Why does a $15 fine cost $206 out the door?
Because the fine is the small half. North Carolina adds $191 in fixed court costs to every traffic infraction — seven separate statutory fees, identical whether your fine is fifteen dollars or two hundred and fifty. Add them and a $15 ticket is $206.
The seven components
Every line is set by statute, and none of them is discretionary. This is the AOC schedule effective January 1, 2025. AOC 1/1/2025
| Component | Authority | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| General Court of Justice fee (district) | G.S. 7A-304(a)(4) | $147.50 |
| Facilities fee | G.S. 7A-304(a)(2) | $12.00 |
| Telecom/data connectivity fee | G.S. 7A-304(a)(2a) | $4.00 |
| LEO retirement/insurance | G.S. 7A-304(a)(3),(3a) | $7.50 |
| Indigent defense fee | G.S. 7A-304(a)(3c) | $5.00 |
| Service of process (citation) | G.S. 7A-304(a)(1) | $5.00 |
| Chapter 20 (motor vehicle) add-on | G.S. 7A-304(a)(4a) | $10.00 |
| Total court costs | AOC 1/1/2025 | $191.00 |
The components are summed here, not typed — the total is whatever the itemized schedule adds up to.
The cheapest real ticket on the books
Speeding six to ten over the limit carries a $15 fine. Here is what you actually pay at the window.
| Line | Detail | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Fine | Set by the waiver schedule for speeding 6–10 over | $15 |
| Court costs | The seven components above, unchanged by the size of the fine | $191 |
| Out the door | What the clerk takes — before any insurance consequence | $206 |
The insurance surcharge is separate and larger. It is a percentage of your base premium, charged for three or five years.
The four numbers that are not $191
| Case | What it is | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Reduction to improper equipment | Infraction costs plus the improper-equipment add-on of $50. Non-moving: no points, no surcharge. G.S. 7A-304 | $241 |
| Seat-belt violation | Handled as a flat total, not fine-plus-costs. No points, no surcharge. AOC 1/1/2025 | $180 |
| Misdemeanor in district court | The costs schedule for a misdemeanor rather than an infraction. G.S. 7A-304 | $193 |
| Failure to appear | Added on top of everything else, and your licence can be revoked until the case is resolved. G.S. 7A-304 | $200 |
Court cost questions people ask
- How much are court costs on a North Carolina traffic ticket?
- Court costs on a traffic infraction total $191, made up of seven separate statutory fees set by G.S. 7A-304. The costs are the same whether the fine is fifteen dollars or two hundred and fifty — they do not scale with the offence.
- Why does a $15 fine cost $206?
- Because the fine and the costs are two different things. A $15 fine for speeding six to ten over is added to $191 in fixed court costs, so the amount payable is $206. Any insurance surcharge sits on top of that.
- What is the improper-equipment add-on?
- A reduction to improper equipment adds $50 to the ordinary infraction costs, bringing the courthouse total to $241 before any fine or attorney fee. Improper equipment is non-moving, so no DMV points and no insurance surcharge attach.
- How much is a seat-belt ticket in North Carolina?
- A front-seat belt violation is handled as a flat total of $180 rather than the ordinary fine-plus-costs structure. It carries no DMV points and no insurance surcharge, so the flat total is genuinely the whole cost of the ticket.
- What happens if you miss your court date?
- Failing to appear adds $200 on top of everything else, and it can lead to your licence being revoked until the case is resolved. It is the single most expensive avoidable line on this page, and it has nothing to do with guilt or innocence.
Court costs are the part everybody sees. The calculator adds the part that costs more — the statutory insurance surcharge over the correct window.
Educational estimate, not legal advice — see how we calculate this.
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