Traffic Tickets

Who to Call

Questions concerning a traffic ticket issued by a N.C. State Trooper or other law enforcement officer should be directed to the District Attorney for the county in which the ticket was issued.

The telephone number for the District Attorney can be located in the State Government section of the local telephone directory.  

Questions about the court date or location should be directed to the Clerk of Superior Court of the county in which the ticket was issued.  Access the court system's judicial directory.

The telephone number for the county clerk of court is listed in the State Government section of the local telephone directory under judicial or courts. 

Court Costs

Payment of fines and costs are NOT made to the officer but to the clerk of Superior Court. The clerk DOES NOT accept personal checks, only money orders or bank checks. The clerk will accept cash only when paying in person.

The Conference of Chief District Court Judges, not the officer, establishes a list of charges which may be paid without a mandatory court appearance and those which require a court appearance.

The fine entered by the officer on the back of the ticket is set by the Conference of Chief District Court Judges and not by the officer.

Lost Tickets

The Highway Patrol does not maintain a database on traffic citations issued. In order to locate the information, you may attempt either of the following two alternatives:

1. If you know the county you were in when you received the traffic citation, you may contact the Clerk of Court in that county for further information regarding your traffic citation; or

2. If you are unsure of the county, you may visit the NC Courts website for search options.

Failure to Appear

The Division of Motor Vehicles will revoke a person's driver's license or the right to drive on an out-of-state license if the person fails to appear in court or fails to pay the fine and costs. The revocation will remain in effect until the ticket is paid and the person goes to court.

Advertising

Some lawyers may send a letter to a person receiving a ticket. The lawyers obtain the names and addresses from the Clerk of Superior Court. The officer issuing the ticket has no control over the advertising. The U.S. Supreme Court has ruled that lawyers have a constitutional right to advertise.