20-24.1. Revocation for failure to appear or pay fine, penalty or costs for motor vehicle offenses.
(a) The Division must revoke the driver's license of a person upon receipt of notice from a court that the person was charged with a motor vehicle offense and he:
(1) failed to appear, after being notified to do so, when the case was called for a trial or hearing; or
(2) failed to pay a fine, penalty, or court costs ordered by the court.
Revocation orders entered under the authority of this section are effective on the sixtieth day after the order is mailed or personally delivered to the person.
(b) A license revoked under this section remains revoked until the person whose license has been revoked:
(1) disposes of the charge in the trial division in which he failed to appear when the case was last called for trial or hearing; or
(2) demonstrates to the court that he is not the person charged with the offense; or
(3) pays the penalty, fine, or costs ordered by the court; or
(4) demonstrates to the court that his failure to pay the penalty, fine, or costs was not willful and that he is making a good faith effort to pay or that the penalty, fine, or costs should be remitted.
(b1) A defendant must be afforded an opportunity for a trial or a hearing within a reasonable time of the defendant's appearance. Upon motion of a defendant, the court must order that a hearing or a trial be heard within a reasonable time.
(c) If the person satisfies the conditions of subsection (b) that are applicable to his case before the effective date of the revocation order, the revocation order and any entries on his driving record relating to it shall be deleted and the person does not have to pay the restoration fee set by G.S. 20-7(i1). For all other revocation orders issued pursuant to this section, G.S. 50-13.12 or G.S. 110-142.2, the person must pay the restoration fee and satisfy any other applicable requirements of this Article before the person may be relicensed.
(d) To facilitate the prompt return of licenses and to prevent unjustified charges of driving while license revoked, the clerk of court, upon request, must give the person a copy of the notice it sends to the Division to indicate that the person has complied with the conditions of subsection (b) applicable to his case. If the person complies with the condition before the effective date of the revocation, the notice must indicate that the person is eligible to drive if he is otherwise validly licensed.
(e) As used in this section and in G.S. 20-24.2, the word offense includes crimes and infractions created by this Chapter.
(f) If a license is revoked under subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section, and for no other reason, the person subject to the order may apply to the court for a limited driving privilege valid for up to one year or until any fine, penalty, or court costs ordered by the court are paid. The court may grant the limited driving privilege in the same manner and under the terms and conditions prescribed in G.S. 20-16.1. A person is eligible to apply for a limited driving privilege under this subsection only if the person has not had a limited driving privilege granted under this subsection within the three years prior to application. (1985, c. 764, s. 19; 1985 (Reg. Sess., 1986), c. 852, ss. 4-6, 9, 17; 1987, c. 581, s. 4; 1991, c. 682, s. 4; 1993, c. 313, s. 1; 1995, c. 538, s. 2(d); 2020-77, s. 6.5(a).)
Structure North Carolina General Statutes
North Carolina General Statutes
Article 2 - Uniform Driver's License Act.
§ 20-7 - Issuance and renewal of drivers licenses.
§ 20-7.1 - Notice of change of address or name.
§ 20-7.3 - Availability of organ, eye, and tissue donor cards at motor vehicle offices.
§ 20-7.4 - License to Give Trust Fund established.
§ 20-7.5 - License to Give Trust Fund Commission established.
§ 20-7.6 - Powers and duties of the License to Give Trust Fund Commission.
§ 20-8 - Persons exempt from license.
§ 20-9 - What persons shall not be licensed.
§ 20-9.2 - Selective service system registration requirements.
§ 20-9.3 - Notification of requirements for sex offender registration.
§ 20-10 - Age limits for drivers of public passenger-carrying vehicles.
§ 20-12.1 - Impaired supervision or instruction.
§ 20-13 - Suspension of license of provisional licensee.
§ 20-13.2 - Grounds for revoking provisional license.
§ 20-15 - Authority of Division to cancel license or endorsement.
§ 20-15.1 - Revocations when licensing privileges forfeited.
§ 20-16 - Authority of Division to suspend license.
§ 20-16.01 - Double penalties for offenses committed while operating a commercial motor vehicle.
§ 20-16.3A - Checking stations and roadblocks.
§ 20-17 - Mandatory revocation of license by Division.
§ 20-17.1A - Restoration of license for person adjudicated to be restored to competency.
§ 20-17.3 - Revocation for underage purchasers of alcohol.
§ 20-17.4 - Disqualification to drive a commercial motor vehicle.
§ 20-17.5 - Effect of disqualification.
§ 20-17.7 - Commercial motor vehicle out-of-service fines authorized.
§ 20-17.8A - Tampering with ignition interlock systems.
§ 20-18 - Conviction of offenses described in § 1 not ground for suspension or revocation.
§ 20-20.1 - Limited driving privilege for certain revocations.
§ 20-20.2 - Processing fee for limited driving privilege.
§ 20-21 - No operation under foreign license during suspension or revocation in this State.
§ 20-22 - Suspending privileges of nonresidents and reporting convictions.
§ 20-23 - Revoking resident's license upon conviction in another state.
§ 20-23.1 - Suspending or revoking operating privilege of person not holding license.
§ 20-24.2 - Court to report failure to appear or pay fine, penalty or costs.
§ 20-25 - Right of appeal to court.
§ 20-26 - Records; copies furnished; charge.
§ 20-27 - Availability of records.
§ 20-28.4 - Release of impounded motor vehicles by judge.
§ 20-28.5 - Forfeiture of impounded motor vehicle or funds.
§ 20-28.7 - Responsibility of Division of Motor Vehicles.
§ 20-28.8 - Reports to the Division.
§ 20-29 - Surrender of license.
§ 20-29.1 - Commissioner may require reexamination; issuance of limited or restricted licenses.
§ 20-31 - Making false affidavits perjury.
§ 20-32 - Unlawful to permit unlicensed minor to drive motor vehicle.
§ 20-34 - Unlawful to permit violations of this Article.
§ 20-34.1 - Violations for wrongful issuance of a drivers license or a special identification card.
§ 20-35 - Penalties for violating Article; defense to driving without a license.
§ 20-36 - Ten-year-old convictions not considered.
§ 20-37 - Limitations on issuance of licenses.