Surry County is pretty sparse and has a small population, but maybe this list of programs will help. https://www.needhelppayingbills.com/htm ... rogra.html
But also places to help re-instate a license are even rarer. You can try a gofund me. Or try this for NC community action agencies. Some have grants that may help with a license for job reasons.
JamesGag wrote: ↑Mon Nov 10, 2025 10:36 am Located in Elkin, Surry County, NC.
Note: This is a mass post I created to make applying for assistance easier for myself.
I am asking for assistance to pay my ticket fees off so I can get my license and life back on track (F29, North Carolina).
Context:
Hey there, first off, I'd like to say I know this is my fault. I know I should have gone about things in a better way. I am reaping the consequences of my actions, but I have learned my lesson tenfold. Bear with me while I drag you through the mess I call life.
When I turned 16, I didn’t get my driver’s license like normal kids. I had parents who said, “If you want a car, get a job and buy one.” Nor did my parents offer to teach me to drive. Ever. After seeing a horrific accident on the interstate, I was okay with that.
Fast forward several years: I was 24 years old and had taken a liking to cars, autobody, mechanics, etc. My then-boyfriend at the time thought it was absurd I didn’t have a vehicle, yet loved them so much. So guess what he did? He called me over to his house, and there sat a 2000 Honda Civic in his driveway. He pointed and told me to get in the driver’s seat. “Alright, now take off. Don’t come back until you can drive.” (Haha?)
And that’s what I did. For the next three months, I lived in that car. I put almost 40k on it within that time. Him giving me that car gave me something I never had: confidence, pride, something to take care of, and something that made me love myself. I could drive. I never in a million years saw myself behind the wheel.
And all was good until I went through my first license check. Of course, I hadn’t gotten my license yet because, technically, I hadn’t been taught to drive. The laws of the road, rules, tests — all of it wasn’t something I was familiar with. So I received a “No operator’s license” ticket. Fast forward a few months: the day before my court date, I went and got my license. Although the court was happy, they only reduced my tickets to “improper equipment.” I was given a $340 fine in total. I paid $100 that day and was told to pay the rest within 45 days.
Less than two weeks after that, tragedy struck my home. My roommate’s son (2 years old) was killed (homicide case went cold). I immediately spiraled into a deep depression/obsession. For weeks, I didn’t get out of bed, and the months that followed were fueled by rage, curiosity, and pain. While all of that was going on, I completely forgot about my tickets. In North Carolina, if you do not pay your fines within 45 days, your license is revoked for a year. And each ticket after that is additional time. I didn’t realize how much a license would impact my life, but I do now.
While trying to make ends meet, going to and from work, I have been pulled over several times in the following years. Never able to make enough money to catch up, me driving was digging a deeper hole for myself. Finally, in 2023, I got the picture. I was pulled over five times in one week going to and from work. I’ve never been pulled for any driving offense, just my license and tags not being up to par. No accidents, no speeding. Just paperwork. I earned myself 28 tickets that week. I was placed on probation due to the amount of tickets I had. While on probation, I was able to pay off almost $500 of fines, but soon enough I would get pulled over again just to deepen the hole.
I tried depending on others for rides. I lost three different jobs doing so. I tried remote work, I tried grants. I had no one who would help me, as I grew up with parents who were addicted to drugs. My entire family was. They couldn’t take care of themselves, so I never asked them for help.
Things got worse, as I was unable to pay my bills because I couldn’t get a job to make money without getting in trouble for driving. Is a $350–$450 paycheck worth the risk to drive? Not when ONE ticket will cost a minimum of $280. Next, I lost my house after not being able to pay rent. The very car I wasn’t supposed to drive became my permanent residence. Me, my dog, my cat, and her litter box all packed into a Honda. I couldn’t get a job because I had nowhere to keep my animals during the day. I spent three months of 2025 in my car.
I can’t help but think of what a messed-up circle I’ve gotten myself into. I can’t get a job without a car to get there. I can’t pay my bills without money. I can’t get my license back without paying off my fines. Finally, a saving grace bought me a camper. Thank you, A ♡♡. And I’ve been living there since. Sadly, I don’t have legit power or any water, but it’s so much better than my car. Still, it’s expensive to be technically “homeless” (“a person living without means to safe and proper housing”).
If I want lights to see, I have to hook up the power inverter to my car battery. If I don’t run the car, the battery dies in three or so hours. I’ve had to buy four car batteries. I had a generator; it cost around $5 a day to run, and it only ran my lights. I can’t keep any food cold, so I abuse the dollar menu at McDonald’s a lot. I’ve had to pay for showers. I have to drive to the store to use the restroom. And it all takes money.
Money I don’t have because I have no job. I’ve resorted to selling my belongings, manual labor, borrowing money, and much more just to “make ends meet.” But in reality, I’m not making ends meet. I’m fighting for bare necessities. I’m just trying to be okay. And I’ve been failing miserably.
I have court this Wednesday, and they are going to lock me up if I don’t have the money to pay for court costs and fines THAT day. How can I have $400 when I can’t get a job? If I get caught driving again, the DA is going to ask for the maximum sentence of 120 days. What’s going to happen to my animals if I go to jail? My camper? My crappy little life that I’ve barely scraped by to get?
I am eligible to get my license reinstated in December, but I have to pay off my fines. But I literally can’t. No matter what I do, I lose. I can’t win for losing, and I don’t even want to win. I just want to be okay. I’d like to take a shower in my own house one day and not worry about if my car battery is going to die before my flashlight charges completely. I love working. I miss having the responsibility of a real job. I miss being able to take care of myself and others. I can’t stand asking for help, but here I am.
I’ve tried just about everything: nonprofits, programs, etc. These programs will help you if you can come talk to them in person once a week. “Help me get my license back,” but to do so I must drive an hour away once a week to talk to support agents… okay.
I owe almost $1000. I know it’s a lot, and I’m sorry. Before, I didn’t see the harm in driving to and from work if I didn’t cause an accident. Although me driving never bothered anyone but the police and courts, the risk of me doing so is far more important than my livelihood. Which the courts obviously prove by the pay-or-go-to-jail ultimatum.
I’m asking for help paying these fines. I’d prefer to send the direct link to the court’s website and provide my information so there’s no question your support is going to the right cause. Or I can immediately pay the money to the fines and send proof of doing so. Whatever is needed to ensure people who may offer to help feel comfortable doing so. I thank you all so much for your time and for reading my miserable current life story. (It will get better, I hope.)
-M