The answer depends on the violation. Under the state’s Safe Driver Incentive Plan (SDIP), a typical moving-violation conviction triggers a 40% surcharge, while a DWI conviction can increase your rates by 340%. These surcharges stay on your policy for three to five years. A New Bern traffic violations attorney can explore options to reduce or eliminate the impact on your driving record.
How Much Will My Insurance Go Up?
Yes, your insurance rates will increase after most traffic convictions in North Carolina. The state uses a system called the Safe Driver Incentive Plan (SDIP) to assign insurance points based on the type of violation. These points are separate from the DMV points on your license, and they directly determine how much your insurer must increase your premium.
The surcharge percentages are set by the North Carolina Department of Insurance and apply uniformly across all insurers in the state. Here is what you can expect based on the type of violation:
- 1 SDIP point (40% surcharge): Most other moving violations (running a red light, failure to yield), speeding 10 mph or less over a speed limit under 55 mph, an at-fault accident with total property damage (including to your own vehicle) of $2,300 or less
- 2 SDIP points (55% surcharge): Illegal passing, following too closely, driving on the wrong side of the road, speeding more than 10 mph over the limit at a total speed between 55 and 76 mph, an at -fault accident with total property damage between $2,300 and $3,850
- 3 SDIP points (70% surcharge): At-fault accidents involving death or bodily injury totaling more than $1,800, or property damage of $3,850 or more
- 4 SDIP points (90% surcharge): Reckless driving, hit-and-run with property damage only, passing a stopped school bus, speeding over 75 mph in a zone under 70 mph, speeding over 80 mph in a 70+ mph zone, driving under age 21 after consuming alcohol or drugs
- 8 SDIP points (200% surcharge): Aggressive driving, driving during license revocation or suspension
- 10 SDIP points (260% surcharge): Highway racing or speeding to elude arrest
- 12 SDIP points (340% surcharge): DWI, manslaughter or negligent homicide by vehicle, hit-and-run resulting in bodily injury or death, prearranged highway racing
For a driver paying $1,800 per year in premiums, a single 1-point conviction means an additional $720 per year, or roughly $2,160 over the three-year surcharge period. A 4-point reckless driving conviction would add about $1,620 per year, totaling roughly $8,100 over the five-year surcharge period that now applies to most non-speeding convictions of 4 or more points.
How Much Will a Speeding Ticket Increase My Insurance?
Speeding is the most common traffic violation in North Carolina, but the surcharge depends on how fast you were going and the posted limit.
- Speeding more than 10 mph over the limit when your total speed is between 55 and 76 mph carries 2 SDIP points and a 55% surcharge.
- Speeding 10 mph or less over the speed limit in a speed zone of 55 mph or higher carries 2 SDIP points and a 55% surcharge.
- Speeding over 75 mph in a zone under 70 mph, or over 80 mph in a 70+ mph zone, jumps to 4 SDIP points and a 90% surcharge.
- Speeding 10 mph or less over the posted speed limit, whether in a lower-speed or highway zone, is generally waived for insurance purposes if you have no other qualifying moving violation conviction, except for prior PJCs, within the lookback period.
Excessive speeding can also be charged as a Class 3 misdemeanor under N.C.G.S. § 20-141(j1) when an individual drives more than 15 miles per hour over the applicable speed limit, or drives over 80 miles per hour. That criminal charge is separate from the SDIP insurance consequences and carries its own fines and court costs.
What Happens to Your Insurance After a DWI?
A DWI conviction in North Carolina carries the maximum 12 SDIP points and a 340% insurance surcharge. For a driver with a $1,800 annual premium, that translates to an additional $6,120 per year. Under changes that took effect July 1, 2025, convictions carrying 4 or more SDIP points, other than speeding in excess of the posted speed limit, now remain on your insurance record for five years instead of three. That means a DWI conviction could cost you more than $30,000 in additional premiums over the surcharge period alone.
How Insurance Companies Decide Your Rate Increase
Insurance companies in North Carolina do not set surcharge amounts on their own. The SDIP is a regulated system, which means the North Carolina Department of Insurance dictates the exact percentage increase based on your most serious violation within the experience period. Your insurer reviews your driving record at each renewal and applies the surcharge corresponding to your most serious conviction within the experience period.
Several factors determine what you actually pay. Your base premium, which accounts for your age, vehicle, coverage level, and location in New Bern or elsewhere in Craven County, is multiplied by the surcharge percentage. A clean driving record before the violation will not offset the surcharge.
The experience period is the window your insurer examines. For most violations, this is the three years immediately before your renewal date. However, for convictions of 4 or more SDIP points occurring on or after July 1, 2025, except for speeding in excess of the posted speed limit (over 75 mph in zones under 70 mph, or over 80 mph in 70+ mph zones), the experience period expanded to five years. Speed-only convictions of 4 or more points still use the three-year period.
Does Every Ticket Raise Your Insurance?
Not necessarily. If a traffic violation does not result in a conviction, it will not generate SDIP points. This is why many North Carolina drivers choose to fight their tickets in court rather than simply paying the fine. Options like a Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC), a reduction to a non-moving violation, or a dismissal can prevent the conviction from generating insurance points.
PJCs have important limits. As of July 1, 2025, no surcharge will be applied for a PJC unless the driver or another licensed operator in the household has another PJC during the prior five-year period (for PJCs granted on or after July 1, 2025). PJCs granted before July 1, 2025 still use the prior three-year lookback. PJCs are also statutorily prohibited for DWI charges, passing a stopped school bus, speeding more than 25 mph over the posted limit, and any moving-violation charge against a CDL holder.
Protect Your Driving Record in New Bern
A traffic ticket does not have to mean years of inflated insurance premiums. The attorneys at Summit Law Group – Greene, Wilson, Styron & Thomas help drivers across eastern North Carolina challenge traffic violations, negotiate reductions, and protect their insurance rates. Contact our New Bern office to discuss your ticket and find out what options are available for your situation.
