PJC & Improper Equipment: NC’s two point-savers.
North Carolina law gives drivers two ways to resolve a ticket without license or insurance points, but both have strict limits, and using the wrong one at the wrong time wastes it. This is exactly the call to make before court.
What’s the difference between a PJC and an Improper Equipment plea? An Improper Equipment reduction changes your speeding charge to a non-moving equipment violation: by statute, no driver’s license points and no insurance surcharge. A Prayer for Judgment Continued (PJC) is a finding of guilt where the court holds off on entering judgment. Used correctly, no points hit your record. Which one (if either) fits depends on your record, your speed, and how recently each tool has been used. That’s what the free consultation is for.
Improper Equipment: the clean reduction.
Failure to maintain your vehicle’s tires, brakes, speedometer and the like can result in an Improper Equipment citation, and since December 1, 2007, Improper Equipment has also been a lesser included offense of speeding. That is what makes it valuable: the North Carolina Legislature declared in G.S. 20-141 that no driver’s license points or insurance surcharge shall be assessed for this offense.
It is possible for me to negotiate a plea reduction to Improper Equipment on each client’s behalf for the majority of lower-level traffic offenses. The limits:
- Once every three years Each licensed driver is allowed one plea reduction to Improper Equipment every three years in Gaston County. Reductions received outside Gaston County do not count against your Gaston County eligibility.
- Speed cap Anyone cited for speeding more than 25 mph over the posted limit is not eligible for an Improper Equipment reduction.
The PJC: powerful, and easy to waste.
A Prayer for Judgment Continued is a finding of guilt by the court without entry of judgment. When a PJC is granted, you still pay court costs, but not the fine associated with the offense. Used within its limits, it also keeps points off your record.
- DMV limit: two per five years A driver is allowed two PJCs every five years with no impact on North Carolina license points. A third PJC within five years counts as a conviction for all DMV purposes.
- Insurance limit: one per household per three years Only one PJC per household every three years protects your insurance rate, and only if no one in the household picks up another moving-violation conviction in that window.
- Not available for impaired driving, speeding more than 25 mph over the limit, passing a stopped school bus, or solicitation of prostitution. A defendant may not appeal a PJC.
- Still a conviction in some contexts Under North Carolina law, if you plead guilty or are adjudicated guilty and then receive a PJC, you are still considered convicted for some purposes, including sentencing level on a later charge and, for Class 2 misdemeanors and higher, potential impeachment of testimony within 10 years.
Because the household insurance rule and the DMV rule run on different clocks, whether to spend a PJC (or save it and take an Improper Equipment instead) is a genuinely strategic decision. Don’t guess.
PJC & Improper Equipment FAQs.
Which is better for my ticket, PJC or Improper Equipment?
It depends on your speed, your driving record, your household’s recent tickets, and what you may need these tools for in the next few years. As a rule of thumb, an Improper Equipment reduction is often preferred when available because it doesn’t burn your household’s PJC, but the right answer is case-by-case. That’s what the free consultation sorts out.
Do I still pay anything with a PJC?
Yes. With a PJC you are still required to pay the costs of court; you do not pay the fine associated with the charged offense.
Can I get an Improper Equipment reduction twice?
Not within three years in Gaston County. Each licensed driver is allowed one Improper Equipment plea reduction every three years here. Reductions obtained in other counties don’t affect your Gaston County eligibility.
I was going 26 over. Can I still use these?
No. Both tools cut off at more than 25 mph over the posted limit: no Improper Equipment reduction and no PJC. Other strategies may still apply (negotiated reductions, driver improvement course, community-service dismissal in some cases). Call and we’ll go over your options.
One call before court can save the tool for when you need it.
704-675-9939Free consultation · up-front flat quote · calls returned the same business day.