Can I get my speeding ticket reduced to a non-moving violation?

Few things disrupt your day like seeing blue lights in the rearview mirror. Suddenly, you're facing a speeding ticket that threatens to become a permanent blemish on your driving record—and a perpetual drain on your budget. 

Fortunately, our experienced Mecklenburg County traffic attorneys know it doesn't have to unfold that way. In many cases, our lawyers can help reduce a moving violation to a non-moving offense, keeping you in the driver's seat both financially and legally.

What Is a Non-Moving Violation—and Why Does It Matter?

If you were issued a speeding ticket, it’s crucial to understand the difference between moving and non-moving traffic violations in North Carolina. This will also help you realize the benefits of reducing a speeding ticket to a non-moving violation if you can’t get it dismissed.

Understanding the Two Types of Traffic Tickets in North Carolina

Traffic tickets fall into two main categories under North Carolina law:

• Moving violations. These offenses occur when your vehicle is in motion, such as speeding, running a red light, or failing to yield the right of way. They add points to your license and show up on background checks.
• Non-moving violations. These infractions occur with a stationary vehicle or pedestrian, like parking illegally, letting your registration expire, or jaywalking. Non-moving violations typically don't affect your insurance or driving record.

The High Cost of a Speeding Ticket That Sticks

You may not realize the high cost of pleading guilty and paying a speeding ticket. Because speeding falls under moving violations, a single ticket can:

• Add three demerit points to your driving record (or more for higher speeds)
• Increase your insurance premiums by 25-50% for three years or more
• Require you to pay the full ticket amount plus court costs
• Stay on your driving record, which affects your employment opportunities

How Our Mecklenburg County Traffic Lawyers Can Fight to Reduce Your Speeding Ticket to a Non-Moving Violation

Examining the Evidence to Build Your Best Defense

After receiving a speeding ticket, your first step should be to retain our skilled traffic attorneys.  We’ll immediately begin assessing the strength of the case against you. Here are ways our legal team can fight to get your ticket reduced to a non-moving violation: 

• Thoroughly review the charging documents. Our lawyers will carefully examine every detail of your speeding ticket, the police report, and dashcam footage to identify errors or inconsistencies that could help your case. 
• Evaluate if proper procedures were followed. Our traffic attorneys understand the specific rules officers must follow during a stop. If they deviated from protocol or violated your constitutional rights, your ticket could get dismissed. 
• Identify strengths and weaknesses in the evidence. By assessing the strengths and weaknesses in your case, our legal team can poke holes in the prosecutor’s case, which could make it impossible for them to meet their burden of proof to convict you. 
• Raise your defenses. Our lawyers will explore every available defense on your behalf, such as challenging the validity of the traffic stop and the radar gun’s accuracy, to get the speeding ticket dismissed or reduced to a non-moving violation. 

Negotiating with Prosecutors to Reach a Better Outcome

Developing a solid defense strategy will give our legal team the leverage to negotiate your speeding ticket down to a much less serious violation if this is in your best interests. For example, we may be able to get your ticket reduced to: 

• Improper equipment
• Failure to notify DMV of address change
• Expired registration or license
• Other paperwork violations 

By getting your ticket reduced to a non-moving violation, you can:

• Avoid driver's license points and suspensions
• Prevent insurance rate increases
• Pay lower fines and court costs
• Move forward with a clean driving record

Why Is It Crucial to Act Quickly If You’ve Received a Mecklenburg County Speeding Ticket?

In North Carolina, you only have a limited time to address your speeding ticket before additional consequences kick in. If you don’t appear in court or otherwise resolve your ticket within 20 days, a Mecklenburg judge could take these actions: 

• Issue an automatic conviction and assess the maximum fines
• Notify the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), which would suspend your driver's license for unpaid tickets
• Assess extra fees for missed court dates or late payments
• Issue a warrant for your arrest

Get the Legal Help You Need to Keep Moving Forward

You have too much at stake to let a single mistake derail your life. Our Mecklenburg County traffic attorneys, who are former prosecutors, can help you fight your speeding ticket. We can also explore options for reducing your speeding ticket to a non-moving violation, allowing you to put this behind you and move forward.