"My Kid Just Got a Ticket"What’s Going to Happen to My Insurance Rates?

It’s the phone call that every parent dreads. Your teenager, finally enjoying their freedom on the roads of Granville, Franklin, Warren, Vance, or Person County, has got their first ticket. "What’s this going to do to your insurance rates?"

On July 1st 2025, the North Carolina legislature loosened restrictions on insurance companies, making it easier for them to raise your rates.  This is particularly true for younger drivers.  The North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI) has published a list of some of the most important changes:

https://www.ncdoi.gov/changes-rating-automobile-insurance-policies-effective-july-1-2025

Here is what you need to know about how that ticket will affect your household budget.  

1. YOUNG DRIVER SURCHARGE:

One of the most important changes with the updated legislation is the “young driver surcharge,” which is also commonly referred to as an “inexperienced driver” surcharge.  This allows the insurance companies to charge you an additional premium for having a younger driver on your policy.  Under the old regulation, they could do this for 3 years, which has now been increased to 8 years.  Drivers who are licensed on or after 7/1/25 will experience the 8-year period, whereas drivers licensed before 7/1/25 will be grandfathered in under the old regulation period of 3 years.  Though the increased policy amount decreases over the years from 4-8 that they are insured.  So for example, a newly licensed 16-year old driver on or after 7/1/25 could cause an increase in insurance until they are 24 years old.    

2. HOW MUCH WILL MY INSURANCE GO UP?

North Carolina uses a point system for traffic offenses to determine how much your insurance will increase.  They recently raised these percentages significantly, such that if you incur a moving violation, your rates could increase quite a bit.  The more points, the higher the increase in your rates:

Here are both the old and the newly updated point schedule for some of the most common traffic violations in NC:

INSURANCE POINTS BEFORE 7/1/25: (increase in rates over a 3-year period)

1 Insurance Point (30%)

2 Insurance Points (45%)

3 Insurance Points (60%)

4 Insurance Points (80%)

5 Insurance Points (110%)

6 Insurance Points (135%)

7 Insurance Points (165%)

8 Insurance Points (195%)

9 Insurance Points (225%)

10 Insurance Points (260%)

11 Insurance Points (300%)

12 Insurance Points (340%)

INSURANCE POINTS ON OR AFTER 7/1/25: (increase in rates over a 3-year period)

1 Insurance Point (40%)

2 Insurance Points (55%)

3 Insurance Points (70%)

4 Insurance Points (90%)

5 Insurance Points (110%)

6 Insurance Points (135%)

7 Insurance Points (165%)

8 Insurance Points (200%)

9 Insurance Points (225%)

10 Insurance Points (260%)

11 Insurance Points (300%)

12 Insurance Points (340%)

***For a list of common traffic offense and their point values, please see our FAQ and Resources section***

3. SDIP (Safe Driver Incentive Program) and THE NEW “2025” LOOKBACK PERIOD:

The old regulation provided that if you had a clean 3-year driving record (no moving violation, forgiven at fault accidents over a certain amount, among several other things) that you could avoid an increase in insurance for a speeding ticket that was reduced to 10mph or less over the speed limit.  This has now been increased to 5 years.  There are many exclusions and disqualifying factors that can prevent an insurance waiver from being recognized by your insurance company.  You must consult with an attorney to conduct a professional review of your driving record to confirm whether you are eligible or not.  Even if you are not eligible for an insurance waiver, there are other reductions we can seek out to minimize the increase in insurance.  In some cases, you could save up to a 50% increase in insurance, just by pleading responsible to a different reduced traffic infraction.  

Moreover, as of 7/1/25, North Carolina law has become much stricter regarding how long a ticket follows you.  If your young driver is convicted of a traffic offense that carries 4 or more points, that increase in insurance is now a 5 year period instead of 3.  

Pro Tip: In rural areas like Warren or Vance County, where speed limits often transition quickly from 65 mph to 55 mph, it is incredibly easy for a teen to catch a "4-point" speeding ticket.

4. PRAYER FOR JUDGMENT CONTINUED LOOKBACK PERIOD INCREASED TO 5 YEARS (ORIGINALLY WAS 3):

One of the tougher updates to the recent legislation is that the lookback period for a Prayer for Judgment Continued is no longer 3 years, it has been increased to 5 years.  There are many other disqualifying factors that will prevent the DMV from recognizing a PJC.  You must always consult with an attorney for a professional review of your driving history to determine whether or not a PJC is the best outcome for your ticket, as well as whether the DMV will recognize it.  

Yes, even if the judge grants you a PJC, that doesn’t mean that the DMV will recognize it so that it won’t suspend your license or make your insurance rates go up!

5. PROVISIONAL LICENSES GET HIT HARD TWICE:

If your teen is on a Level 2 Limited Provisional License, a moving violation doesn't just raise insurance—it can delay them from getting a fully unrestricted license till much later in life.

WHAT CAN I DO?

Don't just pay the ticket online and don’t go to court yourself! Paying the ticket online is a guilty plea and automatically triggers the insurance increase.  Many folks that go to court and represent themselves end up pleading to the wrong reduction.  

Don’t Let One Mistake Break the Bank!

At Scheuring Law, PLLC, we understand that teenagers make mistakes—but we don't think those mistakes should cost your family thousands of dollars in insurance premiums over the next five years. Whether your teen was cited in Oxford, Louisburg, Warrenton, Henderson, or Roxboro, we are here to help protect their driving record and your wallet.

Call Scheuring Law, PLLC today for a FREE consultation. We’ll fight to keep your teen on the road and your rates as low as possible.  

***Every case is different and must be evaluated on an individual basis.  For a full evaluation of your insurance rates, you must call your insurance provider.***