This page is to provide you with information and resources that may help you resolve traffic debt that has caused the suspension or revocation of your North Carolina driving privilege for unpaid fines, fees, or costs.
The information on this page does not constitute legal advice and none of the organizations or individuals responsible for the creation or maintenance of the website will provide legal advice or legal representation. If you are seeking legal advice or legal representation, please contact an attorney licensed to practice law in North Carolina.
The information on this page does not constitute legal advice and none of the organizations or individuals responsible for the creation or maintenance of the website will provide legal advice or legal representation. If you are seeking legal advice or legal representation, please contact an attorney licensed to practice law in North Carolina.
About Suspended Driver’s Licenses
In North Carolina, a driver’s license is automatically suspended for traffic debt that is not paid or resolved by a set deadline. For example, if a person went to court and pled to a traffic ticket but was unable to pay the resulting costs and fine, the court sends notice to DMV and DMV revokes the person’s driver’s license (or privilege to drive if he or she never had a NC driver’s license). Because of this, more than 250,000 drivers in North Carolina have suspended driver’s licenses for unpaid traffic fines and fees. Not having a driver’s license can create barriers to opportunity by making it hard to get a meaningful job or affordable housing. It can also make it hard to attend doctor’s appointments or care for family members. Low-income families and families of color are disproportionately affected by driver’s license suspensions based on traffic debt.
If your driver’s license is suspended or revoked for traffic debt, there are steps you can take to deal with the suspension.
- First, you must figure out which traffic ticket(s) has traffic debt attached to it (i.e., which county the ticket is in and the case number).
- Then, you can take steps to deal with the suspensions, such as payment of the debt or showing the court that sentenced you that you cannot afford to pay the ticket. You must handle all the suspensions on your license and pay the North Carolina DMV’s restoration fee, if it applies, before you can reinstate your driver’s license.
This resources and information page will help you navigate resolving your traffic-related criminal fines and fees.