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Parking tickets are kind of a bummer. But it happens to the best of us.
But if you get one, you’ll want to pay it off as soon as possible. Leaving tickets unpaid can lead to fines, and make things more expensive.
Here, we’ll explain all you need to know about paying a parking ticket in New Jersey.
We’ll cover how to find out if you have a ticket, how long it takes to show up, your options for paying the ticket, and more.
How do I find out if I have a parking ticket in NJ?
Whether it’s because you parked in a questionable spot, or you can’t remember if you paid off an outstanding ticket, there are times when you might need to check if you have an unpaid parking ticket.
Or perhaps you’ve lost your ticket, and you need to look it up so you can get it paid off and avoid expensive fines.
The good news is that you can check to see if you have parking tickets online.
You can visit the NJ parking ticket lookup tool.
After accepting the “search disclaimer” you’ll be taken to the case search page.
Where it says “select one” on the dropdown menu, you can choose to look up your ticket by any of the following:
- Ticket number
- Complaint number
- License number (plus issuing state)
- Name (first, middle, last), DOB (mm/dd/yyyy)
If you have outstanding ones, you’ll find them here, and there are instructions below on how to pay them.
And if you don’t have any, then you can be reassured that you’re in good standing with the state of NJ.
How long does it take for a parking ticket to show up in the system?
If you’ve recently received a parking ticket in New Jersey, and you want to pay it off as quickly as possible, you might have to wait a few days for the ticket to show up in the system.
How long a ticket takes to show up depends on whether the ticket was electronically generated, or if it was hand-written.
- Hand-written tickets – Usually within 10 days, but can take up to 2 weeks
- Electronically generated parking tickets – Within 5 business days
So make sure to wait for an appropriate amount of time before trying to pay the ticket either online or in person.
How do I pay for a parking ticket in NJ?
If you want to pay online, here are the steps.
Step 1 – Gather information
Before getting started with the online payment process, be sure to have the following information available.
- Your Court ID/Name
- Prefix
- Ticket Number
- License Plate Number
Step 2 – Visit the NJMC website
Once you have this information ready, visit the NJMCdirect website here.
You should see this screen.
Click on “Traffic Ticket” which should then bring you to the following screen.
Enter the required information and click “search”. You will find your ticket information on the next page.
Step 3 – Pay your ticket
You can use your debit or credit card to pay for the ticket, but you might have to pay an additional 3% of the ticket amount in credit card processing fees.
Also, the NJMC portal requires you to pay your ticket within specific hours, as follows.
Mon – Thu – 4:30 AM – 11:15 PM (EST)
Fri – 4:30 AM – 10:15 PM (EST)
Sat – 4:30 AM – 3:15 PM (EST)
Sun – 1:00 PM – 11:15 PM (EST)
Can you pay an NJ traffic ticket in person?
If you prefer to pay in person, or you’re uncomfortable providing your credit card online, you can pay in person at your local Municipal Court.
For example, if you live in Newark, you can pay here:
City of Newark Municipal Court
31 Green St. Newark, NJ.
Tel: 973-733-6520
You can find a New Jersey Municipal Court near you.
Will paying an NJ parking ticket add points to my license?
Parking tickets in New Jersey don’t add points to your license that eventually lead to surcharges and license suspensions.
When it comes to points, it’s only moving violations that matter, like speeding, not stopping at a stop sign, etc.
That being said, you will get hit with late fees, fines, etc, for not paying your parking ticket on time, so be sure to follow the steps above and get your ticket paid as soon as you can.
Key Takeaways about NJ parking tickets
If you were unlucky to get a parking ticket, the best thing you can do is to pay it off as soon as it shows up in the system.
You want to avoid late fees, fines, etc., and pay it off before it gets more expensive.
If you’ve lost your ticket, look through the instructions above. Once you have everything, take some time today to either pay for the ticket online or go to the nearest traffic court and pay in person.