Do You Need New Jersey Car Registration for Car Insurance?

Car insurance is mandatory for New Jersey drivers, as well as owners of vehicles driven and stored primarily in the state. As such, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) asks for valid proof of insurance when you register a car in New Jersey.

The minimum auto insurance coverage in New Jersey is split between the Basic and Standard Policies, which are two types of plans offered by New Jersey-based insurers.¹

Basic Policy Requirements

The Basic Policy is designed as an affordable option for drivers who have few family responsibilities or assets, and want to meet the baseline minimum to drive legally.

• Property damage liability: $5,000 per accident
• Personal injury protection: $15,000 per person or accident

Those who opt for the Basic Policy are still liable for damages they cause to others in an at-fault accident, though there is an option to add up to $10,000 in bodily injury liability. They also have a limited right to sue.

Standard Policy Requirements

Most drivers opt for the Standard Policy, which has higher required minimum limits and more types of mandatory coverages, along with an expanded right to sue.

Though not required, the Standard Policy also makes it easy to add optional coverages like comprehensive and collision coverage, which we recommend if within your budget.

• Bodily injury liability: $35,000 per person and $70,000 per accident
• Property damage liability: $25,000 per accident
• Personal injury protection: $15,000 per person or accident
• Uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage (UM/UIM): Same liability limits as those listed for bodily injury and property damage liability

Be ready to provide the following to the clerk during your appointment:

• Completed registration form (Form BA-49)
• Car title with your name on it
• Driver’s license or government-issued identification
• New Jersey insurance card
• Vehicle inspection (for vehicles 5 years or older)
• Lien holder information and financing statement for financed/leased vehicles²
• Applicable fees

Registration Fees

• Basic fees: $35.50 to $84 depending on vehicle type³
• Electric vehicles: $250 annual fee in addition to above
• Title transfer: $4.50
• Sales tax: 6.625%

Car registration helps determine vehicle ownership while providing data for assessing taxes. You should register a car in the state where you reside, with your home being the address of record for the registration.

You will need an appointment to register a new vehicle in New Jersey. There are no walk-in options with the DMV.

Appointment Signup Process

1. To get an appointment, go to NJMVC.gov.
2. Tap on the three lines in the upper right corner, then select “Make Appointment” from the dropdown menu.
3. Select “New Title or Registration”, then tap the “Make Appointment” button on the following page.
4. Select “Title/Registration Services”, then choose between “New Title or Registration”.
5. You’ll arrive on a page listing various appointment slots from different DMV locations. Scroll through the list and select an appointment location by tapping the “Make Appointment” button for your desired slot.
6. Verify the date and time you’d like for that location.
7. Fill out the form on the following page with your name, contact info, and VIN (vehicle identification number), then tap the “Submit” button.
8. Show up at your scheduled appointment time.

Yes, and you will almost certainly have insurance before you register the car. Auto insurance is a prerequisite for registration in New Jersey (as it is in most states), but not vice versa. In most cases, the insurance must list the car owner’s name.

While New Jersey law doesn’t explicitly require the name on the registration and insurance to match, it’s still recommended you ensure the names match. Having different names on these documents can result in financial and legal complications, such as the risk of having a claim for your vehicle denied due to suspected fraud.

There may be instances when the insurance card doesn’t name a driver because the card only lists primary policyholders. In these cases, the unlisted driver should still be a named driver on the policy. Insurance doesn’t cover you in New Jersey if the policy doesn’t list you.

If your car is registered in New Jersey, you must insure it in the state, too. If you insure a vehicle outside of New Jersey but keep the car in the state, you may be prosecuted for insurance fraud or other criminal charges.

On a related note, if you’re permanently moving out of New Jersey to another state, you are required to update your car’s title, registration, and insurance policy to your new state.

New Jersey has some of the country’s most rigorous penalties for driving uninsured.⁴ Penalties escalate with the offense and can span fines, a DMV surcharge, license suspension, community service, and even jail time.⁵ If you’re a repeat offender, you may also risk having your driving privileges permanently revoked.

In many other states, driving uninsured is treated as a more severe offense than driving without proof of insurance; the latter is easily rectified if you prove you were insured at the time of your citation. However, a New Jersey court can assume you were uninsured if you’re pulled over and are unable to provide your insurance card.

Driving without insurance will also add points to your driving record, and you’ll have to file an SR-22, which is a certificate that proves you have liability insurance. As a high-risk driver, you may also find that it’s harder to obtain a policy, let alone one at affordable rates.

In New Jersey, auto insurance policies follow the car. This means you can legally drive another person’s car without your own insurance if the vehicle is insured and the owner has given permission. That said, if you drive regularly to begin with and you have your own car, you’re legally required to have insurance anyways.

If you’re borrowing a car and driving it regularly, and it’s uninsured, you should obtain a non-owner policy in case you get into an accident. A non-owner policy will not provide comprehensive or collision coverage; it only covers liability.

To register a car in New Jersey, you need to be insured first. You must do so not only for vehicles you drive regularly in the state, but also those that are primarily garaged. If uninsured, you could face penalties that include — at their most severe — up to $5,000 in fines for a repeat infraction and even the permanent suspension of your license.

Once you’re insured, simply register your car by collecting your required materials and signing up for an appointment online on the NJ MVC’s website.