NJ Driver’s License Points And MVC Surcharges
Reviewed by William A. Proetta, Esq. · Updated November 2026
New Jersey puts 2 to 8 points on your license for most moving violations. At 6 points the MVC sends a warning, and 6 or more points within three years also brings an insurance surcharge of $150 plus $25 for each point over six, billed every year for three years. At 12 points your license is suspended. You lose 3 points for every 12 months without a violation, and approved driving courses can take off 2 or 3 more.
How Many Points Is Each Ticket in New Jersey?
NJ points for common violations
From the MVC point schedule, N.J.A.C. 13:19-10.1. Longer bars mean more points.
Source: NJ MVC points schedule. Unsafe driving carries points only on a third or later offense within five years of the last one. A hand-held phone ticket carries 3 points only on a third or later offense.
The Full NJ MVC Point Schedule
Show every violation on the schedule (59 entries)
| N.J.S.A. | Violation | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 39:5D-4 | Moving violation out of state | 2 |
| 27:23-29 | Moving against traffic (Turnpike, Parkway, A.C. Expressway) | 2 |
| 27:23-29 | Improper passing (Turnpike, Parkway, A.C. Expressway) | 4 |
| 27:23-29 | Unlawful use of median strip (Turnpike, Parkway, A.C. Expressway) | 2 |
| 39:3-20 | Operating constructor vehicle in excess of 45 mph | 3 |
| 39:4-14.3 | Operating motorized bicycle on a restricted highway | 2 |
| 39:4-14.3d | More than one person on a motorized bicycle | 2 |
| 39:4-35 | Failure to yield to pedestrian in crosswalk | 2 |
| 39:4-36 | Failure to yield to pedestrian in crosswalk; passing a vehicle yielding to pedestrian | 2 |
| 39:4-41 | Driving through safety zone | 2 |
| 39:4-52 / 39:5C-1 | Racing on highway | 5 |
| 39:4-55 | Improper action or omission on grades and curves | 2 |
| 39:4-57 | Failure to observe direction of officer | 2 |
| 39:4-66 | Failure to stop vehicle before crossing sidewalk | 2 |
| 39:4-66.1 | Failure to yield to pedestrians or vehicles while entering or leaving highway | 2 |
| 39:4-66.2 | Driving on public or private property to avoid a traffic sign or signal | 2 |
| 39:4-71 | Operating a motor vehicle on a sidewalk | 2 |
| 39:4-80 | Failure to obey direction of officer | 2 |
| 39:4-81 | Failure to observe traffic signals | 2 |
| 39:4-81 | Red light camera violation | 0 |
| 39:4-82 | Failure to keep right | 2 |
| 39:4-82.1 | Improper operating of vehicle on divided highway or divider | 2 |
| 39:4-83 | Failure to keep right at intersection | 2 |
| 39:4-84 | Failure to pass to right of vehicle proceeding in opposite direction | 5 |
| 39:4-85 | Improper passing on right or off roadway | 4 |
| 39:4-85.1 | Wrong way on a one-way street | 2 |
| 39:4-86 | Improper passing in no passing zone | 4 |
| 39:4-87 | Failure to yield to overtaking vehicle | 2 |
| 39:4-88 | Failure to observe traffic lanes | 2 |
| 39:4-89 | Tailgating | 5 |
| 39:4-90 | Failure to yield at intersection | 2 |
| 39:4-90.1 | Failure to use proper entrances to limited access highways | 2 |
| 39:4-91, 39:4-92 | Failure to yield to emergency vehicles | 2 |
| 39:4-96 | Reckless driving | 5 |
| 39:4-97 | Careless driving | 2 |
| 39:4-97a | Destruction of agricultural or recreational property | 2 |
| 39:4-97.1 | Slow speed blocking traffic | 2 |
| 39:4-97.2 | Driving in an unsafe manner* | 4 |
| 39:4-97.3 | Use of a hand-held cell phone or electronic device while driving* | 3 |
| 39:4-98 | Speeding 1-14 mph over limit | 2 |
| 39:4-98 | Speeding 15-29 mph over limit | 4 |
| 39:4-98 | Speeding 30 mph or more over limit | 5 |
| 39:4-105 | Failure to stop for traffic light | 2 |
| 39:4-115 | Improper turn at traffic light | 3 |
| 39:4-119 | Failure to stop at flashing red signal | 2 |
| 39:4-122 | Failure to stop for police whistle | 2 |
| 39:4-123 | Improper right or left turn | 3 |
| 39:4-124 | Improper turn from approved turning course | 3 |
| 39:4-125 | Improper U-turn | 3 |
| 39:4-126 | Failure to give proper signal | 2 |
| 39:4-127 | Improper backing or turning in street | 2 |
| 39:4-127.1 | Improper crossing of railroad grade crossing | 2 |
| 39:4-127.2 | Improper crossing of bridge | 2 |
| 39:4-128 | Improper crossing of railroad grade crossing by certain vehicles | 2 |
| 39:4-128.1 | Improper passing of school bus | 5 |
| 39:4-128.4 | Improper passing of frozen dessert truck | 4 |
| 39:4-129 | Leaving the scene of an accident, no personal injury | 2 |
| 39:4-129 | Leaving the scene of an accident, personal injury | 8 |
| 39:4-144 | Failure to observe stop or yield signs | 2 |
* Unsafe driving carries points only on a third or later offense within five years of the last one. A hand-held device ticket carries points only on a third offense within 10 years of a second offense, and on later offenses. Source: NJ MVC points schedule; N.J.A.C. 13:19-10.1.
Which Offenses Carry No Points?
