How Many DMV Points Is a Speeding Ticket in North Carolina?

KEY TAKEAWAYS:

A speeding ticket in North Carolina can add both driver's license points and separate insurance points, and the two systems use different rules for the same citation. Depending on how fast you were going, a single ticket can mean two or three points on your license and a rate increase of 40 percent or more under the state's Safe Driver Incentive Plan. Knowing how each point system works and where a ticket might qualify for an exception can change how you decide to handle your citation.

A radar gun catches you doing a few miles over on I-485, and now you have a speeding citation with a court date attached. Before deciding whether to pay it or fight it, it helps to know how many points a speeding ticket adds to your driving and insurance records in North Carolina. At Browning & Long, PLLC, our experienced Charlotte traffic ticket lawyers can explain both point systems, the true cost of a speeding ticket, and how we can fight your speeding ticket to help you get it dismissed or reduced to a less serious traffic infraction. 

How Many Driver's License Points Does a Speeding Ticket Add to Your Driving Record?

One of the biggest misconceptions about North Carolina speeding ticket points is that the number of Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) points increases with every mile per hour over the limit. In reality, the state assigns points based on the violation you're convicted of, while separate laws determine whether your speed could lead to a license suspension.

Under North Carolina General Statute Sections 20-16 and 20-16.1, the DMV assigns driver's license points based on the specific speeding conviction, while separate laws govern when a speeding offense can trigger a license suspension:

• Two points for most moving violations, including many speeding convictions at 55 mph or below. 
• Three points for a conviction for speeding in excess of 55 mph. 
• Three points for speeding in a school zone in excess of the posted school zone speed limit. 
• A mandatory 30-day driver's license suspension may result upon conviction for driving more than 15 mph over the speed limit while traveling faster than 55 mph, or for driving over 80 mph, regardless of the posted speed limit. These suspension rules operate separately from the DMV point system. 

When Do DMV Points Lead to a License Suspension?

Points, including speeding ticket points, don't just sit on your record as a formality. Accumulate enough of them, and the DMV can suspend your license. The threshold is lower than most drivers expect and includes:

• Twelve or more points within three years triggers suspension eligibility
• Eight or more points within the three years immediately following reinstatement of a suspended license can trigger another suspension
• A first suspension runs up to 60 days, a second up to six months, and a third up to a year

A single ticket rarely pushes a first-time driver with speeding ticket points over that threshold, but two or three convictions within a few years can. 

How Are Insurance Points Different From DMV Points?

Two separate state agencies track DMV points and insurance points, and a conviction that adds points to one system doesn't necessarily add the same number to the other.

The North Carolina Department of Insurance regulates auto insurance surcharges through the Safe Driver Incentive Plan, or SDIP. Where DMV points determine whether your license is at risk, SDIP points determine how much more you'll pay for coverage, and insurers apply them for years. 

How Much Will a Speeding Ticket Raise Your Insurance Rate?

The percentage increase depends on how many SDIP points your violation carries, and for most speeding tickets, that means one of two tiers.

• One SDIP point, assigned for speeding 10 mph or less over a limit under 55 mph, along with most other moving violations, carries up to a 40 percent rate increase
• Two SDIP points, assigned for speeding more than 10 mph over the limit at a total speed of 55 to 76 mph, or for going 10 mph or less over the limit in a 55-mph-or-higher zone, carry up to a 55 percent rate increase
• Higher tiers, reserved for hit and run with injuries or death, DUI, and more serious offenses, carry increases as steep as 340 percent

Are There Exceptions That Can Keep Points Off Your Record?

Not every speeding conviction results in insurance points, and the exceptions can be the difference between a modest fine and years of higher premiums.

• A speeding ticket for 10 mph or less over the posted limit generally won't add SDIP insurance points, as long as the violation wasn't in a school zone and you don't have another qualifying moving traffic conviction within the applicable look-back period. 
• A conviction reduced to a non-moving violation avoids both DMV and SDIP points

These exceptions depend on the exact wording of the conviction. Many drivers are surprised to learn that their citation could have been dismissed or reduced to a less serious infraction if they had hired our skilled traffic ticket lawyers to fight the speeding ticket. 

Why Talk to a Charlotte Traffic Ticket Lawyer Before You Pay the Ticket

In many cases, it is often best not to just pay the speeding ticket. Paying a citation outright is a guilty plea that locks in whatever points and insurance consequences are written into the conviction. If you contact Browning & Long, PLLC to schedule a free initial consultation before deciding just to pay the speeding ticket, our traffic ticket lawyers can help you understand this and your better options. 

Todd Browning and Howard Long, the founding attorneys at Browning & Long, PLLC, spent years as Assistant District Attorneys before turning to defense work in Mecklenburg County traffic courts. That background gives them a working knowledge of how local prosecutors evaluate speeding cases, which citations are realistic candidates for a reduction, and where a charge might be negotiated down before it reaches a courtroom. They will use their experience and strategies to fight speeding tickets to help you achieve the best possible outcome in your traffic ticket case.