If the cops in New Jersey ever charged you with failure to maintain motor vehicle liability insurance coverage, then read on. Indeed, on a recent Friday afternoon, a Morris County man drove into a grocery store. But he did not merely drive into the parking lot. Additionally, he did not merely drive into a drive-thru. Instead, he drove into the actual store. Furthermore, news reports claim he drove up the curb and into a brick wall that houses grocery carts in front of the store. The crash, however, did not cause any injuries to anyone. Moreover, cops claim they found heroin and drug paraphernalia in the vehicle.

Consequently, the cops charged the man with possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia. Additionally, they filed charges for driving while intoxicated, driving with a suspended license, and failure to maintain motor vehicle liability insurance coverage. Furthermore, they charged him with careless driving, reckless driving, and driving across a sidewalk.

Failure to Maintain Motor Vehicle Liability Insurance Coverage, N.J.S.A. 39:6B-2

Every owner or registered owner of a motor vehicle registered or principally garaged in New Jersey must maintain motor vehicle liability insurance coverage.¹ The statute sets the minimum coverage at $15,000/$30,000/$5,000.²

The penalties for failure to maintain motor vehicle liability insurance coverage are:³

First Offense: $300 – $1,000 fine, Community Service to be determined by the court, one year license suspension,

Subsequent conviction: $5,000 fine, imprisonment for a term of 14 days, 30 days community service, two years license suspension

A complaint for violation of this act may be made to a municipal court at any time within six months after the date of the alleged offense.

Footnotes

¹ N.J.S.A. 39:6B-1a
² Ibid.
³ N.J.S.A. 39:6B-2