Some of the most serious motor vehicle offenses are not on the point schedule at all: DWI, refusing a breath test, driving while suspended, and driving uninsured. They carry their own penalties, such as license loss and jail exposure, and most carry surcharges instead of points. Red light camera tickets carry zero points.
What Happens as Your Points Add Up?
| Points | What happens | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Any points as a new driver | The MVC sends a notice after a probationary driver’s first point-carrying conviction | N.J.A.C. 13:19-10.4 |
| 4+ points from 2+ violations as a probationary driver | Required Probationary Driver Program, a four-hour class | MVC driver programs |
| 6 or more | Advisory notice from the MVC | N.J.A.C. 13:19-10.4 |
| 6 or more within 36 months | Surcharge: $150, plus $25 for each point over 6, each year for 3 years | N.J.S.A. 17:29A-35 |
| 12 to 14, collected over more than 2 years | Usually offered the Driver Improvement Program instead of a 30-day suspension | MVC driver programs |
| 12 or more | Suspension, starting at 30 days for 12 to 15 points within 2 years and rising to at least 180 days | N.J.S.A. 39:5-30.8; N.J.A.C. 13:19-10.2 |
A suspension notice comes with the right to a hearing. See license suspensions in NJ for how to request one and how to restore your license afterward.
How Do You Get Points Off Your License in NJ?
These reductions come from N.J.S.A. 39:5-30.9. The course provider reports your completion to the MVC, which does not accept certificates mailed in by drivers.
Point credits do not lower your surcharge
The 3-point safe-driving credit and the 2-point course credit reduce the points used for suspensions, but not the points used to calculate surcharges. Both the surcharge statute and the MVC say so. A driver can take a course and still owe the full surcharge.
What Are NJ MVC Surcharges?
Surcharges are separate charges the MVC bills on top of any court fine, under N.J.S.A. 17:29A-35 and N.J.A.C. 13:19-13.1. Most run for three years.
| Offense | Surcharge | 3-year total |
|---|---|---|
| 6 or more points in 36 months | $150 + $25 per point over 6, per year | $450 at 6 points |
| DWI or refusal (1st or 2nd) | $1,000 per year | $3,000 |
| Third DWI or refusal within 3 years | $1,500 per year | $4,500 |
| Driving while suspended | $250 per year | $750 |
| No insurance (39:6B-2) | $250 per year | $750 |
| Unlicensed driver | $100 per year | $300 |
| No insurance on a moped (39:4-14.3e) | $100 per year | $300 |
| Unsafe driving (39:4-97.2) | $250, one time, collected by the court | $250 |
Source: MVC surcharge page; N.J.S.A. 17:29A-35 and 39:4-97.2. A DWI and a refusal from the same arrest produce one surcharge.
The surcharge program is still in effect in 2026. A 2019 law, P.L.2019, c.301, ends it only after the state finishes paying off the debt backed by surcharge revenue, and the official notice that triggers the end has not been issued. Since 2021, though, the MVC no longer suspends licenses for unpaid surcharges. It collects them instead, through court judgments, liens, wage garnishment and offsets of tax refunds and lottery winnings. Installment plans are available, and only a court, by vacating the conviction, can remove a surcharge.
Why Is Unsafe Driving Called a “Zero-Point” Ticket?
Unsafe driving under N.J.S.A. 39:4-97.2 gets its “zero-point” nickname from how the statute treats points. A first conviction carries a $50 to $150 fine and no points. A second carries a $100 to $250 fine and no points. Only a third or later conviction within five years of the last one carries points, set at 4 on the MVC schedule, with a $200 to $500 fine. Every unsafe driving conviction also carries a mandatory $250 surcharge collected by the court.
That makes it a useful outcome for a speeding or careless driving ticket, but not a free one, and it can only be used twice without points in a five-year window.
Do Out-of-State Tickets Count in New Jersey?
For NJ license holders, yes. A moving violation in another state goes on your NJ record as 2 points, assessed by the MVC when it receives notice of the conviction. For serious offenses, the Driver License Compact goes further: an out-of-state DWI, vehicular homicide, felony involving a vehicle, or leaving the scene of an injury or fatal crash is treated as if it happened in New Jersey (N.J.S.A. 39:5D-4). Out-of-state drivers ticketed here have their NJ conviction reported to their home state, and NJ surcharges apply to them too. See our page for out-of-state drivers ticketed in Hudson County.
NJ Points and Surcharges FAQs
How Many Points Does It Take To Lose Your License In NJ?
Twelve. The MVC suspends at 12 or more points collected in two years or less, or 15 or more over a longer period, starting at 30 days. Drivers with 12 to 14 points collected over more than two years are usually offered the Driver Improvement Program instead.
How Long Do Points Stay On Your License In NJ?
Points are not removed on a fixed date. Instead, 3 points come off for every 12 consecutive months without a point violation or suspension, and course credits can remove more. Surcharges count the points from the previous 36 months.
How Many Points Is A Speeding Ticket In NJ?
Two points for 1 to 14 mph over the limit, 4 points for 15 to 29 mph over, and 5 points for 30 mph or more over.
Does Unsafe Driving Put Points On Your License?
Not on a first or second offense. Only a third or later unsafe driving conviction within five years of the last one carries points, set at 4. Every conviction carries a $250 surcharge.
Will A Defensive Driving Course Lower My Surcharge?
No. The 2-point course credit lowers the points used for suspension, but the MVC does not apply it when calculating surcharges.
Talk to a New Jersey Lawyer
Fighting a ticket before you plead is the only reliable way to keep points and surcharges off your record. William Proetta has over 15 years of criminal trial experience and handles traffic, DWI and criminal cases in courts across New Jersey from offices in Jersey City and Edison.
Call (201) 793-8018 or contact us online for a free, confidential review.