Speeding tickets can lead to higher insurance premiums. Here’s how to fight them in NC

Evan Moore
·3 min read

Fighting a speeding ticket may seem like a tedious task, but it could save you money in the long run.

In 2022, just over 21,000 traffic tickets were issued by the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, according to the N.C. State Bureau of Investigation.

Paying the fine for a traffic ticket is the easy option, but doing so is an admission of guilt, and can result in points added to your driving record and higher auto insurance premiums, according to Arnold & Smith, a Charlotte-based law firm.

If you successfully fight your traffic ticket, you won’t face any penalties, the firm says. Here’s what to know about fighting traffic tickets in NC.

How to fight a speeding ticket

Those who choose to contest speeding tickets must appear in court or hire an attorney to represent them, according to Raleigh-based Coolidge Law Firm. In court, a prosecutor must establish that you were speeding.

Here are a few tips on how to fight a traffic ticket in court, according to the firm:

  • Look up traffic laws in the county or local jurisdiction where you received the ticket

  • Have proof that you were not speeding, such as dash cam footage or GPS data

  • Look up the method the officer used to measure your speed and be prepared to show its flaws

  • Bring in witnesses, including any passengers who were in the car with you when you received the ticket

How much does a speeding ticket lawyer cost?

The cost to hire a lawyer to represent you in a speeding case typically ranges from $70-$250, not including court costs and fines, but there are many factors that could affect the price, according to Pruden Law, a firm based in Raleigh:

  • What speed you were stopped at compared to the posted speed limit

  • Your history of traffic tickets

  • What county the ticket is in

  • Whether court costs and fines are included in the ticket

  • Whether a driving record is needed to plea the ticket

Attorneys in smaller counties typically cost less, and those who handle a lot of traffic citations can offer lower prices, according to Pruden Law.

How much will your insurance go up from a speeding ticket?

If you choose the pay the fines on a speeding ticket, your auto insurance premiums can jump by as much as 80%, according to J.M. Kotzker, a criminal justice attorney in Raleigh.

It can take three years or more for your insurance premiums to go back to normal rates, Kotzker says.

How to get a speeding ticket reduced

You may be able to get your traffic ticket charge reduced to a lesser offense, according to Kotzker, especially if:

  • You are over 18 with a valid driver’s license

  • Do not have a commercial driver’s license

  • Were driving between 10-19 miles over the speed limit

  • Were driving under 80 miles per hour

You can visit nccourts.gov/services to see if reduction is an option for your traffic ticket.

How to get a traffic offense waived

For some traffic offenses, you have the option of waiving your case without going to court, according to the N.C. Judicial Branch.

The are more than 50 waivable traffic offenses, including speeding, driving without a license and texting while driving, with fines ranging from $10-$250 plus court costs.

You can waive your traffic offense online at nccourts.gov, in person at the courthouse in the county where you were charged, or by mail.

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