The NJ One-Way Street Statute
N.J.S.A. 39:4-85.1, explained.
The wrong-way ticket looks open-and-shut — you were pointed the wrong direction, end of story. The statute says more than that: the one-way designation has to exist on paper, and the signs have to give real notice. Figures verified July 2026.
What the Statute Says
Designation, signs, then direction
Someone must designate it
One-way traffic exists only where the commissioner (state highways) or the county or municipality (their own roads) has designated it — by regulation, ordinance or resolution. A street isn't one-way just because it feels like one.
Signs must give notice
The designating authority "shall erect appropriate signs giving notice." The duty to sign the street is written into the same sentence as the power to designate it — which is why signage is an element, not an afterthought.
Then, one direction only
On a road "properly designated and signed," a vehicle shall be driven only in the designated direction. That final clause is the violation; the two before it are the State's homework.
In practice these tickets come from two places: unfamiliar downtown grids where the entry sign was missing, turned, or blocked, and short wrong-way movements — backing to a parking spot, cutting the wrong way into an alley or lot lane. Both fact patterns leave more room to contest than the ticket suggests.
Points & Money
What a conviction carries
| Consequence | Amount |
|---|---|
| MVC points | 2 |
| Payable fine (includes court costs) | $86 |
Statewide Violations Bureau payable amount, verified July 2026; base statutory fine $50–$200 (N.J.S.A. 39:4-203).
Wrong-way tickets often arrive with company — a stop or yield sign charge (39:4-144) from the same corner, or an improper-turn ticket (39:4-123) for how you got there. Stacked 2- and 3-point tickets from one confused minute add up toward the MVC's 6-point surcharge and your insurer's renewal math, which is why the stack is usually worth resolving together. Full schedule on our NJ points list.
Common Questions
39:4-85.1 questions we hear
How many points is driving the wrong way on a one-way street in NJ?
Two points, plus an $86 payable fine. As with every point ticket, the sticker price is the small part: points stack toward the MVC’s 6-point surcharge and 12-point suspension, and your insurer reads the conviction at renewal for years.
What does the State actually have to prove under 39:4-85.1?
The statute only applies to a road "properly designated and signed for one-way traffic." That is two elements before your driving even comes up: the one-way designation must actually exist (by regulation, ordinance or resolution, depending on whose road it is), and appropriate signs must give notice of it. A missing, obscured or genuinely confusing sign at the point where you entered is a real defense, not a technicality.
I backed up a short distance on a one-way street — is that the same ticket?
It is frequently charged that way, and it is worth contesting. The statute says a vehicle "shall be driven only in the direction designated," and whether a brief reverse to reach a parking space is driving against the designated direction is a fair fight on the facts. Officers also sometimes write improper backing (39:4-127) for the same conduct — which of the two fits is exactly the kind of question worth raising.
Can the ticket be reduced to something without points?
Often, yes. A 2-point wrong-way ticket is a common candidate for amendment to a no-point violation such as unsafe driving under 39:4-97.2, depending on your record and the court — never guaranteed, but it is the usual goal, and it is why paying the $86 online without asking first can be an expensive shortcut.
Related violations & resources
Stop & yield signs (39:4-144)
The 2-point sign charge written at the same intersections.
Stop-sign lawImproper turns (39:4-123)
The 3-point turn-position family, from U-turns to marked courses.
Turning violationsImproper passing (39:4-85)
The neighboring statute number — a different offense entirely, at 4 points.
Passing lawNJ points list
Every point-carrying violation, by statute.
Look up a violationUnsafe driving (39:4-97.2)
The no-point violation that point tickets are often negotiated down to.
The downgrade offenseNJ municipal courts
Where your ticket gets heard, and how a session runs.
Court guideTicketed under 39:4-85.1?
Tell us where it happened and what the signage looked like — and what else is on the summons. You'll hear the realistic outcomes and our flat fee before you decide anything.
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Legal information on this page reviewed July 2026 against current New Jersey statutes and official schedules — the NJ MVC points schedule and the NJ Courts Statewide Violations Bureau schedule. Laws change; nothing here is legal advice for your specific case.