New Jersey DMV Cheat Sheet

A condensed study guide for the NJ MVC written knowledge test — test logistics, plus the New Jersey-specific rules most likely to differ from what you already know. This isn't a substitute for the official New Jersey driver's manual, or for practicing the real questions. Looking for the core rules and signs that apply everywhere, not just New Jersey? Check the general driving theory cheat sheet instead.

50Questions

80%To Pass

$10 permit / $24-$35 licenseFee

Test length varies: 50 scored questions plus one unscored survey question about organ donation.
Fee: A Basic Automobile permit costs $10; the license fee is $24 (Standard) or $35 (REAL ID) for a 4-year Class D license -- fees vary by license type and endorsement.
Documents required:
- Proof of Social Security number, Taxpayer Identification Number, or an affidavit of ineligibility
- One proof of a New Jersey residential address
- 6 points of identification total (6-Point ID Verification)
- A completed parent/guardian consent form if under 18
If you don't pass: The knowledge test is offered in English, American Sign Language, and 11 other languages; an applicant who cannot read in any offered language may request headphones for an oral test, or a state-approved interpreter after first attempting the test in an offered language.
Online testing: Road test appointments (initial or retest) can only be scheduled online at njmvc.gov or in person at an MVC Licensing Center -- appointments cannot be made by phone.

New Jersey-Specific Rules

Minor & Provisional Licensing

The MVC may terminate a road test before it starts because of an unsafe vehicle, missing seat belts, or equipment (like a center console) that obstructs the examiner's access to their own brake pedal.
Under New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 39:3-13.2a), a special learner's permit holder may not drive between 11:01 p.m. and 5:00 a.m., so practice driving is limited to the window between 5:00 a.m. and 11:01 p.m. (narrow exceptions exist for work or religious reasons).
New Jersey's Graduated Driver License (GDL) program applies to any first-time driver under 21, not just teenagers, through three age-based paths: the Early Bird Road (16+), the Young Adult Road (17+), and the Adult Road (21+).
Under the Early Bird Road (GDL Option A), a special learner permit holder must practice for at least six months and complete a minimum of 50 practice driving hours, including 10 hours during darkness, before a road test.
A GDL permit holder must be at least 17 years old to get a probationary license under the Early Bird Road, after completing six months of supervised driving without any suspensions or postponements.
Under the Adult Road (GDL Option C, for applicants 21 and older), only three months of supervised driving practice is required before the probationary license, compared to six months under the two teen paths.
A special learner permit holder must be accompanied in the front seat by an adult supervising driver who is at least 21 years old and has a minimum of three years of driving experience.
GDL permit and probationary license holders must display two red reflective decals on their vehicle's license plates while driving, and using any cell phone -- hand-held or hands-free -- while driving is a violation of GDL restrictions.
An out-of-state applicant between 17 and 18 years old with a valid out-of-state license will be given a New Jersey probationary license for one year and must comply with New Jersey's GDL requirements.
Applicants 18 or older who submit a valid, non-provisional out-of-state driver's license may have the knowledge and road tests waived, and will be issued a four-year basic New Jersey license.
A habitual offender in New Jersey is a motorist whose driver license has been suspended three times within three years.
New Jersey's knowledge test consists of 50 questions plus a survey question about organ donation, and an applicant must correctly answer 80 percent, or 40 of the 50 questions, to pass.

DUI Laws & Penalties

In New Jersey, it is illegal for a driver younger than 21 to operate a vehicle with a blood alcohol concentration of 0.01 percent or higher -- a much lower threshold than the 0.08 percent limit for drivers 21 and older.
Refusing to take a breath test in New Jersey is itself a separate illegal act, carrying penalties including loss of driving privileges, referral to an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center, fines, and an ignition interlock device.
A first DUI offense with a BAC of 0.08 to just under 0.10 percent carries a fine of $250 to $400 and up to 30 days imprisonment.
If an underage person buys or drinks alcohol in a place with an alcoholic beverage license, they may be fined $500 and lose driving privileges for a period of time.
Motorists who accumulate six or more points within three years face a violation surcharge of $150 for the sixth point plus $25 for each additional point, on top of any court-imposed fines.
Completing a defensive driving course removes two points from a motorist's accumulated total, but the MVC only recognizes this reduction once every five years.
Up to three points are automatically subtracted from a motorist's point total for every year they go without a violation or suspension, though the total will never drop below zero.
New Jersey belongs to the Nonresident Violator Compact and the Driver License Compact, both of which exchange traffic violation information with other member states -- but Michigan is a non-member of both compacts.

