New Jersey DUI penalties in 2026: fines, suspension and interlock

New Jersey DUI penalties can include fines, loss of driving privileges, imprisonment, alcohol education and assessment, and an ignition interlock device. The fine, suspension period and interlock period are separate requirements.

This guide uses the 2026 New Jersey Driver Manual to explain current baseline penalties for drivers age 21 or older operating ordinary noncommercial vehicles. Drivers under 21 and commercial drivers have additional rules. The sentence also depends on the driving record, circumstances and statutory relief.

First DUI: distinguish alcohol levels from drug impairment

BAC means blood alcohol concentration. First alcohol offenses are divided into BAC categories; drug-impaired driving is treated separately. Alcohol-impaired driving can still constitute DUI below 0.08% BAC.

The following table shows baseline fines and driving restrictions before applicable statutory relief. An ignition interlock requires a breath-alcohol test; its required use period is separate from suspension.

First DUI category	Baseline fine	Loss of driving privileges	Ignition interlock
Alcohol BAC ≥ 0.08% but < 0.10%	$250–$400	Until an interlock is installed	3 months after restoration
Alcohol BAC ≥ 0.10% but < 0.15%	$300–$500	Until an interlock is installed	7 months–1 year after restoration
Alcohol BAC ≥ 0.15%	$300–$500	3 months following interlock installation	During suspension and 12–15 months after restoration
Drug-impaired driving	$300–$500	7 months–1 year	The manual does not require an alcohol interlock for this first-offense category

A first DUI also carries up to 30 days in jail and 12–48 hours at an IDRC, an Intoxicated Driver Resource Center providing education, assessment and treatment referrals. Alcohol impairment without one of these measured BAC values also carries penalties; a BAC number alone does not determine whether driving is unlawful.

Sources: official manual, printed pages 125 and 127–128, and N.J.S.A. 39:4-50(a)(1).

Second, third and subsequent DUIs

Offense category	Baseline fine	License suspension	Imprisonment
Second DUI	$500–$1,000	1–2 years	At least 48 consecutive hours, up to 90 days
Third or subsequent DUI	$1,000	8 years	At least 180 days, with a possible reduction for qualifying inpatient rehabilitation

A second DUI also requires 30 days of community service. For second and subsequent DUIs, the interlock requirement is during suspension and for 2–4 years after restoration. The manual also lists 12–48 hours IDRC. Completing assigned assessment, education and treatment requirements is a condition of restoring driving privileges.

For a third or subsequent DUI, the court may reduce imprisonment by up to 90 days for days spent in an IDRC-approved substance-use-disorder inpatient rehabilitation program. This reduction concerns inpatient treatment; ordinary community service is not a substitute for those days of imprisonment.

The time between offenses affects sentencing: a second offense occurring more than 10 years after the first is treated as a first offense, and a third occurring more than 10 years after the second is treated as a second offense. Lifetime offense count alone does not determine the applicable row.

Sources: official manual, printed pages 125–128, and N.J.S.A. 39:4-50(a)(2)–(3).

Costs beyond the fine

The baseline fine is not the total cost. The manual separately lists these annual surcharges:

Offense category	Annual surcharge
First DUI	$1,000 per year for 3 years
Second DUI	$1,000 per year for 3 years
Third DUI within three years of the last offense	$1,500 per year for 3 years

It also lists $100 for the Drunk Driving Fund, $75 for the Safe Neighborhood Services Fund, $100 for AEREF and a $125 DUI surcharge. IDRC charges are assessed daily. Assigned treatment and interlock installation and maintenance can add costs. Do not treat a table’s baseline fine as the final case expense.

Sources: official manual, printed pages 125–126, and MVC surcharge guidance. The surcharge’s three-year condition is separate from the ten-year offense-spacing rule for sentencing. Follow the MVC assessment notice for the amount due.

Can voluntary interlock installation reduce penalties?

Eligible alcohol-DUI drivers may voluntarily install an interlock after arrest and before conviction, and request an MVC license with the appropriate restriction notation. Statutory relief can include:

• Waiver of the applicable DUI baseline fine: installation and license-notation requirements must be met, along with conditions including a valid New Jersey license in good standing at the time of the offense and continuously through conviction.
• Suspension credit: eligible drivers can receive one day of credit for every two qualifying days with the interlock and the required license notation. Cases causing serious bodily injury are excluded from this credit, as are specified drug-impaired-driving offenses.

Installation alone does not eliminate every penalty or charge. Credits and fine waivers depend on the applicable statutory conditions. Sources: official manual, printed page 128, and P.L. 2025, c.41.

Driving during a DUI suspension

Consequences can include a $500 fine, an additional 1–2 years of suspension and 10–90 days in jail. The manual also lists a $250 annual surcharge for 3 years. Certain repeat violations can constitute a fourth-degree crime. Installing a device does not by itself restore driving privileges; the MVC restoration requirements must be completed.

Source: official manual, printed pages 126 and 131.

Four points for permit-test study

• First alcohol DUI below 0.15% BAC: privileges are suspended until interlock installation; required use after restoration depends on BAC.
• First BAC of at least 0.15%: 3 months of suspension following installation, then interlock for 12–15 months after restoration.
• Second DUI: baseline suspension of 1–2 years; third or subsequent DUI: 8 years. Statutory credits and offense-spacing rules also apply.
• Interlock, IDRC, jail, community service, fines and surcharges are separate requirements, not interchangeable options.

Sources and version note

Checked October 29, 2026.

• 2026 New Jersey Driver Manual: printed pages 125–128 for penalties and interlock, and page 131 for driving during suspension.
• P.L. 2025, c.41: N.J.S.A. 39:4-50, including baseline fines, inpatient-rehabilitation reductions and interlock relief conditions.
• MVC official manual downloads: official language editions.

Version note: this guide uses the 2026 manual’s rules for offenses on or after December 1, 2019, with later legislation checked for details. An earlier MVC penalty webpage retains different first-alcohol-offense, repeat-suspension and interlock figures; those figures are not used for this guide’s current penalties. Historical cases require the rules applicable to their offense dates.