Traffic Tickets in parking lots

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Pursuant to NCGS 20-4, an officer can write a traffic citation when you are driving on any Public Vehicular Area.  This is defined as follows:

(32)      Public Vehicular Area. - Any area within the State of North Carolina that meets one or more of the following requirements:

a.         The area is used by the public for vehicular traffic at any time, including by way of illustration and not limitation any drive, driveway, road, roadway, street, alley, or parking lot upon the grounds and premises of any of the following:

1.         Any public or private hospital, college, university, school, orphanage, church, or any of the institutions, parks or other facilities maintained and supported by the State of North Carolina or any of its subdivisions.

2.         Any service station, drive-in theater, supermarket, store, restaurant, or office building, or any other business, residential, or municipal establishment providing parking space whether the business or establishment is open or closed.

3.         Any property owned by the United States and subject to the jurisdiction of the State of North Carolina. (The inclusion of property owned by the United States in this definition shall not limit assimilation of North Carolina law when applicable under the provisions of Title 18, United States Code, section 13).

b.         The area is a beach area used by the public for vehicular traffic.

c.         The area is a road used by vehicular traffic within or leading to a gated or non-gated subdivision or community, whether or not the subdivision or community roads have been offered for dedication to the public.

d.         The area is a portion of private property used by vehicular traffic and designated by the private property owner as a public vehicular area in accordance with G.S. 20-219.4.

http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/enactedlegislation/statutes/html/bychapter/chapter_20.html