New Jersey IDRC: Requirements, Fees and County Directory

Reviewed by William A. Proetta, Esq. · Updated November 2026

Reviewed by William A. Proetta, Esq. · Updated November 2026

Every DWI conviction in New Jersey comes with a requirement to attend the Intoxicated Driver Resource Center, or IDRC. A first offender spends two consecutive days of at least six hours each at the IDRC for the program’s screening and classes, a second offender is generally scheduled for a 48-hour program, and anyone who skips it faces an indefinite license suspension and can be ordered to spend two days in the county jail. The IDRC is run through New Jersey’s Intoxicated Driving Program (IDP), and the requirement comes from the DWI statute itself, N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.

William Proetta Criminal Law defends DWI cases across New Jersey from offices in Jersey City and Edison. Call (201) 793-8018 for a free case review. Looking for a specific center? Jump to the county IDRC directory.

Who Has to Go to the IDRC

Anyone convicted of an alcohol- or drug-related traffic or boating offense in New Jersey must satisfy both the IDP and IDRC requirements. The same applies to a New Jersey license holder convicted of that kind of offense in another state. A refusal or DWI case that ends in a conviction triggers the requirement; a case that’s dismissed does not.

IDRC Requirements by Offense

The statute also lets the Intoxicated Driving Program set the required detention period according to the treatment classification it assigns to each person, so your scheduling letter controls.

What Happens at the IDRC

1. Check in and pay the program fee at the center, then fill out a questionnaire.
2. Attend the educational sessions. They cover patterns of alcohol and drug use, stages of dependence, the effect on families, how substances affect driving, and New Jersey’s impaired driving laws.
3. Meet with a counselor for a personal screening interview.
4. Treatment referral, if recommended. After the screening, you may be referred to a treatment program for a further assessment. If treatment is recommended, the IDRC monitors you, and completing it becomes part of your sentence.

The IDRC does not restore your license. The Motor Vehicle Commission restores your driving privilege after every court and MVC suspension is satisfied and your IDRC requirements are met.

IDRC Fees

You pay the IDRC program fee at the center, and pay driving privilege restoration and related fees to the Motor Vehicle Commission. The DWI statute sets two IDRC-related charges:

• Intoxicated Driving Program fee: $100, payable to the Alcohol Education, Rehabilitation and Enforcement Fund (N.J.S.A. 39:4-50(b)).
• IDRC per diem: the statute set $75 a day for the first offender program and $100 a day for the second offender program, and later increases are set by regulation of the Commissioner of Human Services. Current fees differ by program and county, so check your scheduling letter. Our Hudson County IDRC page covers the Hudson fee and location.

New Jersey residents who can’t afford treatment and meet the eligibility rules may qualify for help through the Driving Under the Influence Initiative (DUII) fund.

Scheduling: When You’ll Hear From the IDP

After a conviction, the Intoxicated Driving Program mails your scheduling information. If you haven’t received it within four weeks of your conviction date, call the IDP Call Center at (609) 815-3100, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Waiting for a letter that never arrives doesn’t protect you from the non-compliance process below.

What Happens If You Miss or Don’t Finish the IDRC

1. Warning notice. You get 10 business days to respond to the IDRC.
2. Non-compliance notice. If you don’t act within those 10 business days, you get 30 days to resolve what’s outstanding.
3. Indefinite license suspension. If the non-compliance isn’t corrected within the 30 days, your driver’s license is suspended indefinitely.
4. Two days in jail. The DWI statute requires the court to warn every defendant that failing to satisfy the IDP and IDRC requirements results in a mandatory two-day term in the county jail.

If you’ve already fallen behind, call the IDRC or the IDP right away. Fixing a non-compliance notice early is far easier than lifting an indefinite suspension later.

Out-of-State Drivers

Drivers who live near New Jersey are scheduled at the geographically closest New Jersey IDRC and must attend as scheduled. Drivers who live farther away may satisfy the requirements in their home state, but the driving privilege restoration and related program fees are still paid to New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission.

New Jersey IDRC Directory: All 21 Counties

For the rest of the penalties that come with a conviction, see our New Jersey DWI penalties chart and the New Jersey DWI defense overview.

IDRC FAQs

What is the IDRC in New Jersey?

The Intoxicated Driver Resource Center is the program every person convicted of DWI in New Jersey must complete. It combines classes on alcohol, drugs and impaired driving with a one-on-one screening that decides whether you’re referred for treatment. It’s run through the state’s Intoxicated Driving Program and required by N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.

Where is my county IDRC?

Each county has a 12-hour IDRC, though a few share a provider. Use the county directory above for the address, phone and email listed in the state’s IDRC referral directory. Your scheduling letter gives the actual class location.

How long is the IDRC for a first DWI?

The statute requires 12 to 48 hours of detention, served over two consecutive days of at least six hours each. In practice that’s the 12-hour program at your county IDRC. Second offenders are generally scheduled for one of three regional 48-hour programs.

How much does the IDRC cost?

There’s a $100 Intoxicated Driving Program fee under N.J.S.A. 39:4-50(b), plus the IDRC program fee, which you pay at the center. The statute originally set the per diem at $75 for first offenders and $100 for second offenders, and later increases are set by regulation, so current amounts vary. Treatment, if it’s recommended, and MVC restoration fees are separate.

What happens if I don’t complete the IDRC?

You’ll get a warning notice with 10 business days to respond, then a non-compliance notice with 30 days to fix it. After that your license is suspended indefinitely, and the statute calls for a two-day county jail term for failing to meet the IDP and IDRC requirements.

I live out of state. Do I have to attend a New Jersey IDRC?

If you live near New Jersey, you’ll be scheduled at the closest New Jersey IDRC and must attend. If you live farther away, you may complete the requirements in your home state, but you still pay the restoration and program fees to New Jersey’s Motor Vehicle Commission.

Can the IDRC require me to go to treatment?

Yes. If the screening leads to a treatment recommendation, the IDRC monitors you, and completing the treatment becomes part of your sentence. Not completing it is handled like any other IDRC non-compliance.

Talk to a New Jersey DWI Lawyer

The IDRC only applies after a conviction, and the best way to avoid it is to challenge the DWI itself: the stop, the field sobriety tests and the Alcotest. If you’ve already been convicted and are behind on your IDRC, we can help you sort out the notices before they turn into a suspension. Call William Proetta Criminal Law at (201) 793-8018 for a free, confidential case review, or contact us online.

Sources: N.J.S.A. 39:4-50; New Jersey Intoxicated Driving Program client fact sheet and brochure; NJ Division of Mental Health and Addiction Services IDRC Public Referral Contact Directory (rev. 10/16/2026).