North Carolina has a basic and an absolute speeding law. The absolute law refers to driving faster than the posted or established speed limit while the basic law prevents drivers from traveling faster than safe for current road conditions.
Drivers can receive points on their records for speeding and other offenses, which may result in license suspension.
The point system
North Carolina imposes a license suspension for drivers who get 12 or more points in three years. Points related to speeding may include:
- 3 points for traveling faster than 55 miles per hour while speeding
- 3 points for speeding in a school zone
- 4 points for speeding that results in reckless driving charges
In addition to points, drivers must pay fines and court costs if convicted of speeding.
License suspension
Some speeding offenses result in immediate license revocation. Motorists can receive a 30-day revocation for speeding faster than 55 mph and more than 15 mph over the speed limit. A 60-day revocation can result from a second such offense or from receiving both a speeding and a reckless driving ticket.
Drivers can receive a suspension in North Carolina for racing with another driver, getting two speeding tickets in a year, or getting both a reckless driving ticket and a speeding ticket in the same year. Automatic suspension can also result from speeding faster than 75 mph or from getting a speeding ticket on a revoked license.
In some cases, drivers can appeal their points or license suspensions. They may also qualify for a restricted employment license.
