Points come off your driver’s license every time you receive a speeding conviction. They likewise come off every time you simply pay a fine without going to court. Most people fail to realize that paying a ticket fine, speeding or otherwise, amounts to pleading guilty to the charged traffic offense.
The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles explains that our state uses a point system to determine if and when to suspend your driving privileges. If you accumulate 12 points within a 3-year period, your driver’s license can, and probably will, become suspended. Once you reinstate it, the State can, and likely will, re-suspend it if you accumulate eight points in the three years following your reinstatement. Fortunately, all your previous points become canceled upon reinstatement, so you always start fresh.
Speeding points
In North Carolina, speeding over 55 miles per hour results in three points against your license if convicted or you plead guilty. In school zones, going faster than the posted school zone speed limit likewise results in three points against your license if convicted or the court enters your guilty plea as a result of your mailing in or otherwise paying the fine without going to court. If you habitually receive speeding tickets, you can see that only four speeding convictions in any 3-year period will result in the suspension of your driver’s license.
Suspension periods
Your suspension period depends on whether or not this is your first one or a subsequent one. The suspension times increase as follows:
- First suspension – 60 days
- Second suspension – six months
- Third and subsequent suspensions – one year for each
Obviously, your wisest strategy consists of always driving at or below the posted speed limit.
