 .0406 bars welding and torch cutting unless apprentice, student-learner or NCDOL Supervised Practice. Federal HO 7 engine hoists barred; no road driving at 16.
College credit after high school
HS-to-CC Articulation Agreement requires a B and 93 on the post-assessment (Central Piedmont example: TRN 111, TRN 112, AUT 113 with the MLR task list); articulation for the 2026-27 sequence: Confirm with the agency; CCP dual enrollment.
Where to go next
- The full Automotive guide, showing North Carolina
- The North Carolina state profile
- Add this pathway to your plan
Automotive in other states
Other pathways in North Carolina
- Nurse Aide / Patient Care
- EMT
- Electrical
- Welding
- Construction and Carpentry
- HVAC/R
- Cybersecurity / Networking
- Programming / Computer Science
- Medical and Dental Assisting
- Cosmetology
- Agriculture
- Early Childhood Education
- Culinary and Hospitality
- Machining and Mechatronics
- Engineering and Drafting
- Firefighting
- Law, Public Safety and Corrections
- Business Management and Marketing
- Entrepreneurship
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