How Do I Remove Points After Speeding in North Carolina?

There are various consequences for speeding in North Carolina, and the addition of points on your license can be surprisingly challenging. These points may even prevent you from driving if you accumulate too many. How do you remove points from your license after a speeding offense? Can a traffic lawyer help you approach this situation in the best possible way?

Attend a Driver Improvement Clinic

If you accumulate four points, you can attend a driver improvement clinic in North Carolina. If you successfully complete the clinic, you’ll remove three points from your license. You are also eligible to take a driver improvement clinic if you accumulate seven points. You must “request” to take one of these clinics, and admission is not guaranteed. In addition, you can only attend one clinic every five years. 

The North Carolina DMV should notify you by mail if you qualify for a driver improvement clinic. If you receive one of these letters, you must subsequently schedule and attend an eligibility hearing. Sometimes, the DMV feels that drivers should experience the full weight of license suspensions instead of enjoying the benefits of improvement clinics. You may be denied this opportunity if your speeding offense was particularly severe. 

A hypothetical scenario might look like this: You have one point on your license from a prior traffic infraction, and you subsequently get three additional points for speeding over 55 miles per hour. You now have four points on your license, which makes you eligible for a driver improvement clinic. You then have three points removed from your record, leaving you with only one.

Can I Contest My Speeding Ticket Instead?

Another potential option is to contest your speeding ticket with help from an attorney. In certain situations, it is possible to “fight” the ticket in court and prevent any negative consequences. If you establish that you are not guilty of speeding, you won’t have any new points on your license. 

You may be able to challenge the legality of your speeding ticket in many ways. Fighting the offense in court may be particularly helpful if you face the possibility of a criminal record, fines, and even incarceration as a result of your speeding ticket. This is all technically possible in North Carolina. 

Wait for the Points to Disappear

Another way to remove points from your license is to simply wait for them to disappear on their own. Three years should be enough to make these points “expire,” leaving you with a fresh slate. As long as you don’t commit any new traffic infractions during this three-year period, you should not face long-term consequences (including the possibility of a license suspension). 

Can a Traffic Defense Attorney in North Carolina Help Me?

If you’re trying to remove points from your license after a speeding offense, you might want to talk to a traffic defense attorney in North Carolina. These legal professionals may be able to help you push back against needless consequences and maintain your right to drive. Continue this conversation by contacting Coastal South Law today.