Charlotte Criminal Lawyer Blog
Driver Improvement Clinics
All drivers are required to obey the law when they are operating a motor vehicle. There are dozens of laws that are designed to promote safety and prevent accidents and injuries on the roadways. Drivers who fail to obey traffic laws may receive violations with penalties that may include fines and points assessed on their driving records. When points accumulate, a driver may lose driving privileges for a period of time. In some cases, a driver may be eligible for a driver improvement clinic.
What are Driver Improvement Clinics?
Driver improvement clinics are educational courses that are designed to provide refresher training to drivers. The clinics are also commonly referred to as “traffic schools.” These classes are also sometimes known as driver improvement or defensive driving classes. A driver who completes a driver improvement clinic will receive point credits on their driving record. Clinics are typically either four hours or eight hours in length. Clinic length requirement is determined based on various factors in your particular situation.
Eligibility for Driver Improvement Clinic
A driver who has accumulated 4 points on the 8-point scale or 7 points on the 12-point scale is eligible to request a driver improvement clinic. Only those who are approved for the clinic are able to get points removed from their record upon completion. A driver is only eligible for a driver improvement clinic once every five years. Upon successful completion, the driver will have a specific number of points subtracted from their driving record.
Eligibility Hearing
In order to qualify for a driver improvement clinic you must be approved at an eligibility hearing. The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles sends a letter to any driver who becomes eligible for the program. A driver must apply for an eligibility hearing and pay the associated filing fee. The current filing fee for an administrative eligibility hearing is $40. You will be assigned a hearing date. You will attend a conference (hearing) with an administrative hearings officer. The office will make a final determination as to whether you will be allowed to participate in the program.
Completion of a Driver Improvement Clinic
In order to get points deducted from your driver’s license, you must complete the appropriate program. There are a variety of authorized providers where you can complete the clinic. There is a clinic fee charged by the NC DMV, which you must pay prior to clinic completion. The current cost of the clinic is $83.50. Drivers are responsible for all costs associated with the training. Upon successful completion, the record will be provided to the DMV and the points will be subtracted from your driving record.
If you have received a moving violation, it may be worthwhile to contest the ticket in court. Rather than paying the ticket, request a hearing. You and your attorney will have the opportunity to present your defense of the violation in front of a judge. If you win, the ticket will be dismissed or reduced. Contact us at Arnold & Smith, PLLC, at (704) 370-2828 to discuss the matter with our legal team.
The criminal defense attorneys at Arnold & Smith, PLLC make it their mission to zealously defend their clients on a wide range of criminal matters at both the state and federal levels. These matters may include any charge from traffic offenses; DWI/DUI; drug charges (from simple possession to possession with intent to distribute and trafficking); gun permit denials; weapons offenses; and property crimes (larceny, breaking and entering, robbery, fraud, embezzlement, white collar offenses); to sexually related offenses (indecent exposure; sexual assault, crimes against nature, removal from sex offender registry); and violent crimes (domestic violence; assault; manslaughter; homicide, murder). Other legal issues that Arnold & Smith, PLLC criminal clients may be facing include restraining orders, restraining order and probation violations, expungements; appeals; and immigration issues related to criminal charges. Our criminal defense attorneys are passionate about ensuring that individuals empower themselves by being informed about their constitutional rights and stand at the ready to fight in the defense of those facing criminal charges.
Source:
https://www.ncdot.gov/dmv/license-id/license-suspension/Pages/driver-improvement-clinics.aspx
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