NC Driver’s License Points
Our Criminal Law Division understands the importance of being licensed to drive. Going to work, picking kids up from school, shopping for groceries – driving, for better or worse, has become an essential feature of our daily lives.
Driver’s License Points are assigned by the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV) for certain traffic offenses, including speeding tickets. They are used for the purpose of suspending and revoking licenses.
If you receive 12 or more points over a 3 year period, the NCDMV can suspend your license if they choose. However, after the accumulation of 7 points, you may have the opportunity to attend a Driver Improvement Clinic, and upon its completion, 3 points may be deducted from your record. Upon losing your license, the process of reinstatement is used to be able to drive lawfully again. During the first 3 years after reinstatement, the accumulation of just 8 points (not 12), can cause a second suspension of your license.
The following tables show what convictions carry what points depending on whether you were driving a commercial vehicle.
DRIVER’S LICENSE POINT SCHEDULE
| Conviction | Point Value |
| Passing a stopped school bus loading or unloading children | 5 |
| Aggressive driving | 5 |
| Reckless driving | 4 |
| Hit and run, property damage only | 4 |
| Following too closely | 4 |
| Driving on wrong side of road | 4 |
| Illegal passing | 4 |
| Failure to yield right-of-way to pedestrian pursuant to GS 20-158(b)(2)b. | 4 |
| Failure to yield right-of-way to bicycle motor scooter, or motorcycle | 4 |
| Running through stop sign | 3 |
| Speeding more than 55 mph | 3 |
| Speeding through a school zone | 3 |
| Failure to yield right of way | 3 |
| No driver license or license expired more than one year | 3 |
| Running through red light | 3 |
| Failure to stop for siren | 3 |
| Speeding through safety zone | 3 |
| Failure to report accident where such report is required | 3 |
| No liability insurance | 3 |
| All other moving violations | 2 |
| Littering involving a motor vehicle | 1 |
DRIVER’S LICENSE POINT SCHEDULE
| Conviction | Point Value |
| Passing a stopped school bus loading or unloading children | 8 |
| Rail-highway crossing violation | 6 |
| Careless and Reckless driving in violation of G.S. 20-140(f) | 6 |
| Speeding in violation of G. S. 20-141(j3) | 6 |
| Aggressive driving | 6 |
| Reckless driving | 5 |
| Hit and run, property damage only | 5 |
| Following too closely | 5 |
| Driving on wrong side of road | 5 |
| Illegal passing | 5 |
| Failure to yield right-of-way to pedestrian pursuant to G. S. 20-158(b)(2)b. | 5 |
| Failure to yield right-of-way to bicycle motor scooter, or motorcycle | 5 |
| Running through stop sign | 4 |
| Speeding more than 55 mph | 4 |
| Speeding through a school zone | 4 |
| Failure to yield right of way | 4 |
| No driver license or license expired more than one year | 4 |
| Running through red light | 4 |
| Failure to stop for siren | 4 |
| Driving through safety zone | 4 |
| Failure to report accident where such report is required | 4 |
| Possessing alcoholic beverage in the passenger area of a commercial motor vehicle | 3 |
| All other moving violations | 3 |
| Littering involving a motor vehicle | 1 |
But there are other ways for the NCDMV to suspend or revoke your license. For example, your license will be revoked for at least 30 days if you are convicted of exceeding the speed limit by more than 15 mph if you are driving at a speed greater than 55 mph. That means being convicted for speeding 61 mph in a 45 mph zone will cause you to lose your license for at least 30 days. The NCDMV has another rule where they can suspend your license for 2 convictions for speeding over 55 mph in the same year. Thus, two convictions for speeding 56 mph in 55 mph zones – just 1 mph over the limit! – can cause you to lose your license. For further references see N.C.G.S. § 20-16 and § 20-17 which outlines the authority of the NCDMV to suspend and revoke licenses.
Contact a Raleigh criminal lawyer if you’ve received a speeding ticket or traffic citation. The team of traffic law attorneys we have working in our Criminal Law Division wants to help you. Please feel free to contact us at 1 800 738 0449 or contact us online.
For more information on Traffic Charges:
Traffic Tickets
Speeding Tickets
Other Traffic Charges
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