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Shivani Gite
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Shivani Gite is a personal finance and insurance writer with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She is passionate about making insurance topics easy to understand for people and helping them make better financial decisions. When not writing, you can find her reading a book or watching anime.
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Laura Longero
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Executive Editor
Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

A citation for failing to stop at a stop sign NJ results in two points on your driving record and up to a $200 fine. It also may cause your insurance rates to increase, particularly if you already have prior points on your driving record.

If you have six or more points, you also will be surcharged a fine annually by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission until your record drops below six points. You can complete a driving program every five years to help remove points from your New Jersey driving record.

Question: I was given a ticket in New Jersey for failure to stop at a stop sign. How much will it cost and will it affect my premiums?

Answer: In New Jersey, failure to observe a stop sign or yield for a stop sign violates NJSA 39:4-144 and results in 2 points on your license and up to a $200 fine. In some cases, it can come with up to 15 days in jail, but that is most likely in rare instances.

New Jersey statutes clearly state what stopping at a stop sign looks like. According to NJSA 39:4-144, an individual must bring their vehicle to a “complete stop at a point within 5 feet of the nearest crosswalk or stop line marked upon the pavement at the near side of the intersecting street and shall proceed only after yielding the right of way to all traffic on the intersecting street which is so close as to constitute an immediate hazard.”

That said, you might have received a citation for failing to come to a complete stop, often known as a rolling stop, for ignoring or “blowing” through a stop sign or failing to yield at an intersection when you should have.  

Can you have your license suspended for failing to stop at a stop sign in New Jersey?

If these two points are the only ones on your driving record in New Jersey, you will not lose your license or even face surcharges. That’s because it takes 12 points to have your license suspended in the state. If you reach 12 points, you will receive a notice in the mail about your license being suspended.

However, if you have six or more points on your driving record within three years, you will face other consequences, known as surcharges. Six points will result in a surcharge of $150, and you must pay $25 for each additional point over six points. A billing notice will be sent to you by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. These surcharges are annual, so you will need to pay these fines each year until your record shows that you drop below six points.

Assuming you have no prior points, you will not enter the Surcharge Violation System. But if you have six or more points, there are ways to remove some of those points from your driving record. For example, if you drive for one year and have no violations or suspensions within that year, three points will be deducted. Completing a defensive driving program will result in a deduction of two points, but completion of a program can only be used every five years to deduct points.

Having points on your license, even two, may increase your insurance rates, but often that depends on whether you have prior points on your license and what your driving history is like. You can contact your auto insurance provider for more information on your rates. Also, the penalty or fine amount may differ depending on what jurisdiction you received the citation.

The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission suggests contacting the Municipal Court where the ticket was issued. You can also look online at the State of New Jersey’s Judiciary site for more information regarding your ticket and the penalties connected to it.

— Michelle Megna contributed to this story.

Laura Longero

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Laura Longero

Executive Editor

Laura is an award-winning editor with experience in content and communications covering auto insurance and personal finance. She has written for several media outlets, including the USA Today Network. She most recently worked in the public sector for the Nevada Department of Transportation.

John McCormick

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John McCormick

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John is the editorial director for CarInsurance.com, Insurance.com and Insure.com. Before joining QuinStreet, John was a deputy editor at The Wall Street Journal and had been an editor and reporter at a number of other media outlets where he covered insurance, personal finance, and technology.

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Leslie Kasperowicz is an insurance educator and content creation professional with nearly two decades of experience first directly in the insurance industry at Farmers Insurance and then as a writer, researcher, and educator for insurance shoppers writing for sites like ExpertInsuranceReviews.com and InsuranceHotline.com and managing content, now at CarInsurance.com.

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Nupur Gambhir is a content editor and licensed life, health, and disability insurance expert. She has extensive experience bringing brands to life and has built award-nominated campaigns for travel and tech. Her insurance expertise has been featured in Bloomberg News, Forbes Advisor, CNET, Fortune, Slate, Real Simple, Lifehacker, The Financial Gym, and the end-of-life planning service.

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Contributing Writer

Shivani Gite is a personal finance and insurance writer with a degree in journalism and mass communication. She is passionate about making insurance topics easy to understand for people and helping them make better financial decisions. When not writing, you can find her reading a book or watching anime.