PJC or lawyer — which one is cheaper on your ticket?
A PJC costs nothing beyond the fine and court costs, so it is usually the cheapest path when it is available and granted. A lawyer costs $99–$400 but a reduction protects your household PJC for later. Below, three real tickets worked all three ways in dollars.
Statutory example: a $1,000/yr base premium. The surcharge is a percentage of your own base premium, so put your number in the calculator to see your dollars. NCRB A-25-4
54 in a 45 — nine over
Ten and under, and the only moving violation in the window. 1 SDIP point, a 0% statutory surcharge factor, over 3 years. NCRB A-25-4 The 10-and-under forgiveness rule keeps the surcharge off entirely, which is why a fee here buys nothing.
| Path | What happens | Total / 3 yr |
|---|---|---|
| Pay as charged | Conviction, but no surcharge attaches under the forgiveness rule. | $206 |
| Lawyer → likely reduction | Reduced to a non-moving offense: no points, no surcharge. Includes the attorney fee. | $340–$641 |
| Use your PJC (if granted) | Judgment continued, so no surcharge attaches — if granted. | $206 |
No surcharge applies, so paying is the cheapest total and costs you nothing on insurance.
72 in a 55 — seventeen over
More than 15 over while actually driving faster than 55. 2 SDIP points, a +55% statutory surcharge factor, over 3 years. NCRB A-25-4 Convicted as charged this also carries a mandatory 30-day licence suspension. G.S. 20-16.1
| Path | What happens | Total / 3 yr |
|---|---|---|
| Pay as charged | Convicted as charged: 30-day suspension, plus the surcharge for 3 years. | $1,891 |
| Lawyer → likely reduction | Reduced to a non-moving offense: no points, no surcharge. Includes the attorney fee. | $340–$641 |
| Use your PJC (if granted) | Judgment continued, so no surcharge attaches — if granted. | $241 |
A reduction is the only path that avoids the mandatory 30-day suspension and the surcharge.
55 in a 35 — twenty over
Twenty over, but the actual speed is not above 55, so no suspension attaches. 2 SDIP points, a +55% statutory surcharge factor, over 3 years. NCRB A-25-4
| Path | What happens | Total / 3 yr |
|---|---|---|
| Pay as charged | Conviction, 2 SDIP points, surcharge for 3 years. | $1,891 |
| Lawyer → likely reduction | Reduced to a non-moving offense: no points, no surcharge. Includes the attorney fee. | $340–$641 |
| Use your PJC (if granted) | Judgment continued, so no surcharge attaches — if granted. | $241 |
A PJC, if granted, erases the surcharge for the lowest total over the window.
The breakeven, in one line
A reduction pays for itself the moment the surcharge it avoids exceeds the fee plus the added court cost. Court costs on an infraction are $191, and a reduction to improper equipment adds $50. G.S. 7A-304
| Line | Detail | Amount |
|---|---|---|
| Surcharge avoided | 72 in a 55, +55% over 3 years at the example premium | $1,650 |
| Court costs on the reduction | Infraction total plus the improper-equipment add-on | $241 |
| Attorney fee | Commonly quoted range for a routine traffic case | $99–$400 |
| Breakeven point | Fee at which the reduction stops paying for itself on this ticket | $1,600 |
Market-rate language only. We do not refer attorneys, name firms, or publish success rates — the arithmetic is ours, the outcome belongs to the court.
When neither is worth buying
The nine-over case above is the honest one. One speeding conviction of ten or under over the limit is not surcharged when it is the only moving violation in the experience period, so the cheapest total is simply paying it — $206 out the door, and no insurance consequence. NCRB A-25-4 A fee spent there buys convenience, not savings, and a PJC spent there is worth nothing at all.
Choosing between the paths
- Is a lawyer or a PJC cheaper on a North Carolina ticket?
- Whichever avoids more surcharge for less money. A PJC costs only the fine and court costs, so it usually wins on price if granted and if the household forgiveness is unused. A lawyer costs a fee but a reduction does not spend the household PJC, keeping it available later.
- How much do NC traffic lawyers charge?
- Fees for a routine traffic case are commonly quoted between $99 and $400 in North Carolina, quoted flat rather than hourly. We do not refer attorneys and name no firms. On the reduction path you still owe court costs plus the improper-equipment add-on on top of any fee.
- What does a reduction to improper equipment do?
- Improper equipment is a non-moving offence, so it carries no DMV points and no SDIP points — the insurance surcharge never attaches. The trade is an added court cost on top of the ordinary infraction total. Whether a prosecutor will reduce a given charge is not something anyone can promise.
- When is hiring a lawyer the wrong purchase?
- When there is no surcharge to avoid. A single speeding conviction of ten mph or under over the limit is not surcharged if it is the only moving violation in the experience period, so paying it costs the least. A fee buys nothing there beyond convenience.
- Can you use a PJC and a lawyer together?
- Yes — a lawyer may ask for a reduction and request a prayer for judgment continued as a fallback. The dollar comparison here is between the outcomes, not the representation. Whether either is granted rests with the prosecutor and the judge, so plan for the pay-as-charged number.
Opens the calculator on the 72-in-a-55 example. Change the numbers to yours, add your premium, and the three totals recompute.
Educational estimate, not legal advice — see how we calculate this.
Rules verified