What are points?
Motor Vehicle Services (MVS) tracks your driving by adding points to your record when you are convicted of a moving violation. The more serious the violation, the more points you are assessed. The illustration below shows a list of violations and their point values. Motor Vehicle points are completely separate from insurance eligibility points, which are used by the NJ State Department of Insurance to assess surcharges on your insurance payments.

Will I receive a notice telling me how many points I have?
You are a probationary driver during the first two years that you are licensed to drive. You'll receive an advisory notice when you commit your first point violation. If you receive two or more violations totaling four or more points, you must complete the Probationary Driver Program. After your two-year probation ends, MVS will send advisory notices whenever points-assessed violations are added to your driving record and the point total is 6 to 11. The advisory notice tells you that your are close to 12 points.

How many points am I allowed to have?
For a total of 12 or more points on your driving record, MVS will issue a notice of scheduled suspension on your driving privilege.

How long will point violations stay on my record?
All point violations that you have received since March 1, 1974, will stay on your driver record. Before that date, the law provided for the removal of point violations from your record after a certain time.

Will any points be removed from my driving record?
Up to three points may be subtracted from your point total for every year of safe driving (no violations or suspensions). But, your point total will never be reduced below zero.

Reduction of points occurs one year after:
your last point violation; or
your license was restored; or
the last time annual safe driving points were subtracted from your record (whichever is later).
after completion of a MVS offered driver improvement program, up to three points may be
subtracted from your point total. These programs are only offered to problem drivers selected by MVS Credit is given for one program maximum every two years.
after completion of a MVS approved defensive driving course up to two points may be
subtracted from your point total. Credit is given for one program maximum every five years.

DMV Points Following a Traffic Ticket - 1997
N.J.A.C. 13:-10.1 Point Assessment

Any person who is convicted of any of the following offenses, including offenses committed while operating a motorized bicycle, shall be assessed points for each conviction in accordance with the following schedule: