Did you get the careless driving ticket in NJ? Do you want to know about a careless driving traffic ticket? If yes, then this article will be beneficial for you. In this article, we will discuss the new jersey careless driving ticket, charge of careless driving in the New Jersey Municipal Court, and more.
New Jersey Careless Driving Ticket

Careless driving is the ticket that officers write most often, and it’s the easiest to prove. To find you guilty of careless driving, the prosecutor must establish beyond a reasonable doubt that you were driving in a manner that was likely to cause damage to a person or property or, as it’s written in the statute, likely to endanger a person or property.
Even if that person is yourself and the property is your property officers, know that this is the easiest ticket to prove. So, quite often, they will tell you that they’re giving you a break and give you a ticket for careless driving rather than giving you a four-point speeding ticket or a five-point reckless ticket.
Usually, the prosecutor will use the officer’s testimony to establish a factual basis that will indicate something that could be classified as careless or something likely to endanger a person or property.
Penalties for Careless Driving in New Jersey
Fine: If you are convicted of careless driving in new jersey, you can be fined $50-$200.
Points: Two points will add to your driving license if you get a careless driving ticket in NJ.
Court Fees: Drivers who take their tickets to the NJMC courts. They have to pay extra charges as court fees of $34.
Nj Surcharge: If six or more points add to your NJ driving license in three years, then you also have to pay the surcharge of $150 and an extra $25 for each point over six.
How to Deal with Careless Driving Ticket 39:4-97?
So, now let’s discuss is the strategy in court and how to deal with this ticket. The first thing you have to know it’s, a two-point violation. So, if you pay for the ticket, you’re, going to get those two points on your license.
The other thing you have to know is: if you pay the ticket on your driving record, it will say careless driving likely to endanger a person or property. You don’t want either one of those on your record because it could cause you havoc with your insurance company. The insurance company will see the points, and they will also see the indication of careless driving.
What I do if I want to plead against the ticket?
Following things you can do to get a court date and challenge the ticket:
You can talk to the prosecutor about amending this to something that carries zero points. There is a whole multitude of zero-point amendments in the New Jersey traffic court. What you want to try to do is keep the fine as low as possible to the court.
So, things will cost you around eighty-nine dollars, and then that on the high end, there are also amendments that will cost you.
Four hundred and thirty-nine dollars on the $ 89 end there’s, an amendment called obstructing or delaying traffic; one of those will be $ 89 and then on. The high end is unsafe driving, which I did a previous post on eligibility and requirements for the hazardous driving statute.
They will get you zero points and if it’s the case, the unsafe driving you’re, paying more money upfront to get the zero points. But you are saving yourself heartache down the road because your insurance company won’t, see the points that will be excessive with careless driving.
Again, you do not want to pay the careless driving ticket because it will be two points on your record with an indication of careless driving. You want it amended to something that carries zero points, is diligent about this, and makes sure you handle it.
Final Words
If you get a traffic ticket, you shouldn’t ignore it because it can put you in trouble, or your license can also be revoked. In severe cases, drivers can face jail time for 15 days for careless driving in New Jersey. If you get 12 points anytime over the three years, your driving license will be suspended.