New Jersey DUI
New Jersey DUI laws: your notice sets the license deadline
The license case moves first, and the paper notice you were given prints your hearing deadline.
Answered day and night. A professional reviews your New Jersey case for free and connects you with a New Jersey DUI lawyer.
Arrested for DUI in New Jersey? Your notice sets the date.
Check the court date and any MVC notice. No fixed hearing-request deadline was verified in the cited sources.
The two clocks: court and MVC
Your New Jersey DUI arrest opened a criminal case and a separate license case with the MVC. If that date passes, your license can be suspended before you ever see a judge.
New Jersey's public penalty pages describe different license rules. Have a lawyer check the law that applies to your offense date before relying on an interlock duration. (MVC rule)
A first offense in New Jersey
| What | The rule |
|---|---|
| Lowest BAC band | The Attorney General lists $250 to $400 and up to 30 days for the lower BAC band; confirm which offense-date law applies |
| Middle BAC band | BAC .10 to .15: $300 to $500 fine, up to 30 days |
The judge picks a number inside each range. So ask where cases like yours land in New Jersey (New Jersey penalty rules).
Second and later offenses
| What | The rule |
|---|---|
| Second offense | 48 hours to 90 days, 30 days of community service, 1 to 2 years suspension with interlock |
An earlier case changes every number above. Tell the lawyer the date and state of each prior case (New Jersey repeat-offense rules).
Add-on fines and the newest change
- Class: 12 to 48 hours at an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center.
- Fees on top: $230 IDRC fee, $100 to the drunk driving fund, $100 to AERF, $75 to the Neighborhood Services Fund. There is also a surcharge of $1,000 a year for 3 years (MVC).
Newest change in New Jersey. In July 2026, New Jersey's Supreme Court kept the $25 drunk-driving surcharge in place for DWI convictions. (New Jersey Monitor)
See how the interlock works and the DUI penalties table.
What a lawyer costs in New Jersey
Lawyers in New Jersey set their own fees. Ask what a quote covers: the court case, the MVC hearing, a trial. DUI lawyer cost lists the questions to ask.
Check a lawyer's license
The lawyer who takes your case handles DUI cases in New Jersey and holds an active New Jersey license. Ask for the bar number on the call and it is yours to keep.
What to do now
The date on your license notice is the one that can take your license first. Once it passes, the MVC can suspend you without a hearing. Call us now, and a New Jersey DUI defense lawyer can file the hearing request before that date and start on your defense.
Call about New Jersey DUI (877) 317-9931
Answered day and night. A professional reviews your New Jersey case for free and connects you with a New Jersey DUI lawyer.
Send your case details
Send the date of your New Jersey arrest and the date printed on your MVC notice. Those two dates set your deadline, so the lawyer who calls you starts there.