Reviewed and updated October 9, 2026 by the SearchSystems.net editorial team. Every office link was opened and checked against the office's own site on September 23, 2026.
Dare County, North Carolina, has about 38,000 residents (2024 Census Bureau estimate). A traffic ticket written in Dare County is a court case in the District Court, and the conviction it ends in goes on the driving record kept by the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. This guide says which court takes the ticket, who writes them and where the driving record lives.
This guide covers where tickets go, who writes them, the driving record, cities and common questions.
Related guides: Dare County public records, Dare County arrest records, Dare County warrants, Dare County inmate search, Dare County criminal records, North Carolina arrest records and North Carolina inmate search.
Where a Ticket Written in Dare County Goes
Tickets in Dare County go to the District Court, which takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, divorces, child custody, small claims and civil cases up to $25,000. A paid ticket, a dismissal and a trial all end up in that court's records.
The court records page SearchSystems verified for the county is at darenc.gov/departments/clerk-of-court, phone 252.475.5223.
Statewide, eCourts Portal is the North Carolina Judicial Branch's free statewide case search.
Who Writes the Tickets in Dare County
The Dare County Sheriff's Office and the agencies that report for Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Southern Shores, Nags Head, Manteo and Duck write the traffic tickets in Dare County.
The FBI's agency list also places one more agency in Dare County: the State Park Rangers at Jockey's Ridge (state agency).
The Driving Record and the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles
Convictions are reported by the court to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles, which keeps the driving record and decides on points and suspensions. Order the driving record from that agency, not from the court.
Paying a ticket is a conviction, reported to the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles like any other; contesting it means a plea of not guilty entered with the court by the date on the ticket.
A DWI is a criminal charge rather than a ticket, with its own license case before the Division of Motor Vehicles (see Dare County DUI).
Cities in Dare County
Wherever in the county a ticket is written, it is answered in the District Court.
The cities and towns in the county are Kill Devil Hills, Kitty Hawk, Southern Shores, Nags Head, Manteo and Duck.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where do I pay a traffic ticket from Dare County?
With the District Court.
Who keeps my driving record in North Carolina?
The North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. The court reports each conviction to it, and paying a ticket counts as one.
Which court handles traffic tickets in Dare County?
The District Court, which takes misdemeanors, traffic cases, divorces, child custody, small claims and civil cases up to $25,000.
Is this the official Dare County website?
No. SearchSystems.net is an independent public records guide, online since 1997. It links to the official county, court and state offices described above and does not hold records, charge for them or take requests.