Drivers who receive traffic citations in North Carolina can now save time paying fines and court costs online.

A new system implemented last year, traffic tickets that will not be contested in court can be paid through www.payNCticket.org.

Credit and debit cards are accepted through the system.

“Our new payNCticket online payment system has become the preferred method of payment for waivable traffic offenses,” said Polk County Clerk of Superior Court Pam Hyder. “Citizens conveniently may make their payment from anywhere internet connectivity is available. I encourage citizens not wanting to appear in court regarding their traffic citation to save gas and time and go online to pay.”

The payNCticket system was built by the judicial branch’s N.C. Administrative Office of the Courts (NCAOC) to provide benefit to citizens and court officials and staff, states a press release from the Polk County Clerk of Courts.

PayNCticket allows for faster disposition of cases because of its automatic updates of case records.

Statewide the new program has saved citizens hundreds of thousands of hours and saved courthouse staff more than 7,000 hours by eliminating the need to manually take receipts, states the press release. Nearly 56 percent of waived offenses are currently being paid through payNCticket.

In 2012, more than 123,000 waived offenses across the state were processed through the online system. Polk County received 1,048 payments online in 2012.

Most money received from traffic citations goes to local government agencies and the state’s general fund.

More information is available at www.nccourt.org or by contacting Sharon Gladwell, NCAOC Communications Director at 919-890-1394 or Sharon.e.gladwell@nccourts.org.

Locally, Pam Hyder can be contacted at 828-894-8231.