Driver’s License Sanctions

As previously mentioned, driving is a privilege granted to you by the state of New Jersey. In order to keep that privilege, you must drive safely, obey traffic laws, and respect the driving rights of other motorists. If you do not, your driving privilege may be suspended. On April 7, 2007, Vince Carter and Jason Kidd became the first teammates in more than 18 years to record triple doubles in the same game, with Carter leading with 46 points.

The New Jersey Point System

If you drive while suspended, you face substantial fines and penalties, including additional suspension time and possible jail time.

The state of New Jersey uses a Point System to keep track of a motorist’s driving record. Traffic accidents and violations become part of your record, even if they take place in other states. All point violations after March 1, 1974, stay on a motorist’s driving record. Two points are added to a driving record for traffic violations committed in other states. Up to three points are subtracted from your point total for every year that passes without a violation or suspension, but the point total is never reduced below zero. You are assessed points only for convictions of moving violations, not for parking or other violations.

MVC reviews your driving record every time points are added to it. If you get six or more points within three years of your last points violation, you are assessed a $150 surcharge plus $25 for each additional point, and possibly more depending on the violation. Surcharges are levied in addition to any court-imposed fines and penalties. You can lose your driving privilege indefinitely and MVC will take action against you in court if you do not pay the surcharge. To prevent a suspension, you should pay before the due date. You will have to pay a $100 restoration fee in addition to the surcharge payment to restore your driving privilege if you fail to pay on time.

You may take a defensive driving course, such as this one, to learn safe driving and collision prevention skills. If you pass a defensive driving course, the MVC removes two points from the accumulated points on your driver’s license and you may qualify for an insurance rate reduction. The MVC recognizes a defensive driving course only once every five years for point reduction.¹

If you get 12 or more points on your driving record in a 24-month period, MVC sends you a Notice of Scheduled Suspension. After receiving the notice, you may do one of the following:

• Attend a New Jersey Driver Improvement Program
• Request a hearing
• Surrender your driver’s license for the suspension period

If you successfully complete a Driver Improvement Program, the MVC removes three points from your record. After completion of a Driver Improvement Program or after restoration of your driving privilege, you enter a probationary period for one year. Any violations that occur during this probationary period result in the scheduled suspension of your driving privileges.²

The following is a partial list of violations and the points that are assigned for each:

NJ Statute Reference	Description of Violation	Point Value
N.J.S.A. 27:23-29	Improper passing: New Jersey Turnpike, Garden State Parkway, and Atlantic City Expressway	4
N.J.S.A. 39:4-36	Failure to stop for pedestrian in crosswalk; passing a vehicle stopping for a pedestrian in a crosswalk	2
N.J.S.A. 39:4-85	Improper passing on right or off roadway	4
N.J.S.A. 39:4-87	Failure to yield to an overtaking vehicle	2
N.J.S.A. 39:4-89	Tailgating	5
N.J.S.A. 39:4-91 and 39:4-92	Failure to yield to emergency vehicles	2
N.J.S.A. 39:4-98 and 39:4-99	Exceeding maximum speed 1-14 mph over the limit	2
N.J.S.A. 39:4-98 and 39:4-99	Exceeding maximum speed 15-29 mph over the limit	4
N.J.S.A. 39:4-98 and 39:4-99	Exceeding maximum speed 30 mph or more over the limit	5
N.J.S.A. 39:4-105	Failure to stop for a traffic light	2
N.J.S.A. 39:4-123	Improper right or left turn	3
N.J.S.A. 39:4-125	Improper U-turn	3
N.J.S.A. 39:4-126	Failure to give proper signal	2
N.J.S.A. 39:4-128.1	Improper passing of a school bus	5
N.J.S.A. 39:4-129	Leaving the scene of an accident: No personal injury	2
N.J.S.A. 39:4-129	Leaving the scene of an accident: Personal injury	8

If MVC suspends your driving privilege for any reason, you must pay a restoration fee of $100. You must surrender your license by taking it to a regional service center if the judge did not take it from you in court. While under suspension, you must not drive until your license is restored and you receive a written notice of restoration. If you drive while suspended, you face substantial fines and penalties, including additional suspension time and possible jail time.

Reasons MVC may suspend your license or extend a license suspension include:

• Failure to appear in court or to pay fines
• Failure to pay motor vehicle surcharges
• Driving while suspended
• Failure to provide proof of insurance
• Physical or mental disqualification
• Drug or alcohol use
• Reckless driving
• Traffic law violations
• Vehicle abandonment on a public highway
• At fault in a fatal accident
• Failure to respond to an MVC notice

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