Southern Shores DWI and Traffic Ticket Lawyer

Charged With DWI or Ticketed in Southern Shores?

A DWI charge or traffic ticket written in Southern Shores, whether by the Southern Shores Police Department, the Dare County Sheriff’s Office, or the NC State Highway Patrol, is heard in Dare County court at the Dare County Justice Center, 962 Marshall Collins Drive in Manteo. Paying a ticket counts as a conviction.

Southern Shores is a mostly residential town between Kitty Hawk and Duck. NC 12 runs through it, first as Ocean Boulevard and then as Duck Road, and it is the only highway north to Duck and Corolla. On summer changeover days, the town carries the traffic headed to and from every beach town north of it.

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. He holds NHTSA certification in standardized field sobriety testing, and he handles Southern Shores cases in Dare County court from his office in Nags Head.

Charged with DWI or ticketed in Southern Shores? Call or text Donahue Defense at 252-715-5785. In a DWI case, some deadlines run in the first 10 days.

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.

Where Southern Shores Tickets and Charges Come From

• NC 12 (Ocean Boulevard and Duck Road), the route north to Duck and Corolla
• US 158 near the Wright Memorial Bridge and the NC 12 intersection
• South Dogwood Trail and other neighborhood streets that drivers use to get around NC 12 backups. In past summers the town has posted weekend turn restrictions and local-traffic-only barricades on some of these streets, so watch for signs.
• Residential streets where the posted speed limit is lower than on the highway

DWI in Southern Shores

A DWI charge here is handled under the same statewide law as anywhere else in Dare County, and two tracks start on the night of the arrest: the criminal case and your license.

• Your license: with a result of 0.08 or more, or a refusal, a civil revocation of at least 30 days is ordered under N.C.G.S. Section 20-16.5. You can request a hearing to contest it within 10 days.
• Driving while the case is pending: after at least 10 days of a 30-day revocation, you may qualify for a pretrial limited driving privilege if you obtain a substance abuse assessment and meet the other requirements.
• If you refused the test: a separate 12-month revocation from NC DMV also applies. See refusal and license revocation.
• The criminal case: it proceeds in Dare County District Court in Manteo. If you are convicted, a first offense brings a one-year revocation, and the judge sentences you at one of six DWI sentencing levels.

North Carolina uses the EC/IR II for evidentiary breath tests, and the results are admissible only if the testing rules were followed. See breath tests and field sobriety tests and our Dare County DWI page. Live in another state? See out-of-state DWI.

Traffic Tickets in Southern Shores

A speeding conviction counts twice: DMV license points under N.C.G.S. Section 20-16, and insurance points under the Safe Driver Incentive Plan (SDIP), administered by the NC Commissioner of Insurance. Some convictions also allow DMV to suspend a license.

See Dare County speeding tickets for the points, the insurance math, and when a license can be suspended. We also handle reckless driving, driving while license revoked, and other traffic charges from Southern Shores.

Visiting 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. Virginia DMV, for example, says on its website that it assigns demerit points for traffic convictions from other states. For how your state would treat a conviction, check with its licensing agency or a lawyer licensed there. See out-of-state tickets for links to what Virginia, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York publish about out-of-state convictions.

Do I Have to Come to Court in Manteo?

For many speeding tickets, your lawyer can appear for you in Dare County District Court, so you do not have to come back to the Outer Banks. A DWI depends on your case and how it is resolved, and if it goes to trial, plan 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
• Help you request a hearing or a pretrial limited driving privilege within the DWI deadlines
• Obtain and review the evidence, including video and breath or blood test 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
• Communicate in Spanish through our legal assistant, Kaitlyn Fernandez

Southern Shores Town and Police Links

• Town of Southern Shores: town government and local ordinances
• Southern Shores Police Department: the town’s police department
• Dare County Sheriff’s Office: countywide law enforcement, based in Manteo
• Dare County Justice Center: court location, hours, and phone number from the NC Judicial Branch

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

Southern Shores FAQs

Where is court for a Southern Shores ticket or DWI?

In Manteo. Dare County court is held at the Dare County Justice Center, 962 Marshall Collins Drive, Manteo, NC 27954.

Is Southern Shores in Dare County?

Yes. Southern Shores, Kitty Hawk, and Duck are all in Dare County. Corolla, farther north on NC 12, is in Currituck County. We handle cases in both counties.

Can I just pay my Southern Shores speeding ticket?

For many tickets, yes. Paying is a conviction, so it adds DMV points and can raise your insurance. Find out what the conviction would cost before you pay.

Do you have an office in Southern Shores?

Our office is at 2405 S. Croatan Highway in Nags Head. Much of the work can be handled by phone, text, and email.

Talk to a Southern Shores DWI and Traffic Lawyer

If you were charged with DWI or got a ticket in Southern Shores, call or text 252-715-5785. We will explain what the charge means for your license in North Carolina and what comes next in court. 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.