New Jersey
Vehicle Resource Center
Known for having a major part in American history, the exciting entertainment options at Atlantic City, and its stunning natural beauty, New Jersey is a lovely state to explore. The state has more than 6 million licensed drivers as of 2021, and that number is ever-growing. All those drivers need to understand the state's driving laws, regulations, and regular maintenance requirements.
Ownership and Maintenance
Maintaining a New Jersey vehicle requires upkeeping insurance liabilities, renewing the registration, and more. These tasks can be easily learned, but having access to the information in one location helps.
New Jersey requires most of its vehicle-owning residents to have their vehicles inspected to verify they are emitting a reasonable number of emissions. The inspections are required once every two years. New vehicles receive a 5-year inspection when produced normally. These inspections are free when performed at a state licensing inspection facility, like one of the options available using this list of local facilities. There can be long waits to get a vehicle into one of these facilities, and some people opt to use a privately licensed facility instead. This service costs much more, and New Jersey natives usually pay between $50 and $75 to visit one of these private locations.
Many vehicles older than 1995 are exempt from having to be inspected in New Jersey. See this New Jersey government list of inspection-exempt vehicles to learn if yours is on the list.
Every vehicle owner in New Jersey must hold a legal insurance policy that protects against the damage caused by an accident. New Jersey is a no-fault state, which means that the insurance held by each of the vehicle owners involved in an accident will help pay for the costs of the accident.
New Jersey residents must have enough liability insurance to meet the requirements listed below to legally drive a vehicle, but more insurance offers greater protection, and collision insurance helps cover damages to the driver's own vehicle rather than just paying for his or her damages elsewhere.
Insurance Coverage Requirements Before 2026:
Insurance Coverage Requirements After 2026:
Use the State of New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance information page to get more data on insurance requirements.
Each year, every NJ vehicle owner will receive a renewal notice explaining when the registration expires and how to renew it. Renewing the vehicle's registration is necessary to keep it legal to drive. The renewal process is simple and can be completed online, by mail, or at an approved MVC office.
All registration renewals in person are by appointment only. Register for an appointment to renew the registration today.
It's also possible to send in all the information as well as the fees by mail and have the registration renewed efficiently.
Get all the extra information about the registration renewal process on this page on the NJ MVC website.
New Jersey natives must renew their driver's license every four years to keep it valid. The renewal process can be completed online or in person, and it's a simple task. The renewal fees amount to about $24 typically, making it reasonably affordable.
The Renewal Process
To renew a driver's license, residents only need to go through a few steps.
Gather 6 Points of ID
Put together all the necessary documents to make 6 Points of ID using this guide to help.
Get a Proof of Address
Get a utility bill, apartment lease, or another official document that proves residency in NJ.
Renew the License
Schedule an appointment online if going to an MVC location. Visit the following link to go through the renewal process online. Finalize the renewal process and get issued a new NJ driver's license through the mail.
Get a better understanding of the full renewal process via the New Jersey MVC website.
There are fees for most legal processes that must be carried out in New Jersey. Learning the fees makes it easier for drivers to plan for their future costs.
Registration Renewal
A New Jersey native should expect to spend between $35.50 and $84.00 renewing their registration every year. The cost varies based on the age and weight of the vehicle. See this New Jersey government page for a detailed registration fee chart.
Inspection is Free
Inspections are free at a state facility. Private inspections come with costs, but those costs vary.
License Renewal
Most NJ residents spend $24 to renew their driver's license every four years. There are extra fees (explained here) for additional endorsements.
Buying & Selling
When buying or selling a NJ vehicle, there is paperwork that is much easier to complete when the necessary information is gathered from the beginning. Every driver in New Jersey should understand what information and paperwork is required for a successful vehicle sale. Buyers should also consider doing some extra research before making a purchase to get something they're interested in.
Research the Vehicle Before the Purchase: While this step is optional, buyers should learn what they can about a vehicle before committing to purchasing it. An effective way to research a vehicle is by ordering a Vehicle History Search or a Vehicle VIN Check from GoodCar. Either report gives details about past owners, accidents, open recalls, vehicle features, and more. The reports should make it more clear whether a vehicle is a good purchase or not.
Surrender the License Plates: The first thing a seller should do is surrender their vehicle's plates to the MVC before selling the vehicle. The plates cannot remain on the vehicle during the sale because a new owner is not allowed to take them.
Craft a Bill of Sale: The buyer should create a Bill of Sale containing the following information to add to the title and registration process:
With this document crafted, the buyer has a receipt that can be used at an MVC when transferring the title and registering the vehicle.
Fill and File the Registration Application (BA-49): The buyer should ensure application form BA-49 is fully filled out with help from the seller. The form is essential for registering the vehicle after it is purchased.
Fill Out the Vehicle's Original Title: During the sale, both the buyer and seller must fill out the reverse side of the vehicle title to verify the vehicle has been purchased. The original title is necessary to get a new title for the vehicle in the buyer's name.
