In North Carolina, if you are charged with an infraction, you will see the court costs and fines listed in the lower, left-hard corner of your traffic citation. The court costs of most infractions are set by the legislature at $188.00; this is subject to change at any point as the court costs in North Carolina have remained set for a number of years and generally move upwards.
If the ticket is contested or otherwise reduced in court, the fine amount is set by the Judge that is presiding and the fine amounts are usually lower than what you see on the ticket which could save you money.
The fine amount is a recommended amount that generally does not exceed $50.00 for most infraction speeding tickets. This plus the court costs would equal a total of $238.00.
Seatbelt violations, for the driver, have a reduced court cost and fine of $179.00. In some counties, these violations can be dismissed. Many counties do not dismiss or otherwise reduce seatbelt violations and these can simply be paid online. Seatbelt violations for the driver of a motor vehicle are non-moving violations and do not result in the assessment of license or insurance points.
Keep in mind, these prices listed on the ticket are only if you were to simply pay your ticket off online at www.payncticket.org. By paying your ticket off online you are entering a guilty plea to the offense as charged which, in most circumstances, will negatively affect you for license and insurance purposes. In these circumstances, you would be much better served by consulting with an experienced North Carolina to discuss options to avoid a potentially devastating insurance hit for the next three years.
In the event you are charged with a traffic ticket it would be a worthwhile investment of time to consult with an attorney experienced in handling matters such as yours. I would be happy to discuss options with you free of charge; contact our office to discuss.
