Most people make the mistake of thinking that the face value of their ticket is the only penalty that they will face if they “pay off” their ticket. Simply paying off a ticket is, in most cases, a mistake. By paying off your ticket, you are pleading guilty to the traffic offense that you were charged with, and you will accrue points on both your license and your insurance. Increased points on your insurance will raise your insurance premiums for a period of three years, and you will end up paying several times the face value of the ticket to your insurance company. Additionally, if you accrue too many license points, the NC DMV could suspend your license.

Hiring a competent traffic lawyer can help you to save hundreds of dollars by getting your ticket reduced, or dismissed all together.

Beware of police officers giving you legal advice. The officer who gave you your ticket is not your friend, and certainly not your lawyer. Police officers are interested in obtaining convictions, and by paying your ticket off and not consulting a lawyer, that is exactly what they are getting! Also, it is illegal for anyone other than an attorney licensed by the North Carolina State Bar to give legal advice.