Reference Guide
The New Jersey MVC points list & schedule
Every point-carrying violation in New Jersey, by statute, plus what the points actually do to your license, your surcharges, and your insurance. Before you pay a ticket, look it up here.
How It Works
How New Jersey's point system works
When you're convicted of a moving violation in New Jersey, and that includes simply paying the ticket, the Motor Vehicle Commission adds points to your driving record. The number is fixed by the statute you were convicted under, not by the judge.
The thresholds that matter:
- 6 points within three years: the MVC assesses an annual surcharge, a separate bill from the state on top of your fine and court costs, billed for three years.
- 12 points or more: your license is suspended.
- Insurance: insurers run their own point systems, and a single conviction can raise your premium at every renewal for years.
Points come off slowly. New Jersey subtracts three points for each full year you drive with no violations and no suspension, and approved defensive-driving or driver-improvement courses can remove a limited number of points on a limited schedule. The far easier path is keeping them off in the first place, which is what fighting the ticket is about.
Two things drivers often miss. Violations on the Turnpike, Garden State Parkway or Atlantic City Expressway carry points just like Title 39 violations. And out-of-state moving violations get reported back to New Jersey and assessed 2 points, regardless of what they were worth where you got them.
The Full Schedule
The full NJ points schedule, by statute
Point values below follow the official MVC point schedule, grouped by category. Statute numbers are how the charge appears on your ticket.
Turnpike, Parkway & Expressway violations
Violations of N.J. Turnpike, Garden State Parkway and Atlantic City Expressway regulations carry points, as do local ordinances with a Title 39 equivalent.
| Statute | Violation | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 27:23-29 | Moving against traffic | 2 |
| 27:23-29 | Improper passing | 4 |
| 27:23-29 | Unlawful use of median strip | 2 |
Speeding, racing & reckless driving
| Statute | Violation | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 39:4-98 | Speeding 1–14 mph over the limit | 2 |
| 39:4-98 | Speeding 15–29 mph over the limit | 4 |
| 39:4-98 | Speeding 30 mph or more over the limit | 5 |
| 39:4-96 | Reckless driving | 5 |
| 39:4-97 | Careless driving | 2 |
| 39:4-97.1 | Slow speed blocking traffic | 2 |
| 39:4-97a | Destruction of agricultural or recreational property | 2 |
| 39:4-52 | Racing on highway | 5 |
| 39:5C-1 | Racing on highway | 5 |
| 39:4-55 | Improper action or omission on grades and curves | 2 |
| 39:3-20 | Operating constructor vehicle in excess of 45 mph | 3 |
Lanes, passing & keeping right
| Statute | Violation | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 39:4-82 | Failure to keep right | 2 |
| 39:4-82.1 | Improper operation 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 |
| 39:4-88a | Marked lanes — nearest right lane | 2 |
| 39:4-88b | Marked lanes — unsafe lane change | 2 |
| 39:4-88c | Marked lanes — center lane violation | 2 |
| 39:4-88e | Marked lanes — trucks | 2 |
| 39:4-89 | Tailgating (following too closely) | 5 |
| 39:4-90.1 | Failure to use proper entrance to limited-access highway | 2 |
| 39:4-66.2 | Driving on public or private property to avoid a traffic sign or signal | 2 |
Traffic signals, signs & police direction
| Statute | Violation | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 39:4-81 | Failure to observe traffic signal | 2 |
| 39:4-81a | Failure to obey traffic signal | 2 |
| 39:4-105 | Failure to stop for traffic light | 2 |
| 39:4-119 | Failure to stop at flashing red signal | 2 |
| 39:4-144 | Failure to observe stop or yield sign | 2 |
| 39:4-57 | Failure to observe direction of officer | 2 |
| 39:4-80 | Disregard of officer directing traffic | 2 |
| 39:4-80a | Failure to obey direction of officer | 2 |
| 39:4-122 | Failure to stop for police whistle | 2 |
Turning violations
| Statute | Violation | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 39:4-115 | Improper turn at traffic light | 3 |
| 39:4-115a | Turns at controlled intersection | 3 |
| 39:4-123 | Improper right or left turn | 3 |
| 39:4-123a | Right turns | 3 |
| 39:4-123b | Right/left hand turns | 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 |
Pedestrians, yielding & emergency vehicles
| Statute | Violation | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 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 |
