How It Works – North Carolina 8-Hour Traffic Safety Course

There are 2 scenarios in which you may take a traffic safety course in North Carolina:

• You’ve accumulated 7 or more points on your driving record, and the DMV has required you to take a course. The DMV will then remove 3 of those points once you complete the course.
• You’ve received a traffic ticket, and you wish to reduce or dismiss the points associated with the violation.

You can also take the course voluntarily if you’re looking to reduce your insurance rates!

To make things easier for you, we’ve researched all the requirements you’ll need to meet for each of these scenarios. You’ll find the list of steps below, so that your path to success is laid before you even head to court.

How to Satisfy a North Carolina Court or DMV Traffic School Requirement

1. Attend your court hearing, at which time you’ll receive instructions to complete a traffic school course. 

You may be notified of your 7-point accumulation at the time you receive your citation, or you may receive a mailed notice informing you of a date to appear before the court. In order to be eligible to take a driving safety course:

• You must hold a valid non-commercial North Carolina drivers license.
• Your violation must be non-alcohol-related.
• You may not have taken a traffic safety course within the past 5 years.

The judge will give you a deadline by which you must complete your traffic safety course.

2. Enroll in and complete I Drive Safely’s North Carolina traffic school course.

We offer 2 courses for North Carolina drivers:

• Our 4-Hour Traffic Safety Course is designated specifically for residents of Guilford and Wake Counties.
• Our 8-Hour Traffic Safety Course is intended for all other residents of North Carolina.

You may complete this course once every 5 years to remove points from your license.

3. Submit your certificate of completion to your local DMV office.

I Drive Safely will send you a completion certificate once you finish your course, which you may then mail or bring in to your court.

4. Check your driving record.

Make sure that the DMV has credited you for your traffic school course; once it’s been processed, it will appear on your driving record, and the points you had requested to reduce or erase will have been dismissed.