The Insurance Suspension
N.J.S.A. 39:6B-2 — $300 to $1,000 and community service, and a suspension of up to one year that proof can shorten
A first offense. An owner or registrant who operates a vehicle without the required liability insurance, and an operator who knows or should know from the circumstances that it is uninsured, is subject to a fine of not less than $300 nor more than $1,000 and community service. The court may also suspend the person's right to operate for up to one year from the date of conviction.
Proof at the hearing. The period of license suspension may be reduced or eliminated if the person provides the court with satisfactory proof of motor vehicle liability insurance at the time of the hearing.
A subsequent conviction. On a subsequent conviction the person is subject to a fine of up to $5,000, imprisonment for a term of 14 days, and community service for a period of 30 days, and the court may suspend the right to operate for up to two years.
Hardship. In deciding the length of a suspension, the court considers the circumstances of the violation and whether the loss of driving privileges will result in extreme hardship with alternative transportation not readily available.
The card at trial. Failing to produce at trial an insurance identification card or policy in force for the time charged creates a rebuttable presumption that the person was uninsured. A complaint may be made to a municipal court within six months after the alleged offense.
How much coverage the law requires, and anything more that reinstatement takes, are set out in other sections that are not on this page. Whether a particular charge applies is a question for a licensed New Jersey attorney.
Sources for this section (1)
- N.J.S.A. 39:6B-2 — Operating without liability insurance: fines, community service and suspension
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed New Jersey attorney.