How out-of-state traffic convictions affect your North Carolina driver’s license

A lot of people want to know how out-of-state traffic convictions will affect their NC driver’s license. The answer is, out-of-state convictions for certain serious traffic offenses are almost always treated the same as an NC conviction.

If the state that the offense occurred in reports the conviction (and almost all states do), NC will assess points based on the conviction reported. NC will assess points for certain serious moving violations. Once the conviction is reported, North Carolina will treat the out-of-state conviction just as if the traffic offense and conviction had occurred at home in North Carolina.

Driver License Compact

North Carolina, along with almost every single state in the United States, is a member of the Driver License Compact (DLC). The DLC is an interstate agreement. It allows member states to exchange information with one another concerning license suspension and traffic violations. Member states share such information with the non-resident’s home state. The home state is the state in which that person is licensed to drive in.

What offenses are reported?

The offenses that member states report are typically moving violations. Moving violations are violations such as speeding, running a red light, and failure to yield. This includes DWI/DUI.

Does NC report traffic convictions to non-resident’s home states?

Yes. NC will report convictions of serious moving violations of out-of-state drivers to that driver’s home state.

What states are members of the Driver License Compact?

With the exception of five states, every state and Washington D.C. is a member of the DLC. The five states that are not members are: Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wisconsin are not member states.

How are points assessed in NC?

For certain serious traffic convictions that occur in a DLC member state, points are assessed just as though the offense occurred in NC. For example, a person convicted of speeding 15 or more MPH over the speed limit will have points assessed as if the conviction occurred in NC. Likewise, a person convicted of speeding more than 80 MPH will have points assessed as if the conviction occurred in NC.

If you are facing a traffic charge in North Carolina, contact a traffic lawyer to discuss your options.