Important Facts: It is rarely in your best interest to plead guilty as charged or, to simply pay off the ticket. Traffic tickets can increase your insurance costs drastically. One insurance point is a 25% increase, two points a 45% increase, and three points a 65% increase. Look at the chart to see how high your insurance rate could go.

It is unethical for an attorney to guarantee a particular result however; I will review your Driving Record and the circumstances of your ticket in order to obtain the best result for you.

Insurance Points Will Cost You Money! Over time increased insurance costs can far exceed the cost of a fine.

In most infractions we can avoid your having to spend time traveling to and waiting in court.

Out of State Residents...

YOUR NORTH CAROLINA TICKET
MAY FOLLOW YOU HOME! READ BELOW.

THE NON-RESIDENT VIOLATOR COMPACT 

Just because you are a resident of another state, do not make the mistake of thinking that the North Carolina ticket will not follow you when you leave. North Carolina and most other states and parts of Canada have joined together under the Non-Resident Violator Compact. A suspended license or a ticket in one state is reflected as a ticket or loss of license in every other state.

Also, if you ignore a ticket in North Carolina, you will likely later find yourself unable to obtain a license in another state, or even renew your license, until you have resolved the ticket here and had your driving privileges in North Carolina restored. Most states also exchange information under the National Driver License Compact to prevent drivers from receiving multiple tickets in different states without triggering enforcement action.

North Carolina is a member of the Nonresident Violator Compact and a license suspension or serious ticket in any member state equals a ticket or loss of license in ALL 44 member states. Nonmembers as of January 1996 are: Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, Puerto Rico, Washington, and Wisconsin. If your license is suspended in North Carolina, you cannot obtain a license in any of the member states until your privilege to drive in North Carolina is restored.

The North Carolina Safe Driver Incentive Plan (SDIP) was enacted by the General Assembly to reward safe drivers with the lowest possible insurance costs. Drivers who are convicted of moving traffic violations and/or cause accidents will be charged higher premiums in accordance with their driving records.

SDIP points are charged as follows for convictions and at-fault accidents occurring during the Experience Period (The three years immediately preceding the date of application of the preparation of the renewal):

12 Points:

• Manslaughter or Negligent Homicide
• Prearranged Highway Racing or Lending a Car for Prearranged Highway Racing
• Hit-and-Run, Bodily Injury or Death
• Driving Under the Influence
• Driving with a Blood-Alcohol Level Greater than .08%
• Driving While Impaired
• Transporting Illegal Intoxicating Liquor for Sale

10 Points:

• Highway Racing or Lending a Car for Highway Racing
• Speeding to elude arrest

8 Points:

• Driving During Revocation or Suspension of License or Registration

4 Points:

• Reckless Driving
• Hit-and-Run, Property Damage Only
• Passing a Stopped School Bus
• Speeding in Excess of 75 mph or 80 mph in a 70 mph zone
• Driving after consuming alcohol, driver under 21

3 Points:

• At-Fault Accident Resulting in Bodily Injury over $500 or Death; or Property Damage of $2,500 or More*

2 Points:

• Illegal Passing
• Speeding in Excess of 55 mph But less than 76 mph
• Driving on Wrong Side of Road
• At-Fault Accident Resulting in Property Damage in Excess of $1,500, but less than $2,500*

1 Point:

• All Other Moving Violations or At-Fault Accidents Resulting in Property Damage of $1500 or less and bodily injury of $500 or less*

* If the accident occurred prior to January 1, 1998, the following points apply:

3 Points:
At-Fault Accident Resulting in Bodily Injury or Death; or Property Damage in Excess of $2000 or more - "major accident"

2 Points:
Property Damage between $1,000 to $2,000 - "intermediate accident"

1 Point:
Property Damage only of $1000 or less - "minor accident"

*** Special Exemptions ***

No SDIP points will be charged for:

• Speeding 10 mph or less over the posted speed limit provided:
  The violation did not occur in a school zone.
• There is a clean driving record for the previous three years (a single Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC) will not count as a prior conviction for the purpose of this exception.)
• One PJC for each household every three years, provided there are no other PJC's incurred during that time.
• Only the higher of the accident or violation points will be charged when a person is convicted of a violation in conjunction with an accident.
• Damage by animal or fowl contact; also flying gravel or falling objects.