Driver’s License Points
If a driver is convicted of certain motor vehicle violations in North Carolina, driver’s license points are placed on his driving record. If a driver accumulates 12 points within a three-year period, his license may be suspended. (Accumulating eight points within the three-year period following reinstatement of one’s license can also result in suspension.)
If The Driver’s License Is Suspended For Points, It May Be Taken For:
- 60 days for the first suspension
- 6 months for the second suspension
- 12 months for the third suspension
When the driving privilege is reinstated, all previous driver’s license points are canceled.
Driver’s License Points Are Given For The Following Offenses:
NOTE: If you are driving a commercial vehicle, different license points are assessed.
Insurance Points Checklist:
If the driver is convicted of more than one violation arising from the same accident, he or she will receive points for each violation.
| Point Value | Conviction |
| 12 points | Manslaughter or negligent homicide |
| 12 points | Pre-arranged highway racing or lending a car for such purpose |
| 12 points | Driving with a BAC of .08% or more |
| 12 points | Driving a commercial vehicle with a BAC of .04% or more |
| 12 points | Hit-and-run driving involving bodily injury or death |
| 12 points | Transporting illegal intoxicating liquor |
| 10 points | Highway racing or knowingly lending a motor vehicle for highway racing |
| 10 points | Speeding to elude arrest (at any speed) |
| 8 points | Aggressive driving |
| 8 points | Driving during a period of revocation or suspension of license or registration |
| 4 points | Hit-and-run driving involving property damage only |
| 4 points | Reckless driving |
| 4 points | Passing a stopped school bus while it displayed warning signs |
| 4 points | Speeding in excess of 75 mph where posted speed is less than 70 mph |
| 4 points | Speeding in excess of 80 mph where posted speed is 70 mph or greater |
| 4 points | Driving after consuming alcohol or drugs where the driver is less than 21 years of age |
| 3 points | At-fault accidents resulting in death or total bodily injury (to all persons) of more than $1,800, or resulting in total property damage (including damage to the insured’s own property) of $3,085 or more. Accidents that occur on or after October 1, 2017, resulting in total damage to all property (including damage to the insured’s own property) of $3,850 or more. (No insurance points will apply for bodily injury if the medical costs were incurred solely for diagnostic purposes.) |
| 2 points | Illegal passing |
| 2 points | Following too closely |
| 2 points | Driving on the wrong side of the road |
| 2 points | Speeding more than 10 mph over the posted speed limit, where the driver’s speed was in excess of 55 mph but less than 76 mph |
| 2 points | Speeding 10 mph or less in a posted speed zone of 55 mph or greater *
* These points will not apply if the driver has had no other moving traffic violations during the experience period (preceding three years). If the driver enjoys this waiver and then is convicted on another moving violation within three years, he gets the points both from the new conviction and the waived conviction. This waiver will not apply to speeding in a school zone. An isolated Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC) does not count as a prior conviction for the purpose of this exception. |
| 2 points | Speeding 10 mph or less where the posted speed is less than 55 mph **
** These points will not apply if the violation did not occur in a school zone and the driver has had no other moving traffic violations during the experience period (preceding three years). If the driver enjoys this waiver and then is convicted on another moving violation within three years, the driver then gets the points both from the new conviction and the waived conviction. A PJC does not count as a prior conviction for the purpose of this exception. |
| 1 point | Speeding 10 mph or less over a speed limit under 55 mph |
| 1 point | At-fault accidents resulting in bodily injury (to all persons) of $1,800 or less, or resulting in property damage (including damage to the insured’s own property) of $1,850 or less. Accidents that occur on or after October 1, 2017, resulting in total property damage (including damage to the insured’s own property) of $2,300 or less. (No insurance points will apply for bodily injury if medical costs were incurred solely for diagnostic purposes.) |
| 1 point | Any other conviction of a moving violation |
A PJC will not cause any insurance points to apply if there have been no previous PJCs for the insured household in the previous three years. The household would include any licensed driver residing in the home at the time of the accident. A PJC can be had every three years. A second PJC within three years will cause the first conviction’s points to go into effect, along with the points from the new PJC. This is only as to insurance points.
Points For Accidents:
| Point Value | Type Of Accident |
| Major Accident | |
| 3 points | An at-fault accident resulting in total property damage (including damage to insured’s own property) of $3,085 or more. Accidents that occur on or after October 1, 2017, that result in total damage to all property, (including damage to the insured’s own property), of $3,850 or more. (No insurance points will apply for bodily injury if the medical costs were incurred solely for diagnostic purposes.) |
| 3 points | At-fault accident causes in excess of $1800 in bodily injury |
| Intermediate Accident | |
| 2 points | Accidents that occur on or after October 1, 2017, resulting in total property damage (including damage to the insured’s own property) over $2,300 but less than $3,850 |
| 2 points | At-fault accidents that occur on or after March 1, 2016, and prior to October 1, 2017, resulting in total property damage (including damage to the insured’s own property) over $1,850 but under $3,085 |
| Minor Accident | |
| 1 point | At-fault accidents resulting in bodily injury (to all persons) of $1,800 or less, or resulting in property damage (including damage to the insured’s own property) of $1,850 or less |
| 1 point | Accidents that occur on or after October 1, 2017, resulting in total property damage (including damage to the insured’s own property) of $2,300 or less |
There is a waiver of points for “minor” accidents where there is only property damage, no conviction of a moving traffic offense, and no licensed operators in the insured household has had any at-fault accidents in the previous three years. The waiver will not operate if there is any bodily injury.
Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP):
The safe driver insurance plan represents an attempt to reflect in automobile insurance rating the idea that drivers who have violated motor vehicle laws or who have caused accidents are more likely to be involved in automobile accidents in the future.
Upon conviction of certain traffic offenses, insurance points are assigned to drivers and based upon the number of points, the total premium for all insurance coverage (except UM/UIM) is surcharged.
Surcharge Based On The Number Of Points:
| SDIP Points | Percentage Surcharge |
| 1 point | 30% |
| 2 points | 45% |
| 3 points | 60% |
| 4 points | 80% |
| 8 points | 195% |
| 10 points | 300% |
| 12 points | 340% |
The content presented herein is for informational purposes only and is not legal advice.