How much does a DWI cost in North Carolina?

By the DUI Cost Guide Editorial Team · Last updated: October 22, 2026

A first DWI in North Carolina carries a statutory fine of Up to $1,000. This guide stacks every cost layer an official North Carolina source prices — the fine, court costs, the license reinstatement fee, the DWI program, ignition interlock, and the SR-22 insurance filing — and says plainly which layers no official source prices at all.

North Carolina DWI costs at a glance	Figure
Statutory fine — first DWI	North Carolina does not set one fine range for a first DWI. Under G.S. 20-179 the judge sentences at one of six punishment levels based on aggravating and mitigating factors. A first offender with no grossly aggravating factors is sentenced at Level Five (fine up to $200), Level Four (up to $500) or Level Three (up to $1,000). Grossly aggravating factors raise the cap to $2,000 at Level Two, $4,000 at Level One and $10,000 at Aggravated Level One.
Court costs & fees	Court costs are assessed under North Carolina's court fee schedules and vary with the court and the sentence imposed. No single statewide DWI court-cost figure is published on the official pages reviewed.
License suspension — first offense	A conviction for impaired driving results in revocation of the driver's license under G.S. 20-17, and restoration is handled by NCDMV. Restoration requires completing the substance abuse assessment and the education or treatment required by G.S. 20-17.6, and paying the DMV fees listed below.
License reinstatement fee	NCDMV publishes a DWI reinstatement fee of $167.75. A separate restoration fee of $83.50 also applies, plus a $50 service fee unless the license was surrendered to the court or mailed to NCDMV before the revocation took effect; these fees are separate from the cost of a new license.
Ignition interlock	Conditional — restricted license / court order — An ignition interlock is not mandatory for every North Carolina first offender. Interlock is tied to limited driving privileges and higher-BAC cases under G.S. 20-17.8, and G.S. 20-179 treats voluntarily installing an interlock before trial and using it for at least six months as a mitigating factor at sentencing.
DWI education / treatment program	Anyone placed on probation must obtain a substance abuse assessment and complete the education or treatment required by G.S. 20-17.6; shorter education programs such as ADETS serve lower-risk offenders. The state-set assessment and program fees could not be confirmed on an official page opened for this project.
SR-22 insurance filing	Whether an SR-22 filing is required after a North Carolina DWI could not be verified from an official source opened for this project; NCDMV handles proof of insurance through its own restoration process.

The fine

North Carolina does not set one fine range for a first DWI. Under G.S. 20-179 the judge sentences at one of six punishment levels based on aggravating and mitigating factors. A first offender with no grossly aggravating factors is sentenced at Level Five (fine up to $200), Level Four (up to $500) or Level Three (up to $1,000). Grossly aggravating factors raise the cap to $2,000 at Level Two, $4,000 at Level One and $10,000 at Aggravated Level One.

Court costs & fees

Court costs are assessed under North Carolina's court fee schedules and vary with the court and the sentence imposed. No single statewide DWI court-cost figure is published on the official pages reviewed.

License suspension & reinstatement

A conviction for impaired driving results in revocation of the driver's license under G.S. 20-17, and restoration is handled by NCDMV. Restoration requires completing the substance abuse assessment and the education or treatment required by G.S. 20-17.6, and paying the DMV fees listed below.

NCDMV publishes a DWI reinstatement fee of $167.75. A separate restoration fee of $83.50 also applies, plus a $50 service fee unless the license was surrendered to the court or mailed to NCDMV before the revocation took effect; these fees are separate from the cost of a new license.

The national picture — which states charge the most to reinstate — is in our license reinstatement guide.

Ignition interlock

An ignition interlock is not mandatory for every North Carolina first offender. Interlock is tied to limited driving privileges and higher-BAC cases under G.S. 20-17.8, and G.S. 20-179 treats voluntarily installing an interlock before trial and using it for at least six months as a mitigating factor at sentencing.

How interlock pricing works (installation, monthly lease, calibration, removal) is in our ignition interlock cost guide.

DWI education & treatment program

Anyone placed on probation must obtain a substance abuse assessment and complete the education or treatment required by G.S. 20-17.6; shorter education programs such as ADETS serve lower-risk offenders. The state-set assessment and program fees could not be confirmed on an official page opened for this project.

SR-22 & insurance

Whether an SR-22 filing is required after a North Carolina DWI could not be verified from an official source opened for this project; NCDMV handles proof of insurance through its own restoration process.

What an SR-22 is, which states charge a filing fee, and how long it must be carried: SR-22 cost guide.

Towing, impound & other charges

When the judge orders abstinence as a condition of probation, continuous alcohol monitoring may be imposed at the defendant's expense (G.S. 20-179(k2)-(k3)). North Carolina has no separate second-offense fine range: a prior impaired-driving conviction is a grossly aggravating factor that moves the sentence to Level Two or higher.

Worked total: the verified charges stacked

Item	Cost
Statutory fine	Up to $1,000
License reinstatement fee	$167.75
Total of the verified state-set charges above	$167.75–$1,167.75

That total is deliberately incomplete: it leaves out everything no official North Carolina source prices statewide — court costs where they are set county by county, interlock lease payments to a private vendor, towing and storage, and the insurance increase that follows an SR-22. Add your own figures for those in the cost calculator.

Sources: N.C. General Statutes § 20-179 (NC General Assembly) · NCDMV — Driver License Restoration. Researched October 2026 — confirm current figures with the court and the driver-licensing agency.

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