Transfer the Vehicle to an MVC: With all the paperwork gathered, the buyer can head to a local MVC and register the vehicle. It's important to note that this process must be completed within 10 days of buying the vehicle to avoid a $25 late fee.
Get more details about transferring the title and registration of a vehicle using this MVC guide.
There are a few different fees that must be paid when buying a used vehicle in New Jersey. The first is the title fee, which is $60 when there are no lienholders or $80 if it's a financed vehicle with a single lienholder. There is also a fee for registering the vehicle, which ranges based on the type and year of the vehicle. The fee could cost between $35.50 and $84.00. Along with the basic registration fee, there is also a sales tax of 6.625% to be paid on the purchase price of the vehicle.
For more details about the fees tied to buying and selling a vehicle in New Jersey, see the state's fee chart here.
Laws and Regulations
As a driver in New Jersey, there are many rules to follow. The laws are important, and disobeying them could result in fines, a license suspension, or even jail time. Below are some of the most common laws that drivers break on a regular basis. Learn them well and avoid the most common issues.
New Jersey law requires everyone in a vehicle to be safely secured by a legal restraint. Children under 57 inches tall must be restrained by a specific child restraint meant to keep them safe, while everyone above 57 inches is expected to wear the vehicle's standard lap and shoulder seat belt restraints.
Children sitting in a vehicle should be restrained in the following ways:
Following these laws is essential for avoiding a ticket while driving down the road. The driver is held responsible for any passenger under 18 not buckled properly, and any passenger over 18 is held responsible themselves and will receive the fine personally.
See New Jersey's seat belt laws described here for more information.
Driving while intoxicated is a serious offense in New Jersey, and it's a law that's simple to follow. When consuming alcohol, it's essential to maintain a BAC of 0.08 or lower when driving.
Having a Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) of 0.08 or higher is the minimum level that's considered in the definition of DWI. There are stiffer fines for individuals with a BAC and still stricter fines and penalties for those with a BAC of 0.15.
Drivers can lose their licenses, be imprisoned, be sent to a Driver Resource Center, have an ignition interlock installed on their vehicle, and more, depending on the severity of a DWI charge.
Drivers under the age of 21 will face charges and penalties if caught with a BAC of just 0.02 or higher and should be careful to avoid driving with any sort of alcohol in their system.
For more details about all the DWI charges, the specific laws, and more, see the NJ Government's DWI information page.
While there are specific signs that limit parking in specific areas, there are also general laws that all drivers must follow when parking in the city of New Jersey. This includes the following:
Learn more about specific laws throughout the city and about applying for parking permits on the City of New Jersey guide page.
Most US states have Lemon Laws protecting their vehicle owners from purchasing defective vehicles from a dealership. New Jersey's Lemon Law applies to vehicles that are less than 24 months old and have fewer than 24,000 miles. Vehicles that meet these requirements are likely protected by the Lemon Law.
The New Jersey Lemon Law states that a vehicle must be replaced or a refund must be given if a vehicle suffers from a significant safety defect or it suffers from an issue that dramatically impacts the resale value of the vehicle and the manufacturer does not repair the issue.
The manufacturer gets two chances to repair the issue through its dealership as well as one final chance to repair the problem before it can be considered a lemon. A New Jersey vehicle may also be considered a lemon if it is in for repairs for 20 days or longer while the manufacturer is attempting to repair an issue it came with.
For more information about the New Jersey Lemon Law and how to get a refund for a damaged vehicle, see New Jersey's Lemon Law guide at the NJ Consumer Affairs website.
Useful Things to Know
As a driver in New Jersey, there is a great deal of information you must know. Use this section for quick links to some of the most useful driver information sources:
Driver Manuals: Whether you're learning to drive for the first time and studying for the written test, or you just want to brush up on your NJ road laws, it's good to have access to the state's driving manuals: NJ Driving Manuals
A Tool to Locate NJ EV Chargers: More people are swapping to electric vehicles over internal combustion engines today than ever before, and that includes New Jersey residents. As a NJ native, it's essential to know where the local charging stations are after purchasing an electric vehicle. The locator below makes finding EV stations simple: Locate NJ EV Charging Stations
NJ Accident Data: New Jersey is one of the ten safest states to drive in, according to accident data provided by the IIHS. During 2021, there were 699 fatalities from 669 traffic accidents. An average of 0.95 fatalities occurred for every 100 million vehicle miles traveled, a significantly lower value than the US average of 1.37 fatalities per 100 million VMT. To get the full picture, see NJ car accident statistics from GoodCar.
NJ Vehicle Center Locations: Visit one of the NJ Vehicle Center locations listed at the link below for help with registration, license, title issues, and more: NJ Vehicle Center Location List
Get the Latest New Jersey Vehicle Information with GoodCar
New Jersey vehicle owners owe it to themselves to have the most up-to-date information about state laws, maintenance requirements, recalls, and more. Refer to this useful resource for residents looking for help and GoodCar's VIN and license plate lookup tools for help getting additional information about specific vehicles.