Driving Opportunities

A driver’s license is often a gateway to employment, housing, education, and health care, especially in rural communities with limited public transportation.

North Carolina remains one of the states that still suspend driver’s licenses for unpaid traffic tickets (“failure to pay”) and missed court dates (“failure to appear”). Under state law, the NC Division of Motor Vehicles is required to automatically suspend a license when a person “failed to pay a fine, penalty, or court costs ordered by the court” or “failed to appear, after being notified to do so, when the case was called for trial or hearing.” 

Currently, approximately one million people have a suspended driver’s license for failure to pay or failure to appear. These suspensions do not promote public safety. Instead, they impose severe and lasting harm on people, their families, and communities across North Carolina.   

Driver’s license suspensions for unpaid traffic tickets and missed court dates impact every aspect of daily life—from caring for their children and getting to work, to securing housing and access to health care. The impacts extend beyond people to communities as a whole, harming local economies, straining businesses, and diverting law enforcement and court resources away from public safety priorities.

Overview
Better Child Well-Being
Improved Compliance
Stronger Businesses and a Better Economy
Meaningful Employment
Better Health Outcomes
Safe and Affordable Housing
Reduced Poverty
True Public Safety
Successful Reentry

The evidence is clear. Ending these license suspensions in North Carolina will: 

  • Enhance access to meaningful employment 
  • Support economic mobility for families with low incomes 
  • Improve housing and health care access  
  • Increase compliance with court obligations 
  • Reduce burdens on law enforcement and courts 
  • Support business stability and economic growth 
  • Promote family and child well-being 

This fact sheet series explains how amending state law to end driver’s license suspensions for failure to pay and failure to appear can help Drive Opportunity in North Carolina.