Dare County DWI and Criminal Defense Lawyer

Charged in Dare County?

Charges from Nags Head, Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Southern Shores, Duck, Manteo, and Hatteras Island are all heard in one place: the Dare County Justice Center, 962 Marshall Collins Drive in Manteo. Donahue Defense is based in Dare County and represents people charged with DWI, traffic offenses, and criminal charges here.

Dare County runs from Duck in the north to Hatteras village in the south, and it includes Roanoke Island and the mainland communities of Manns Harbor, East Lake, and Stumpy Point. Six towns have their own police departments. Everywhere else, the Sheriff’s Office and the NC State Highway Patrol do the patrolling. In summer, most of the people on the roads here are visitors.

Daniel Donahue is a Board Certified Specialist in State and Federal Criminal Law, certified by the North Carolina State Bar Board of Legal Specialization. He is the only board-certified criminal law specialist based in Dare County, and his office is in Nags Head.

Charged in Dare County? Call or text Donahue Defense at 252-715-5785 before your court date.

Fastest way to start on a ticket: text a photo of it to 252-715-5785. We will reply with what happens next and what we need from you.

Cases We Handle in Dare County

• DWI in Dare County, including out-of-state DWI and underage DWI
• Speeding tickets in Dare County and other traffic tickets, including tickets for out-of-state drivers
• Reckless driving and driving while license revoked
• Drug charges in Dare County
• Underage drinking and fake ID charges
• Assault charges
• Boating while impaired on the sounds and inlets
• Expungements
• Federal citations from National Park Service rangers

Dare County Towns and Areas

Each town page covers who patrols there, where charges tend to come from, and links to the town and its police department.

• Nags Head: where our office is, from the Kill Devil Hills line to South Nags Head
• Kill Devil Hills: the middle of the beach, on the Bypass and the Beach Road
• Kitty Hawk: the first town past the Wright Memorial Bridge
• Southern Shores: NC 12 traffic headed to Duck and Corolla
• Duck: the northernmost town in the county
• Manteo: the county seat on Roanoke Island, where court is held
• Hatteras Island: Rodanthe, Waves, Salvo, Avon, Buxton, Frisco, and Hatteras village

Charged north of Duck, in Corolla or Carova? That is Currituck County, and court is in Currituck, not Manteo.

Where Dare County Cases Come From

• US 158, the Bypass, from the Wright Memorial Bridge through Kitty Hawk, Kill Devil Hills, and Nags Head
• NC 12, the Beach Road, along the oceanfront, and NC 12 north through Southern Shores and Duck
• US 64 across Roanoke Island and the causeway between Manteo and Nags Head
• NC 12 down Hatteras Island, from the Marc Basnight Bridge to Hatteras village
• Restaurants, bars, vacation rentals, and beach accesses throughout the county
• Cape Hatteras National Seashore, the Wright Brothers National Memorial, and Fort Raleigh, which are National Park Service property. A citation from a park ranger there goes to federal court. See federal charges in the Outer Banks.

One Courthouse for the Whole County

Every state charge written in Dare County lists a court date at the Dare County Justice Center in Manteo, whether it came from a town police officer, a deputy, or a trooper. District Court handles traffic cases, DWI, and other misdemeanors. Felony charges start in District Court and usually move to Superior Court, which is also held in Manteo.

What a Conviction Can Cost You

An impaired driving conviction carries a license revocation. Traffic convictions can add license suspension and DMV points under N.C.G.S. Section 20-16 and insurance premium increases under the NC Safe Driver Incentive Plan (SDIP), administered by the NC Commissioner of Insurance. Paying a ticket counts as a conviction. A criminal conviction can also stay on your record. See expungements for when a record can be cleared.

Visiting Dare County From Out of State?

From June through September, about two in three of our clients live outside North Carolina. A North Carolina conviction can be reported to your home state, and each state applies its own law to it. For how your state would treat a conviction, check with its licensing agency or a lawyer licensed there. See out-of-state tickets and out-of-state DWI.

Do I Have to Come to Court in Manteo?

It depends on the charge. In many traffic cases, your lawyer can appear for you. Some cases, including trials, require you to be there. We will tell you early which dates need you in person.

How We Can Help

• Explain the charge, the possible outcomes, and what each would mean for your license, insurance, and record
• Meet with you at our Nags Head office, or handle the work by phone, text, and email
• Obtain and review the evidence, including video and testing records
• Appear in Dare County District Court for you where the court allows
• Explain to out-of-state drivers what North Carolina reports to their home state
• Try your case when the facts and the law support it
• Communicate in Spanish through our legal assistant, Kaitlyn Fernandez

Dare County Court and Law Enforcement Links

• Dare County Justice Center: court location, hours, and phone number from the NC Judicial Branch
• Dare County Sheriff’s Office: countywide law enforcement, based in Manteo
• Dare County towns and villages: the county’s guide to its towns and villages

These links go to independent government websites. Donahue Defense is not affiliated with them.

Dare County FAQs

Where is court for a Dare County charge?

At the Dare County Justice Center, 962 Marshall Collins Drive, Manteo, NC 27954.

I was charged in Corolla. Is that Dare County?

No. Corolla and Carova are in Currituck County. Duck and the towns south of it are in Dare County. We handle cases in both. See Currituck County.

I was cited by a park ranger. Is that a Dare County case?

No. A citation from a National Park Service ranger is a federal case, not a Dare County District Court case. We handle those too. See federal charges.

Where is your office?

At 2405 S. Croatan Highway, Suite D, in Nags Head, on US 158. You can also start by phone, text, or email.

Talk to a Dare County Defense Lawyer

If you are charged with DWI, a traffic offense, or a crime in Dare County, call or text 252-715-5785. Se habla español.

Please do not include confidential or sensitive information in a contact form, text message, or voicemail.

This page is general information about North Carolina law, not legal advice for your situation.