If you just got pulled over in New Jersey, the first question is almost always the same: how much is this speeding ticket going to cost me? The number printed on the summons is only the beginning. Between the fine, court costs, MVC surcharges, and your insurance premium, a “$95 ticket” routinely turns into a four-figure problem spread over several years.
Here’s the full breakdown — what you actually pay, and why.
New Jersey speeding ticket fines by speed
Speeding in New Jersey is charged under N.J.S.A. 39:4-98, and the base fine scales with how far over the limit you were clocked:
- 1–9 mph over: $85
- 10–14 mph over: $95
- 15–19 mph over: $105
- 20–24 mph over: $200
- 25–29 mph over: $220
- 30–34 mph over: $240
- 35–39 mph over: $260
Add roughly $33 in court costs on top of any fine. And the fine doubles in three situations: a posted speed limit of 65 mph where you’re 10+ mph over, a marked construction zone, or a designated Safe Corridor. A 20-over ticket in a construction zone is a $400 fine before anything else.
How many points is a NJ speeding ticket?
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission attaches points to your driving record the moment you’re convicted — and paying the ticket online or by mail is a conviction. For speeding:
- 1–14 mph over: 2 points
- 15–29 mph over: 4 points
- 30+ mph over: 5 points (and you can be charged with reckless driving on top)
Hit 12 points and the MVC suspends your license for a minimum of 30 days. Points are the real currency of a traffic ticket — we break down exactly what they cost over five years in our NJ point system guide.
The surcharge most drivers don’t see coming
Separate from the fine and separate from your insurance, New Jersey bills its own surcharge once you accumulate 6 or more points within three years: $150, plus $25 for every point above six. That surcharge is billed every year for three consecutive years. It’s a state penalty, and it’s easy to trigger if you’ve had more than one ticket.
What it does to your insurance
Your carrier sees the conviction the same way the MVC does. Industry data puts the premium increase from a single speeding ticket at roughly 15%, and that bump usually rides for three to five years. For most drivers that’s $1,000–$3,000 in added premium over the life of the increase — which is why “just paying it” is almost always the most expensive option on the table.
Why fighting the ticket usually pays for itself
Paying the summons locks in the points, the surcharge exposure, and the insurance hit with zero negotiation. The better move is to ask whether the charge can be amended down. In most New Jersey municipal courts, a defense attorney’s goal is a plea to a no-point violation — most commonly unsafe operation (N.J.S.A. 39:4-97.2), which carries zero points on a first offense.
When that works, you keep your record clean, dodge the surcharge, and avoid the multi-year insurance increase. The savings on insurance alone routinely dwarf the cost of representation.
If you’ve been issued a speeding ticket anywhere in New Jersey, it’s worth a free phone call before you pay. We handle speeding ticket defense in municipal courts across the state — and we look at the long-term cost, not just the number on the summons.
Part of our complete guide: For every related New Jersey offense, claim, and defense in one place, see our NJ Traffic Ticket Defense Guide.