North Carolina Traffic Violations Attorney
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A traffic stop takes a few minutes. The ticket it leaves behind can follow you for years. Most North Carolina drivers choose the simplest option and pay the fine to be done with it.
Paying a North Carolina ticket does more than settle a fine. It counts as a guilty plea, and a conviction can add points to your license, raise your insurance, and, for some offenses, put a criminal charge on your record. Enough points lead to a suspension, and the higher premiums can outlast the ticket by years.
Local district courts decide North Carolina traffic cases, and the outcome often depends on how well your attorney knows that courtroom and the district attorney across from it. Our team includes former Union County prosecutors who handled these cases from the other side, and we defend the tickets that carry points as well as the ones that cross into criminal charges.
Why Choose Leitner, Bragg & Griffin for Traffic Violation Defense in North Carolina
A traffic case can ask more of you than a fine. It can put your license, your insurance rate, and, in some situations, your criminal record at risk all at once. We defend all three fronts in the district courts where these cases are heard, from Union County to Mecklenburg and Wake.
Former Union County Prosecutors Who Know How These Cases Are Handled
Knowing how a traffic case is charged and resolved starts with having stood on the other side of it. Tee Leitner is a former Union County Assistant District Attorney who has tried well over 50 jury trials, and Thomas Clark served two terms as an Assistant District Attorney in the same county. That background means we read a citation the way the prosecutor across the courtroom will, and we build the case for a reduction or dismissal around it.
A Team That Handles the Ticket and the Charge Behind It
Some stops end with a simple citation. Others end with a misdemeanor or a charge that carries jail exposure, and the two do not always arrive separately. Tim Cannady defends traffic, driving while impaired, and criminal charges, so a ticket that grows into something more serious stays with one firm instead of being handed off.
Local Knowledge of Union, Mecklenburg, and Wake County Traffic Courts
Traffic court runs on local practice as much as on the statute book. Our attorneys grew up in Monroe and built the firm in Union County, and we handle cases in the Mecklenburg and Wake County courts from our Charlotte and Raleigh offices. That familiarity with local judges, prosecutors, and calendars shapes how we pursue a reduction, a dismissal, or a resolution that keeps you out of court.
Our Traffic Violations Attorneys
Client Testimonials
“T is the absolute best! He is professional, thorough, and precise. I highly recommend him for any criminal matter. TEN STARS!!!!” — Rebecca P.
“My experience with Miss Bragg was excellent. She was kind hearted and fought for my life as if it was her own. I recommend her to anyone who is dealing with any criminal offense because like an angel she’ll open the doors for you to go free.” — Antonio R.
“Leitner, Bragg & Griffin is an excellent choice for legal representation. Tee Leitner was especially outstanding-he made me feel at ease and gave me confidence about my case. The staff was also very helpful and always ready to answer any questions had.” — Noah L.
What a Traffic Ticket Can Cost You in North Carolina
The fine on the ticket is often the smallest cost you face. A conviction adds driver license points to your record, and those points put your ability to drive at risk. The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (DMV) counts points over a rolling three-year period, and a few key thresholds apply:
- A total of 12 points within three years can trigger a license suspension.
- A first suspension lasts up to 60 days, a second up to six months, and a third up to one year.
- A driver improvement clinic becomes available at seven points and removes three points on completion.
Insurance points work on a separate track. The Safe Driver Insurance Plan (SDIP) is the system North Carolina insurers use to assign insurance points after a conviction, and those points can raise your premium for years regardless of your DMV record. A single at-fault conviction can push a rate up sharply, so keeping a ticket off your record often saves far more than the fine itself. We read a citation against both systems before pursuing a dismissal, a reduction to a lower-point offense, or a result that keeps the conviction off your record.
What Happens If You Ignore a Traffic Ticket in North Carolina?
Ignoring a ticket does not make it disappear, and it usually makes the situation worse. When you miss your court date or fail to pay by the deadline, the court notifies the DMV, and your license can be suspended until you resolve the case. A missed court date can also add a failure to appear fee, and a criminal charge left unanswered can lead to an order for your arrest.
We can often reopen a case that was missed. That work usually means getting the matter back on the court calendar, addressing the failure to appear, and then resolving the underlying ticket so the DMV can lift the hold on your license.
Traffic Violations We Defend in North Carolina
Not every traffic charge carries the same weight. The offense on your citation decides how many points attach, whether your license is at risk, and whether the charge is criminal.
