In Wake County, drivers who are convicted of motor vehicle offenses can be assigned driver’s license points and insurance points. Driver’s license points are assessed by the Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) and insurance points are assessed according to the state’s Safe Driver Incentive Plan (SDIP).

Driver's License Points

According to North Carolina traffic law, the DMV assigns driver’s license points for the following infractions:

Conviction Points

  • 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
  • Driving through safety zone - 3
  • Failure to report accident where such report is required - 3
  • No liability insurance - 3
  • All other moving violations - 2
  • Failure to properly restrain a child in a restraint or seat belt - 2
  • Littering involving a motor vehicle - 1

Penalties for Driver's License Points

Drivers who accumulate seven driver’s license points may be assigned to a Driver Improvement Clinic. Once the clinic is satisfactorily completed, the DMV will deduct three points from the driver’s record.

Drivers who accumulate up to 12 points in a three-year period may have their driver's license suspended for 60 days. If eight points are accumulated within three years after license reinstatement, the DMV may issue a second suspension. The license may be taken for six months for a second suspension, and a year for a third.

The DMV cancels all previous points upon license reinstatement.

Insurance Points

In 1957, a Safe Driver Incentive Plan was initiated in an effort to encourage North Carolina drivers to follow all traffic laws. SDIP authorizes car insurance companies to charge higher premiums to drivers convicted of certain motor vehicle offenses. These higher premiums can be as much as 400% higher than the premiums for drivers with no record of motor vehicle violations.

See the North Carolina Department of Insurance page for details on how much insurance premiums increase for specific convictions.

Two Different Point Systems

It's important to note that insurance points and the points that can be assigned to your driving record are not the same thing. The same offense may hold two different point values - one in the driver's license points system and one in the insurance/SDIP system. In addition, some offenses result in SDIP points but no driver's license points.

Contact Curtis R. High, Attorney at Law

If you're concerned about driver’s license or insurance points after a motor vehicle violation, contact Curtis R. High a Raleigh driver's license point lawyer to learn more about your options.