DA Mike Waters – ecadpressrelease
Electronic Compliance and Dismissal (ECAD) quicker and more efficient for citizens
Oxford, N.C.- Citizens of Franklin, Granville, Vance and Warren Counties can now easily request dismissal of certain traffic violations online with the launch of the new Electronic Compliance and Dismissal (ECAD) system. The application delivers a modern and user friendly experience to quickly process traffic violations online without having to appear in court.
“The online dismissal system is quicker and easier for citizens and provides immediate benefits to our courts,” said District Attorney Mike Waters. “Citizens are able to go online at home without having to miss work or wait in line, while saving time and resources of our district attorneys and court staff to process cases.”
Following Chief Justice Mark Martin’s vision for modernizing court technology systems statewide, ECAD was designed to reduce foot traffic in courthouses across the state while allowing the public a fast, convenient way to request dismissal for certain traffic violations online. The efficient, user-friendly system also benefits district attorneys by dramatically reducing the time needed to review and process dismissals of minor traffic cases.
“Online dismissals and services are changing the way the public does business with our courts,” said Judge Marion Warren, director of the N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts. “This modern court technology is more efficient and convenient to process a significant portion of traffic cases online and not have to stand in line at the courthouse.”
Prior to ECAD, citizens had to appear in court and visit the courthouse to request dismissal. In 2015, over 220,000 cases with ECAD eligible offenses were dismissed in North Carolina. This represents a significant portion of the traffic cases handled in our state and underscores the importance and convenience for the public. There is no cost associated with requesting dismissal of a case online through ECAD, and the system is available 24/7.
The system was funded by S.L. 2015-241 (HB 97) in September 2015 and work on the system began in October. ECAD was piloted beginning in May 2016, and is now available in all 100 counties statewide as of July. New language will be added to traffic citations statewide to inform the general public about ECAD and the courts’ online services available at onlineservices.NCcourts.org.
The following offenses are the only offenses eligible for dismissal/disposition through ECAD:
No Operator’s License
Failure to carry a valid driver’s license
Expired operator’s license
Expire/no inspection
OR/allow registration plate not display
Drive/allow MV no registration
Canceled/revoked/suspended certificate/tag
Expired registration card/tag
Citizens who have received a traffic citation for any of the above referenced offenses, and are in compliance and seeking a dismissal through ECAD, can go to onlineservices.NCcourts.org. They will need their citation number, which is located at the top of their ticket, and a valid address. If these charges are attached to a moving violation, a court appearance is still required.