By the Ticket Dismissal HQ editorial teamReviewed Oct 20, 2026Sources cited at the endNot legal advice
New Jersey doesn’t dismiss tickets with a course. Instead it does two things no other state does quite the same way: an MVC-approved 6-hour defensive driving course removes 2 points from your license (once every five years), and state law requires your insurer to give you a discount, typically 5–10% for three years, for completing it. You don’t need a ticket to benefit. These guides cover the course, the points system, what tickets cost, and NJMCDirect.
New Jersey at a glance
- Regulator: New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC), Defensive Driving Program
- Course: 6 hours, online, about $20–$40 plus state fee
- Point reduction: 2 points, once every 5 years; points must already be on your record
- Insurance discount: mandated by N.J.S.A. 17:33B-45.1; 5–10% for 3 years; course can be repeated every 3 years for the discount
- Suspension: 12 or more points
- Surcharge: 6 or more points in 3 years = $150 + $25 per additional point, annually for 3 years
- Tickets: paid or contested through NJMCDirect / the municipal court; no course-for-dismissal option
Start here
- NJ defensive driving course online — what it is, what it costs, and which MVC-approved course to take.
- How to remove points from your NJ license — the 2-point course, the 3-point clean-year credit, and the Driver Improvement Program.
- NJ points system — points per violation, the 6-point surcharge, the 12-point suspension.
- NJ defensive driving insurance discount — the law, what insurers give, and how to claim it.
Our pick: the course to take
DefensiveDriving.com Our pick
$20 + state fee- NJ MVC-approved 6-hour Defensive Driving Program course
- $20 course price plus the state processing fee
- Removes 2 points and earns the state-mandated insurance discount (up to 10% for 3 years)
- Instant certificate download plus free mail or FedEx delivery; completion reported to MVC
- Online since 2000; 114,000+ reviews averaging 4.7/5
We may earn a commission if you enroll through this link, at no extra cost to you. How we make money.
More New Jersey guides
- How much a speeding ticket costs in NJ
- NJMCDirect: look up, pay, or plead to an NJ ticket
- AAA defensive driving course in NJ (and AAA in other states)
- Careless driving ticket: points and downgrades
New Jersey FAQ
Can I take a defensive driving course to dismiss a ticket in NJ?
No. New Jersey has no traffic-school dismissal. The course removes 2 points after the conviction and earns an insurance discount. To avoid the conviction itself you’d plead not guilty and negotiate in municipal court, often to a no-point offense like “unsafe driving” (39:4-97.2).
How long does the NJ defensive driving course take?
Six hours, the MVC minimum, online at your own pace.
How often can I take it?
Once every 5 years for the 2-point reduction; every 3 years to renew the insurance discount.
Does the course work if I have no points?
For the insurance discount, yes. The 2-point reduction only applies to points already on your record.
Sources: N.J.S.A. 39:5-30.5 to 30.9 and 17:33B-45.1; N.J.A.C. 13:19 and 13:21; New Jersey MVC Defensive Driving Program and point schedule.