Will a traffic ticket give me points on my license?

Understanding Driver License Points and Insurance Points

The burning question for nearly everyone cited with a moving violation is whether the traffic ticket will put points on their driver license. In most cases, the citation, as written, will add points to your driver license. But, depending on your driving record, driver license points may not even matter for you. Did you know there are two points systems in North Carolina? One for driver licenses, and one for insurance. The insurance point system is what most people are really concerned about.

NC DMV and Driver License Points

A finding of responsible to a moving violation causes both driver license points and insurance points. Most traffic tickets, even expired registration or driving while license revoked, are classified as moving violations. The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) maintains a record of points and suspensions for everyone in North Carolina, even if you are licensed in another state. Every moving violation either (1) has a certain DMV point value associated with the particular infraction, or (2) the moving violation itself causes a suspension, but no points. The NC DMV maintains this points record because too many points can suspend your driver license.

Insurance Points

Insurance companies maintain their own points system. They are similar, but they do not function exactly the same. Like the NC DMV points system, a moving violation will almost always cause points to the insurance points system. Unlike the NC DMV driver license points system, it is usually the case that any insurance points will trigger an increase in your insurance rates by as much as 30% for the first offense. There are certain statutory loopholes an experienced and knowledgeable traffic ticket attorney can work towards.

Our Approach

At Landon White Law Firm, our first step is to understand the specific moving violation with which our client is cited. Then, we review the driving record to see what options are available when negotiating with the county District Attorney’s Office. Not all counties negotiate traffic tickets the same. Most clients are not in danger of having their driver license suspended because of an accumulation of too many points. Thus, most traffic ticket defense strategies focus on avoiding insurance points which lead to an increase in insurance rates.

Written by Landon White.