Driving Without Insurance in New Jersey

New Jersey is one of the toughest states on uninsured driving: a first offense can cost your license for a year, and a second means jail time.

Court penalties

Under N.J.S.A. 39:6B-2, an owner who drives an uninsured vehicle, or a driver who knows or should know the vehicle isn't insured, faces:

Offense	Penalty
First	A fine of $300 to $1,000, community service set by the court, and a 1-year license suspension from the date of conviction, which the court can reduce or eliminate if you show proof of insurance at the hearing
Subsequent	A fine of up to $5,000, 14 days in jail, 30 days of community service, and loss of your right to drive for 2 years; after that, getting a license back is at the MVC's discretion

Statute text as reproduced (current law) in New Jersey Assembly Bill A649 of 2024, which proposed adding immediate impoundment. The MVC summarizes the consequences as fines, community service, license suspension and insurance surcharges.

The MVC surcharge

Separately from the court, the Motor Vehicle Commission charges a surcharge of $250 a year for three years ($750 in total) for operating an uninsured vehicle. Unpaid surcharges lead to a license suspension and can be filed as a judgment against you. See New Jersey's surcharge system.

Uninsured motorist suspensions from the MVC

If the MVC schedules or orders a suspension because a vehicle registered to you is uninsured, you restore your privileges by sending proof of current New Jersey insurance for the vehicle (the ID card or the policy declarations page, not the cancelled policy). If you no longer own or use the vehicle, surrender the registration and plates and send the receipt. Don't drive until you receive written notice that your privileges are restored.

What your coverage has to include

A standard New Jersey policy issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026 needs at least 35/70/25 in liability coverage. The cheaper basic policy doesn't include bodily injury liability.

What it does to your insurance rates

Insurers also price the coverage gap itself. MoneyGeek's national analysis of nine major insurers found that a lapse of 30 days or less adds ~$149 a year (10.6%), and a longer lapse ~$315 (22.4%), typically for three to five years. That's a national figure; on top of it, New Jersey adds the MVC surcharge above.

Related: Does New Jersey require SR-22? · SR-22 requirements in every state