North Carolina driver improvement clinic rules
In North Carolina the DMV driver improvement clinic takes 3 points off, for drivers who already have 7. It applies once every 5 years.
Rules checked
North Carolina has no statewide course that dismisses a ticket. The DMV runs a driver improvement clinic that takes 3 points off your license record, but only for drivers who already have 7 points (4 points in the 3 years after a reinstatement), after a DMV letter and an eligibility hearing, and only once in 5 years. Driving school or deferral offers for a charge vary by prosecutorial district, so check with the court in the county on your citation.
- What a course does
- Points taken off; the conviction stays
- Speed limit for the course
- Not published
- How often
- Once every 5 years
- Deadline to ask
- Not published
- Speeding points
- 2 to 3 points
- Points count for
- A 36 month window
The North Carolina rule
Every field of the rule. The number points to its source at the foot of the page.
- The program
- Driver Improvement Clinic
- What it does
- Points taken off; the conviction stays
- Set by each court
- YesEach court decides part of the rule.
- Speed limit for the course
- Not published
- Bar at double the posted limit
- Not published
- Open to CDL holders
- Not published
- Open to tickets in a commercial vehicle
- Not published
- Open to learner and provisional licenses
- Not published
- Open to drivers licensed in another state
- Not published
- How often
- Once every 5 years, the rule does not say what the window counts from
- Lifetime limit
- Not published
- Deadline to ask
- Not published
- Court fee for the course
- Not published
- Course length
- Not published
- Course price the rule publishes
- $83.50Each driver attending a driver improvement clinic shall pay a fee of eighty-three dollars and fifty cents ($83.50).
- Crashes
- Not published
Who qualifies
- Not published for CDL holders. Ask your court.
- Not published for tickets written in a commercial vehicle.
- Not published for drivers licensed in another state.
- Speed limit for the course: not published. Your court decides.
- Once every 5 years, the rule does not say what the window counts from.
Deadline and how to ask
- Ticket writtenDay 0
- Deadline to askBy the date on your citation
The state rule names no day count. The date on your citation or notice applies.
Points in North Carolina
| Violation, as the state lists it | Type | Points |
|---|---|---|
| Speeding in excess of 55 miles per hour | Speeding | 3points |
| Speeding in a school zone in excess of the posted school zone speed limit | Speeding | 3points |
| All other moving violations (speeding at a speed of 55 mph or less is not listed by name, so it falls under this line) | Speeding | 2points |
| Running through red light | Red light or stop sign | 3points |
| Running through stop sign | Red light or stop sign | 3points |
| Driving on wrong side of road | Lane change or turn | 4points |
| Illegal passing | Lane change or turn | 4points |
| Following too close | Following too closely | 4points |
| No points for improper registration, improper muffler, improper plates or failure to display current inspection certificate | Equipment or registration | 0points |
| All other moving violations | Other moving violation | 2points |
| Reckless driving | Other moving violation | 4points |
Source: N.C. Gen. Stat. 20-16, Authority of Division to suspend license (opens in a new tab)
Fees as published
- Course price the rule publishes
- $83.50State, in its own words: Each driver attending a driver improvement clinic shall pay a fee of eighty-three dollars and fifty cents ($83.50).N.C. Gen. Stat. 20-16, Authority of Division to suspend license (opens in a new tab)
Your court
Courts in this state set part of the rule, and we hold no court records here. The court named on your citation decides.
Courses that serve North Carolina
Listed by name. The order never changes with price or commission.
Points Clear may earn a commission when you buy through links on this page. It never changes the verdict or the order.
Aceable
- Price
- $74
- Length
- 8 hours
- Format
- Online, mixed
Aceable's own figures, as of October 2026. The provider's claim, not confirmed on a state source. The record names I Drive Safely as the school that runs this course.
Check with your court that it accepts this course.
See the Aceable course for North Carolina (opens in a new tab)
What we could not confirm
- Not publishedThe DMV clinic fee schedule is not published. The fee of $83.50 in the statute stands.
Check a North Carolina ticket
The form opens the checker with North Carolina filled in. Add the violation and the date from your ticket.
North Carolina traffic school questions
Can a defensive driving course take points off in North Carolina?
In North Carolina the DMV driver improvement clinic takes 3 points off, for drivers who already have 7. It applies once every 5 years. The program: Driver Improvement Clinic. Each court decides part of the rule, so confirm with the court on your citation.
How often can you take traffic school in North Carolina?
Once every 5 years, the rule does not say what the window counts from.
How many points does a traffic ticket carry in North Carolina?
Speeding in excess of 55 miles per hour: 3 points. Speeding in a school zone in excess of the posted school zone speed limit: 3 points. All other moving violations (speeding at a speed of 55 mph or less is not listed by name, so it falls under this line): 2 points. Running through red light: 3 points. The points table on this page lists every violation the state publishes.
How long do points stay on your license in North Carolina?
North Carolina counts points within a 36 month window, so a point stops counting toward a suspension once it falls outside that window.
Sources
Checked against these pages in .