Two different point systems
Insurance and License Points in North Carolina
A North Carolina ticket can put points in two places: on your license and on your insurance.
They’re separate systems with separate rules. The DMV counts license points. Your insurance company uses the state’s Safe Driver Incentive Plan, or SDIP. A ticket can carry license points and still carry no insurance points.
Insurance Points Chart
Insurance points raise your premium by a set percentage, usually for three years. These are the tickets I see most:
| Ticket | Points | Increase |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding 10 mph or less over, limit under 55 | 1 | 40% |
| Speeding 10 mph or less over, limit 55 or more | 2 | 55% |
| Speeding more than 10 over, at a speed over 55 and under 76 | 2 | 55% |
| Speeding over 75 in a zone under 70, or over 80 in a 70 | 4 | 90% |
| Most other moving violations, like Unsafe Movement or a stop sign | 1 | 40% |
| Illegal Passing, Following Too Closely | 2 | 55% |
| Reckless Driving, Passing a Stopped School Bus | 4 | 90% |
| Driving While License Revoked | 8 | 200% |
| DWI | 12 | 340% |
Source: NC Department of Insurance, Safe Driver Incentive Plan. At-fault accidents carry insurance points too.
When Speeding Carries No Insurance Points
For a ticket of 10 mph or less over the limit, North Carolina’s insurance rules add no points if both of these are true:
- It wasn’t in a school zone.
- You haven’t been convicted of another moving violation or had an at-fault accident in the past five years. For tickets before July 1, 2025, the window is three years.
That’s why a reduction to 9 over can matter so much. But a second moving violation or an at-fault accident inside that window takes the break away.
How Long Insurance Points Last
Most insurance points last three years. Since July 1, 2025, convictions worth 4 or more points, other than speeding, last five years. That includes Reckless Driving and DWI.
PJCs and Your Insurance
A PJC usually means no insurance points. But it works once per household. If anyone in your household has had another PJC for a moving violation in the past five years, the points apply. If that other PJC was before July 1, 2025, the window is three years.
What Points Can Cost You
Here’s an example with round numbers. Say your car insurance costs $1,200 a year. Your real numbers depend on your policy and your insurance company.
| Insurance Points | Extra Per Year | Extra Over 3 Years |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | $0 | $0 |
| 1 (40%) | $480 | $1,440 |
| 2 (55%) | $660 | $1,980 |
| 4 (90%) | $1,080 | $3,240 |
For Reckless Driving and other 4-point convictions that aren’t speeding, the increase now lasts five years, so the total is higher.
License Points Chart
The DMV adds points to your NC license for moving violations. These are the common ones:
| Ticket | License Points |
|---|---|
| Speeding, when you were going over 55 mph | 3 |
| Speeding, when you were going 55 mph or less | 2 |
| Speeding in a School Zone | 3 |
| Running a stop sign or red light | 3 |
| Failure to Yield | 3 |
| Reckless Driving | 4 |
| Following Too Closely, Illegal Passing | 4 |
| Passing a Stopped School Bus | 5 |
| Unsafe Movement and other moving violations | 2 |
| Improper Equipment | 0 |
Source: N.C. General Statute 20-16.
When Points Lead to a Suspension
The DMV can suspend your license for any of these:
- 12 points in three years, or 8 points in the three years after you get a suspended license back
- Two speeding convictions over 55 mph within 12 months
- One conviction for going over 75 in a zone under 70, or over 80 in a 70 zone
Going more than 15 over at a speed above 55, or going over 80, brings an automatic 30-day suspension if you’re convicted.
At 7 points, the DMV may offer a Driver Improvement Clinic that takes 3 points off. You can only use that once every five years.
Licensed in Another State?
NC license points go on NC licenses. If your license is from another state, your home state decides what a North Carolina conviction means for you. Your insurance follows your home state’s rules, not this chart.
Find Out What Your Ticket Could Cost You
Start your Free Ticket Review online, or text a photo of your ticket. I’ll tell you what it means for your license and insurance, what I’d aim for and my flat fee.