Speed, Right-of-Way & Legal Rules

Motorists pay double fines for exceeding a 65 mph speed limit by 10 miles per hour or more, and double fines also apply to most other moving violations committed in a 65 mph zone.
New Jersey's Safe Corridors law doubles fines on designated state highways for offenses like speeding and aggressive driving, based on crash rates 50 percent above the state average and 1,000 or more crashes over a three-year period.
New Jersey law prohibits blocking traffic through driving too slowly when road surfaces and traffic conditions are normal.
Using a hand-held cell phone while driving in New Jersey is a primary offense, with fines of $200-$400 for a first offense, $400-$600 for a second offense within 10 years, and $600-$800 for a third or subsequent offense.
A third or subsequent hand-held cell phone conviction in New Jersey also results in three motor vehicle penalty points being assessed, along with a possible 90-day license suspension.
Speeding 1-14 mph over the limit is a 2-point violation, 15-29 mph over is 4 points, and 30 mph or more over the limit is a 5-point violation on a New Jersey driving record.
Tailgating and reckless driving are each 5-point violations in New Jersey, the same point value as racing on a highway.

Emergency Vehicles, School Buses & Work Zones

New Jersey law (N.J.S.A. 39:4-128.1) requires drivers to stop at least 25 feet from a school bus with flashing red lights on a two-lane road or a multi-lane road where lanes are separated only by painted lines; on a divided highway, drivers on the opposite side of the median only need to slow to 10 mph.
State law requires all non-emergency vehicles to yield the right-of-way to school and commercial buses re-entering traffic after dropping off or picking up passengers, with violations fined $50 to $200 and up to 15 days in jail.
Improperly passing a stopped school bus is a 5-point violation on a New Jersey driving record.
New Jersey's 'Move Over Law,' which requires motorists to move over or slow down for certain stationary vehicles, is a 2-point violation if not obeyed.
A truck or tractor-trailer's side no-zone (blind spot) extends 10 to 20 feet, while its rear no-zone can extend up to 200 feet -- areas where the truck driver cannot see other vehicles.
During bad weather, a truck, tractor-trailer, or bus can take as much as 25 percent longer to stop than it would in good conditions.

Parking Rules & Technique

It is illegal in New Jersey for a vehicle to be parked more than six inches from the curb.
A driver may never park within 10 feet of a fire hydrant in New Jersey.
A driver may never park within 25 feet of a crosswalk at an intersection, or within 50 feet of a stop sign or a railroad crossing.
A driver may never park within 20 feet of a fire station's driveway entrance, and within 75 feet of a fire station entrance on the opposite side of the street.

Defensive Driving

According to New Jersey's stopping-distance table, a vehicle traveling 50 mph needs about 247 total feet to stop -- 55 feet of reaction distance plus 192 feet of braking distance.
New Jersey law requires headlights between one-half hour after sunset and one-half hour before sunrise, and also whenever visibility is 500 feet or less.
New Jersey's seat belt law is a primary offense for the driver, front-seat passengers, and all passengers under 18 -- but for unbuckled back-seat passengers 18 and older, it is only a secondary offense.
Children under age two who weigh less than 30 pounds must ride in a federally approved rear-facing child passenger restraint system equipped with a five-point harness.
New Jersey's Safe Passing Law requires drivers to allow at least a 4-foot safety zone when passing a bicyclist, skateboarder, or inline skater on a single-lane road, or slow to 25 mph if 4 feet isn't possible.
A vehicle-pedestrian crash has about a 5 percent fatality rate when the car is traveling 20 mph, but that rate jumps to 85 percent at 40 mph.

Want the core rules and road signs that apply everywhere, not just New Jersey?General cheat sheet →

Rules and fees change — always confirm current details with NJ MVC before your exam. Cheat sheet v1.0, last checked 2026-07-29.