Legal Advocacy
Traffic Tickets
Traffic tickets in North Carolina carry serious consequences. They can lead to fines and court costs, driving record points or loss of your driver’s license, and increased auto insurance premiums. This is why you should consult with a local traffic ticket lawyer before you do anything else about your moving violation or traffic ticket. Danny Glover, Jr. of Glover Law Firm can help, and his fees are fair.
I have decades of experience handling traffic tickets for clients in Elizabeth City, Camden, the Outer Banks and across northeastern North Carolina. I will handle your traffic ticket for you by written Power of Attorney so that you do not personally have to go to court.
I will:
- Work with the law enforcement officer, prosecutor and/or judge to get your ticket dismissed or reduced, and
- Pay the court costs and fines while in court.
All aspects of your court case will be completed before I leave the courthouse. I will then report back to you, in writing, the results of your case. You can reach me by phone or through my online form to learn more. I will be glad to discuss your legal rights and the options available to you and make the process of handling your traffic ticket as efficient and painless as possible.
Do not trust that you can handle the ticket on your own at an Administrative Court session. No one at that “court” session is looking out for your best interest. Instead, that Administrative Traffic Court session is designed to conclude your case as quickly and cheaply as possible. This is why officers are now being trained to tell you about it at the time they hand out tickets, and this is why there is not even a judge at that court session. No one is examining you and your family’s driving record, insurance record and other circumstances to see if the “deal” you will be offered is really in your best interest. I can’t tell you how many clients have called me over the years to hire me to fix the problems created when they tried to handle their traffic ticket on their own at the Administrative Traffic Court session. Of course, my fee to undo something and then correctly re-do it is higher than if I had been able to handle it correctly to begin with. Don’t make that mistake. Let me handle your speeding or driving ticket for you from the beginning.
Got a Ticket While Visiting the Outer Banks?You’re on vacation. You just left the beach. Maybe you missed a speed limit sign, or maybe you drifted left of center. Now there’s a blue light in your rearview mirror and the officer is writing a North Carolina traffic ticket.
Whether you were cited in Dare County, Currituck County, or anywhere along the OBX, that ticket is more than just an inconvenience. It could affect your license, your insurance, and your record, especially if you don’t live in North Carolina.
Don’t Ignore a North Carolina Traffic TicketPaying the fine may seem easier, but in North Carolina, that’s the same as pleading guilty. It could add license points, raise your insurance, and result in a criminal conviction depending on the charge.
Out-of-State Drivers Are Still Bound by NC Law
Not always. Many traffic tickets are "waivable" offenses that an attorney can handle without you returning to the OBX. But misdemeanors like reckless driving typically require a court appearance or representation by a lawyer.
When You May Not Need to Return to Court
North Carolina reports most traffic convictions to your home state through the Driver License Compact. Your home state may assess its own points, penalties, or insurance increases.
Why You Should Consider Legal Help
Speeding tickets, failure to maintain lane control, and left-of-center violations may seem minor, but under the wrong circumstances, they can carry harsh consequences, including license suspension or a misdemeanor record for some more serious tickets.
Yes. At Glover Law Firm, we represent drivers facing traffic charges in Dare and Currituck County courts. We appear in court when allowed by law, negotiate for reduced charges, and help you avoid hidden consequences.
Bottom Line? Don’t Treat It Like a Parking Ticket
If you were cited while visiting the Outer Banks, text or call Glover Law Firm at (252) 299-5300 for a free consultation. We’ll help you understand what your ticket means—and how to handle it without ruining your vacation.
What Happens if You Get a Traffic Ticket in North Carolina?If you are convicted of a traffic violation in North Carolina, it could impact you two ways: Your driver’s license and your auto insurance.
First, the N.C. Division of Motor Vehicles will assign points to your driving record. The number of points will hinge on the type of traffic ticket. Once you get 12 points on your driving record, DMV suspends your license. If you later get your license reinstated, DMV will suspend you again if you get 8 points too quickly after reinstatement. Some common traffic violations and assessed points include:
Traffic violation | Points |
---|---|
Passing a stopped school bus | 8 |
Aggressive Driving | 6 |
Hit/Run with Property Damage Only | 5 |
Reckless driving | 5 |
Following too closely | 5 |
Driving on wrong side of road | 5 |
Making an illegal pass | 5 |
Running a stop sign or red light | 4 |
Failing to yield right of way | 4 |
Speeding in excess of 55 mph | 4 |
Driving with an expired license | 4 |
Speeding in a school zone | 4 |
Driving without insurance | 4 |
Littering from a vehicle | 1 |
In addition to the points system, there are other situations where DMV can revoke your license regardless of a clean driving record or few points. The DMV can also suspend your license for the following:
- Two convictions of speeding over 55 mph within a period of 12 months;
- One conviction of speeding over 55 mph and one conviction of reckless driving within a year;
- A conviction of willful racing with another motor vehicle, whether it is prearranged or unplanned;
Your driving privilege will be revoked for at least 30 days if you are convicted of driving any vehicle more than 15 miles per hour over the speed limit, if you are driving at a speed higher than 55 mph.
Your driving privilege will be taken for 60 days if you are convicted of a second charge of speeding over 55 mph and more than 15 mph above the speed limit within one year, or speeding plus reckless driving on the same occasion.
Many drivers that I help are from out-of-state and are visiting Elizabeth City or tourists at the nearby Outer Banks. If you are convicted of a traffic violation in our state, it will likely be reported back to your home state with similar consequences there pursuant to the
You also need to be concerned about auto insurance points after getting a North Carolina traffic ticket. These points are counted separate and apart from driver’s license points. Examples of auto insurance points for common traffic tickets are:
Traffic violation | Points |
---|---|
Driving with a blood alcohol level of .08 or higher | 12 |
Highway racing | 10 |
Driving with a revoked/suspended license | 8 |
Aggressive Driving | 8 |
Reckless driving | 4 |
Passing a stopped school bus | 4 |
Illegal passing | 2 |
Under the state’s Safe Driver Incentive Plan, you can be charged higher premiums based on the auto insurance points you compile in the three-year period before you apply for a new or renewed insurance policy. As this chart shows, the increases can be significant:
Points | % Rate Increase | Cost* |
---|---|---|
12 | 340 | $1,320 |
10 | 260 | $1,080 |
8 | 195 | $885 |
4 | 80 | $540 |
2 | 45 | $435 |
1 | 30 | $390 |
* Cost if basic premium rate is $300
How Can an Elizabeth City Attorney Help with Your Traffic Ticket?Glover Law Firm can help in many ways if you have received a traffic ticket. Danny will review your driving record, talk to you about your circumstances and family’s driving record, and figure out the best way to save your license, avoid points and keep your insurance down as much as possible.
Start by contacting Glover Law Firm today by phone or through our online form. I serve clients in Elizabeth City and throughout northeastern North Carolina and the Outer Banks. I also work with out-of-state clients who receive a ticket while visiting our area. Whether or not you live here or far away, I can usually handle your case by Power of Attorney so that you do not have to waste time and money going to court on your own.
DO NOT ASSUME THAT GOING TO COURT ON YOUR OWN, OR THAT ANY DEAL YOU ARE ABLE TO GET ON YOUR OWN, IS THE BEST, OR EVEN A GOOD, OPTION FOR YOU. Many people nowadays believe that they can go to Court on their own and work a deal with the Prosecutor to get the charges reduced. However, what they fail to understand is that neither the Prosecutor, nor the officer, nor the Clerk, nor the Judge is looking at your or your family’s driving record to make sure that “the deal” is in your best interest. Officers and Court Personnel merely want to get a conviction and get your case over with. What they fail to say is that “the deal” can often result in really steep insurance increases, driver’s license points or revocations, or other unspoken consequences based upon your or your family’s prior tickets, accidents, points or driving records. When you factor in fines and court costs that could amount to hundreds of dollars, it should be clear: going into Administrative Traffic Court by yourself is a bad idea. Think about it – if the officer who wrote the ticket to you is suggesting your go on your own, is that option really in your best interest? Instead, you should seek help from an experienced attorney.
Call Glover Law Firm today or submit our online form.
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