Speeding, Careless, and Reckless Driving
Most speeding tickets are infractions that add points and raise insurance, but the point total climbs quickly at higher speeds and in work or school zones. North Carolina treats careless and reckless driving as a more serious matter, and the charge is criminal rather than a simple infraction. How we handle a ticket depends on the speed, your record, and where the stop happened.
Driving While License Revoked or Suspended
Driving while your license is revoked or suspended is a criminal charge, not an infraction, and a conviction can extend the revocation you are already under. Many of these cases trace back to an earlier ticket that was never resolved, so the older problem needs the same attention as the new charge.
Red Light, Stop Sign, and Other Moving Violations
Running a red light, rolling through a stop sign, and similar moving violations are infractions, but they still add points and can raise your insurance. A single one may seem minor enough to pay and forget, yet each conviction moves you closer to a point total that puts your license at risk. We look at how a given violation fits your overall record before recommending whether to contest it.
When a Traffic Ticket Becomes a Criminal Charge in North Carolina
Most traffic violations are infractions, which are noncriminal and carry a fine and points but not jail time. Some traffic offenses are different because the law treats them as misdemeanors or felonies from the start, and the classification controls the penalties you face:
- Reckless driving under North Carolina General Statutes § 20-140 is a Class 2 misdemeanor at baseline, rising to a Class 1 misdemeanor when the driving causes serious injury and a Class A1 misdemeanor when it causes serious bodily injury.
- Driving while license revoked under § 20-28 is a Class 3 misdemeanor, and it becomes a Class 1 misdemeanor when the revocation stems from an impaired driving offense.
- Speeding to elude arrest under § 20-141.5 is a Class 1 misdemeanor, and it becomes a Class H felony when two or more aggravating factors are present.
North Carolina has no separate offense called aggressive driving. Conduct that other states label that way is charged here as reckless driving under § 20-140.
Do You Have to Go to Court for a North Carolina Traffic Ticket?
For many minor infractions, you may not have to go to court at all. An attorney can often appear on your behalf in North Carolina traffic court and resolve the case without you present. Whether you must appear depends on the charge, and we tell you which applies before your court date.
The same holds if you were cited while passing through North Carolina and live in another state. For many traffic charges, an attorney can handle the case here so you avoid the trip back. North Carolina still reports convictions to your home state, so a ticket here can add points or affect your license where you live.
Commercial drivers face higher stakes. A conviction can put a commercial driver license (CDL) and a livelihood at risk, and federal rules limit some of the options a noncommercial driver may have. A CDL holder should treat even a routine ticket as a serious matter.
How We Protect Your Record and Driving Privileges
Protecting your record starts with reading the citation closely. We look at what you were charged with, what the state can prove, and what a conviction would do to your points, your insurance, and your license.
From there, we work with the district attorney toward a resolution that protects your record, which may be a dismissal, a reduction to an offense that carries fewer or no points, or an outcome that avoids a conviction. In the right circumstances, a Prayer for Judgment Continued can also keep points off your record.
What Is a Prayer for Judgment Continued in North Carolina?
A Prayer for Judgment Continued, often shortened to PJC, can keep a traffic conviction off your record. When a judge grants one, the court finds you responsible but continues judgment instead of entering it. No conviction is recorded, and in the right situation, no points attach to your license or your insurance.
A PJC is not automatic, and it is not available for every ticket or every driver. The DMV and insurers limit how often a PJC can be used to avoid points, and some offenses and drivers, including many commercial license holders, cannot use one at all.
We can tell you whether a PJC fits your case or whether a dismissal or reduction is the right path instead.
Protect Your License Before You Pay That Ticket
A North Carolina traffic ticket puts your license, your insurance rate, and sometimes your criminal record on the line at the same time. Paying it may feel like the fast way to move on, but a paid ticket is a conviction, and the points and premium increases that follow are hard to undo once they are on your record. We review the citation, work toward a reduction, a dismissal, or a Prayer for Judgment Continued, and defend any criminal charge that comes with it.
To talk through your options, schedule a consultation or call our office. Drivers in the Charlotte, Monroe, and Union County area can reach us at 704-271-9805, and drivers in Raleigh and the Triangle can reach our Raleigh office at 919-352-9140.
Written By Tee Leitner
Tee Leitner received his undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and received his Juris Doctrate Degree from the University of Mississippi School of Law. Tee spent time in Private Practice and at the Union County District Attorney’s Office as an Assistant District Attorney. Tee founded Leitner Bragg and Griffin in 2016.
