---
title: "Asheville, N.C., DMV tag agency break-in; police seek tips"
url: https://www.hereasheville.com/2026/10/09/asheville-dmv-tag-agency-break-in-police-tips/
date: 2026-10-09T09:29:56+00:00
modified: 2026-10-09T09:29:56+00:00
author: "Becca Porter"
categories: ["Public Safety"]
site: "HERE Asheville"
attribution: "HERE Asheville"
---

# Asheville, N.C., DMV tag agency break-in; police seek tips

> ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Detectives are trying to determine who broke into the Asheville DMV License Plate Tag Agency on Smokey Park Highway after owners found the office burglarized Wednesday morning. The owners called police around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday when they realized someone had broken in. Surveillance video caught images of an individual inside the store

*Source: [HERE Asheville](https://www.hereasheville.com/2026/10/09/asheville-dmv-tag-agency-break-in-police-tips/) — October 9, 2026 by Becca Porter*

ASHEVILLE, N.C. — Detectives are trying to determine who broke into the Asheville DMV License Plate Tag Agency on Smokey Park Highway after owners found the office burglarized Wednesday morning.

The owners called police around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday when they realized someone had broken in. Surveillance video caught images of an individual inside the store between 2:30 a.m. and 3:30 a.m., police said.

Police said the suspect got away with an undetermined amount of cash. A sign on the agency door said the closure was due to an office emergency, with a planned reopening Friday, Oct. 9, at 9 a.m.

The Asheville Police Department asked anyone with information to call (828) 252-1110 or text TIP2APD at 847411.

Interim Police Chief Jackie Stepp’s detectives are handling the tip line as the early-morning burglary investigation continues along the Smokey Park Highway corridor west of downtown Asheville.

Asheville City Hall at 70 Court Plaza is the civic hub for other municipal business while the tag agency works through the emergency closure and reopening timeline posted for Friday morning.

Police have not released a suspect name or a full inventory of what else, if anything, was taken beyond the cash. The tip request remains the main public ask while investigators review the overnight surveillance footage from inside the agency.

Tag agencies process plate work for drivers across Buncombe County, so even a short closure can delay routine trips to Smokey Park Highway. The planned Friday reopening would restore that walk-up service if the office emergency repairs stay on schedule.