You bought that car that you always wanted, or needed. You know the smart (and legal) thing to do is to call your insurance agent and insure your car. But you wait. You procrastinate. You think it simply won’t happen to you – that you won’t get caught driving without insurance and you certainly won’t get into an accident. Until you do. Only now, it is too late.
Under New Jersey law, N.J.S.A. 39:6B-2, all New Jersey motorists are required to have insurance. The owner of the car, or the individual who holds the title, is responsible to have liability insurance with a minimum policy amount of $15,000 for the injury or death of person, $30,000 for the death or injury of more than one person, and $5,000 for property damage. Although this is the minimum amount, it is recommended that New Jersey motorists insure their cars for higher amounts when possible.
The Penalties for Driving Without Insurance
Driving without insurance is a serious offense in New Jersey with severe penalties. Below is a brief overview of the punishment for failing to have liability insurance:
- First offense: If you are convicted with no insurance for the first time, you will be fine no less than $301 and not more than $1,002. You must also do community service. In certain jurisdiction, the municipal court may waive the requirement to perform community service if it is your first offense.
- Second offense: If you are convicted with no insurance for the second time, you will be fined $502, plus $30 court costs. You will also face a mandatory 14-day jail sentence and 30 days of community service (which equals to 180 hours). In addition, your driver’s license will be suspended for two years. It should be noted you will not automatically get your license back – meaning, that the Department of Motor Vehicle has the authority to permanently revoke your license.
Driving without car insurance in New Jersey can also result in other collateral consequences. You must pay a $250 surcharge every year for three years to the Department of Motor Vehicle. Moreover, you will get 9 points on your driving record, which could mean that it will be very expensive for your to obtain motor vehicle insurance in the future.
With an experienced New Jersey ticket defense attorney on your side, you can possibly have the charges dismissed or at the very least reduce the charge to a minor violation.
Call a Traffic Ticket Attorney in New Jersey
If you or someone you know has been convicted of driving without motor vehicle insurance in New Jersey, an experienced attorney can help. For more information or to schedule a free consultation with New Jersey traffic ticket attorney Dan T. Matrafajlo, please call the Law Offices of Dan T. Matrafajlo at (908) 248-4404.
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