| 39:4-36a | Failure to yield to pedestrian crossing road | 2 |
| 39:4-36a(1) | Failure to stop for pedestrian in marked crosswalk | 2 |
| 39:4-41 | Driving through safety zone | 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 |
| 39:4-71 | Operating a motor vehicle on a sidewalk | 2 |
| 39:4-90 | Failure to yield at intersection | 2 |
| 39:4-91 | Failure to yield to emergency vehicle | 2 |
| 39:4-92 | Failure to yield to emergency vehicle | 2 |
| 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 |
School buses & railroad crossings
| Statute | Violation | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 39:4-128.1 | Improper passing of school bus | 5 |
| 39:4-128.4 | Improper passing of frozen dessert truck | 4 |
| 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 |
Accidents & leaving the scene
| Statute | Violation | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 39:4-129 | Leaving the scene of an accident | 2 |
| 39:4-129A | Leaving the scene of an accident — personal injury | 8 |
| 39:4-129B | Leaving the scene of an accident — property damage | 2 |
| 39:4-129C | Leaving the scene of an accident — personal injury | 8 |
| 39:4-129D | Leaving the scene of an accident — damage to another vehicle | 2 |
| 39:4-129E | Leaving the scene of an accident — suppressing evidence | 2 |
Out-of-state violations
| Statute | Violation | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 39:5D-4 | Moving violation committed out of state | 2 |
Speeding is also commonly ticketed under N.J.S.A. 39:4-99; the same 2 / 4 / 5-point tiers apply by speed over the limit. Worth noting what's not on this list: DWI carries no points at all (it has its own, harsher penalty scheme, covered on our DWI defense page), and unsafe driving under N.J.S.A. 39:4-97.2 carries zero points, which is exactly why point tickets get negotiated down to it so often.
Damage Control
Getting points off, or keeping them off
Once points are on your record, your options narrow to three.
You can wait it out. Three points come off for each full year you drive with no violations and no suspensions, but one new ticket resets the clock, so a driver already carrying points has more at stake on every stop.
You can take a course. An MVC-approved defensive driving course can remove a small number of points, and MVC-ordered driver improvement programs can remove more, each on a limited, once-in-so-many-years basis.
Or you can keep the points off entirely by fighting the ticket before conviction. Many point tickets can be negotiated to a lesser or zero-point violation — most often unsafe driving under 39:4-97.2, which carries no points on a first or second use — but after you pay, that door closes for good. Here's how we fight tickets.
The Real Cost
Will my insurance go up?
Almost certainly, if the conviction carries points. Often even when it doesn't, because insurers see the violation on your record either way. Insurance companies apply their own internal point systems to your driving abstract, and a single moving violation can affect your premium at every renewal for three to five years. That recurring increase, not the fine on the ticket, is usually the largest cost of a conviction, and it's the number to weigh before deciding a ticket is "not worth fighting."
Common Questions
NJ points questions, answered
How many points before I lose my license in NJ?
Twelve. Accumulating 12 or more points on your New Jersey driving record results in a license suspension. Before you get there, 6 or more points within three years triggers an annual MVC surcharge on top of any fines you already paid.
Do the points ever come off?
Slowly. New Jersey subtracts three points for each full year you drive without a violation or suspension, and approved driver programs can remove a limited number of points. The conviction itself never disappears; it stays on your driving abstract even after the active point total drops.
Do parking tickets or seat belt tickets add points?
No. Points attach only to moving violations listed on the MVC point schedule. Parking tickets, seat belt violations, and most equipment or paperwork violations carry no points, though they still mean fines and, for some offenses, other consequences.
Got a ticket on this list? Don't pay it yet.
Look up your violation above, then call with the statute number in front of you. We'll price it out over the next few years and give you an honest answer on whether it's worth fighting. The call is free and takes about five minutes.
Legal information on this page reviewed July 2026 against current New Jersey statutes. Laws change; nothing here is legal advice for your specific case.