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Resources / NC Chapter 20 / Article 9A

North Carolina General Statutes, Chapter 20

The full text of G.S. 20-279.16 (Installment payment of judgments; default), with plain-English commentary from North Carolina DWI defense attorneys Chris Adkins and Chris Purkey in the side column. Article 9A: Motor Vehicle Safety and Financial Responsibility Act of 1953.

§ 20-279.16. Installment payment of judgments; default.

(a) A judgment debtor upon due notice to the judgment creditor may apply to the court in which such judgment was rendered for the privilege of paying such judgment in installments and the court, in its discretion and without prejudice to any other legal remedies which the judgment creditor may have, may so order and fix the amounts and times of payment of the installments.

(b) The Commissioner shall not suspend a license or a nonresident’s operating privilege, and shall restore any license or nonresident’s operating privilege suspended following nonpayment of a judgment, when the judgment debtor obtains such an order permitting the payment of such judgment in installments, and while the payment of any said installment is not in default.

(c) In the event the judgment debtor fails to pay any installment as specified by such order, then upon notice of such default, the Commissioner shall forthwith suspend the license or nonresident’s operating privilege of the judgment debtor until such judgment is satisfied, as provided in this Article. (1953, c. 1300, s. 16; 1969, c. 186, s. 6.)

Official text of N.C. Gen. Stat. § 20-279.16 as published by the North Carolina General Assembly (Chapter 20 PDF, retrieved November 10, 2026). Verify the current version on ncleg.gov ↗.

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