Reckless driving is classified in North Carolina as a Class 2 misdemeanor. You may face penalties including up to 60 days in jail and fines of up to $1,000. Not only can speeding land you in criminal court, it can also send you to jail. A reckless driving conviction may also result in 4 points on your driver's license.
Depending on the circumstances, speeding could lead to a “reckless driving” conviction. California defines reckless driving as operating a vehicle “in willful or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property.” A standard first offense carries five to 90 days in jail and/or $145 to $1,000 in fines.
A conviction of speeding 50 or more miles per hour over the speed limit is a felony offense.
When there is no posted speed limit, the speed limit is 35 mph in a municipality, 55 mph outside of a municipality's borders, and 70 mph on a highway. While many speeding tickets are infractions, a speeding ticket for driving over 15 mph over the posted speed limit or over 80 mph is a Class 3 misdemeanor.
S.C. Code Ann. § 56-5-2920 of the S.C. Code of Laws states that "any person who drives any vehicle in such a manner as to indicate either a willfull or wanton disregard for the safety of persons or property is guilty of reckless driving."
Class 2 Misdemeanors.The sentence for a Class 2 misdemeanor is 1 to 60 days of active, intermediate, or community punishment, with the maximum penalty being 60 days in jail and a fine of $1,000.
(Insurance companies use a different point system to determine insurance rates.) An individual's license may be suspended if they accumulate as many as 12 points within a three-year period.
Can I have my charge of reckless driving reduced from a misdemeanor to an infraction? Unfortunately, reckless driving is a misdemeanor under Vehicle Code 23103 and may not be reduced to an infraction.
Driving 25 miles per hour (or more) over the posted speed limit. Racing another vehicle. Trying to elude a police officer. On a two-lane highway, passing another vehicle when visibility of oncoming traffic is limited.
Some speeding can lead to not only an automatic suspension of your license, but also a criminal conviction. In fact, under certain circumstances, speeding in NC can rise to the level of a felony charge.
Essentially, what a PJC does is continue the judgment. Take a speeding ticket for example. A conviction of the ticket would carry license points, and often times, insurance points as well. However, if the court grants a PJC, then no points will result.
Areas in North Carolina with Speed Cameras:Currently North Carolina has no state law or programs.
Unique to North Carolina, a Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC) is often used in traffic violations. It allows someone to plead guilty and ask for a “Prayer for Judgement,” meaning the offense isn't entered against you. For example, you plead guilty to a speeding ticket, then ask for Prayer for Judgement.
How much is a speeding ticket in North Carolina? The fine for a North Carolina speeding ticket is generally $50 or less, although it can go much higher — for example, $250 if you were speeding in a marked work zone or school zone. Court costs are typically around $190.
Reckless driving is often categorized as a misdemeanor offense, meaning that a person convicted of the crime faces up to one year in jail. However, a small number of states also allow the crime to be charged as a felony, meaning a conviction can bring a year or more in a state prison.
A DUI is a zero-point offense, but it stays on your driving record and your criminal record for life. For insurance purposes, a reckless driving conviction is usually preferred over a DUI conviction. The impact on your insurance premiums is far less with reckless driving versus a DUI conviction.
Even for a misdemeanor reckless driving charge, you could be denied employment or terminated. This is especially true if you drive for a living, as your employer could face expensive liability insurance rates.
North Carolina has some of the strictest traffic offense laws in the country. Unlike many other states, a person who receives a traffic ticket will often be required to attend a mandatory court hearing.
A class 3 misdemeanor NC is the least serious type but still carries penalties that may adversely affect an individual. This charge carries a penalty of up to 20 days jail time and a fine of $200. A class 3 misdemeanor may include marijuana possession or hunting without a license.
The program is called “iPlea” and it allows drivers who have received speeding tickets to go online to onlineservices.NCcourts.org and ask the District Attorney's Office to reduce their fine. The District Attorney's Office will consider the request as long as its 7 days before the driver's court date.
Speed cameras - tips and facts so you don't get caught out
| Legal speed limit (mph) | Recorded speed (mph) | Recorded speed (mph) |
|---|
| 60 | 61-80 | 81-90 |
| 70 | 71-90 | 91-100 |
| Points/ disqualification | 3 points | Disqualify 7-28 days OR 4-6 points |
| Fine | 50% of relevant weekly income* | 100% of relevant weekly income* |
You will need to pay a restoration fee of $65. This fee is paid to the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV). In the event that you did not return your driver's license to the DMV before the suspension period began, you will also be liable for a $50 service fee.
The court costs and fines for your North Carolina speeding ticket can range between $188 and $238 on average ($188 court costs plus $30–50 for the speeding fine itself), which sounds expensive, but not unbearable. However, that is only the tip of the iceberg.
