DMVZoneBlogUnder North Carolina's Safe Driver Incentive Plan, 1 insurance point raises your premium 40%, 4 points raise it 90% and a DWI's 12 points raise it 340%. Here is the full chart and the 2025 rule changes.
North Carolina sets insurance surcharges by law through the Safe Driver Incentive Plan, or SDIP. One insurance point raises your premium 40%, two points 55%, three points 70% and four points 90%. Reckless driving and passing a stopped school bus are 4 points each. A DWI is 12 points, a 340% increase.
Most states leave it to each insurer to decide how much a ticket costs you. North Carolina does not. The same chart applies to every company, which makes the cost of a ticket easy to predict.
| Insurance points | Examples | Premium increase |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Most moving violations; speeding 10 mph or less over in a zone under 55; an at-fault crash with damage of $2,300 or less | 40% |
| 2 | Illegal passing; following too closely; more than 10 over at 56 to 75 mph; 10 or less over in a 55+ zone | 55% |
| 3 | At-fault crash with an injury over $1,800 or damage of $3,850 or more | 70% |
| 4 | Reckless driving; passing a stopped school bus; over 75 in a zone under 70; over 80 in a 70 zone | 90% |
| 8 | Driving while license suspended; aggressive driving | 200% |
| 10 | Racing; fleeing police | 260% |
| 12 | DWI and other major offenses | 340% |
A first ticket for 10 mph or less over the limit, outside a school zone, usually adds no insurance points if you have no other violations in the lookback period. It still counts toward DMV points.
How much does 1 SDIP insurance point raise your NC premium?
Answer: C. One insurance point means a 40% increase.
How many insurance points does reckless driving carry?
Answer: C. Reckless driving is 4 insurance points, a 90% increase.
Who sets the insurance surcharge for tickets in North Carolina?
Answer: B. The Safe Driver Incentive Plan is set by state law and applies to every insurer.
No. DMV points decide license suspensions. SDIP points decide your premium. The numbers for the same ticket are often different.
SDIP points are for at-fault crashes and convictions. A crash where you were not at fault should not add points.
The North Carolina Department of Insurance publishes it on ncdoi.gov.
Checked against these pages on November 12, 2026. Laws change, so open the source before you rely on a number.
Rules and fees change. Always confirm the details with the official North Carolina DMV or motor vehicle agency before you act. DMVZone practice questions are written to teach the rules and are not copies of the real test.
NC DMV points run from 1 to 5. At 7 points you can take a driver improvement clinic to cut 3. At 12 points in three years your license is suspended for up to 60 days the first time.
In North Carolina, going more than 15 mph over the limit at speeds above 55, or over 80 mph, means a 30-day license suspension. A speeding ticket also adds 2 or 3 DMV points and up to 4 insurance points.
North Carolina drivers with 7 DMV points may be offered a driver improvement clinic. Finishing it removes 3 points, once every five years. It does not lower insurance points.