New Jersey Motor Vehicle Points and Surcharges

August 20, 2009

As far as the assessment of New Jersey Motor Vehicle Points on a NJ Driver’s license, there are two sides of the coin. First, the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) will keep track of the points that a motorist has been assessed. As you accumulate points, the you will receive warnings from the MVC letting you know that you are getting close to that threshold suspension mark. What is the threshold? Here is a little guide:

• 12 or more points in a period of 2 years or less
• 15 or more points in a period greater than two years
• at least 12 but fewer than 15 points in a period greater than 2 years unless the licensee notifies the MVC in writing within 10 days of the date of mailing of the proposed notice of suspension of his intention to enroll in an approved driver improvement course

Of course, there are also point reductions  every 12 months if licensee has not committed any violation resulting in the assessment of points or in the suspension of driving privileges. However, the accumulation of points often results in the imposition of motor vehicle surcharges. These surcharges are imposed if convicted of certain motor vehicle offenses or if the licensee is assessed six or more points. For more information on surcharges and insurance ramifications click on the link above. In my experience, it is often the case that a licensee is not aware of the surcharges and as a result, driving privileges may be suspended for non-payment. NJ driving privileges can also be suspended for failure to appear in court, non-payment of child support, letting your insurance laps, and a host of other reasons.

Many times, a licensee will not be aware that there is a suspension, or that they have accumulated many points if one has changed addresses without notifying the MVC.  In order to comply with notice requirements, the MVC is required only to send it to the last address on file.

Points do not come off a license while a New Jersey  license is suspended. Points do not come off if the licensee is on probationary status following a period of suspension.This means that if you have accumulated enough points, it becomes increasingly difficult to get them off your license. Needless to say, a NJ traffic ticket lawyer will be able to either take your case to trial or plea bargain with the prosecutor to give you the best possible outcome.

As for Insurance companies, they are all different. However, in my experience premiums typically go up if points are assessed. The prevailing thought is that you must make an attempt to fight your NJ traffic violation. Given the complexity of Title 39, an experienced traffic ticket attorney should be consulted. Traffic violations are like a row of dominoes, knocking over the first one sometimes can trigger chain reaction that you could not have expected. But the best NJ traffic ticket lawyers can help you avoid the typical pitfalls