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Parking in New Jersey can sometimes be just as parking New York—and so can the tickets! Parking tickets in New Jersey can cost an arm and a leg. This article will explain how these tickets work, how you can dispute them, and more.
How Much Is a Parking Ticket in New Jersey?
The price of a New Jersey parking ticket varies depending on what kind of ticket it is. In the table below, you’ll find nine example types of parking tickets in the state, their violation codes, and their fine schedules:
| Violation | Offense | Penalty |
| §39:4-138I | Fire Hydrant | $54 |
| §39:4-56.6 | Private Property | $55 |
| §39:4-138M | Double Parking | $54 |
| §39:4-138D | Blocking Driveway | $54 |
| §39:4-138E | 25 Feet from Crosswalk | $54 |
| §39:4-138H | 50 Feet from Stop Sign | $54 |
| §126-62 | Alternate Side Parking | $45 |
| §126-11 | Snow Emergency | $200 |
| §126-32 | Overtime Meter Parking | $40 |
Common NJ Parking Tickets
Each year, New Jersey rakes in hundreds of millions of dollars in parking ticket fines. Among the most common of those parking violations are the following:
- Expired Parking Meters
- Double Parking
- Parking Within 15 Feet of Fire Hydrants
- Violating Alternate Side Parking Rules
- Violating a No Stopping Sign
- Parking at a No Standing Sign
- Disregarding a No Parking Sign
- Parking in School Zones
We’ll go into greater detail on each of those eight types in the sections that follow.
Expired Parking Meters
This type of parking ticket is what meter readers will issue to you when the meter expires. There is no grace period for expired meter tickets in New Jersey. That means that, even if you are one second late, you can get a ticket. Of course, most meter readers don’t just sit there with their eyes on the clock waiting to give you a ticket, but you never know!
Double Parking
Double parking is when you parallel park next to somebody who also parallel parked, blocking them in. This kind of parking involves parking mostly or partially in the street, which can both prevent the other person from getting back on the road and disrupt the natural flow of traffic. Double parking is illegal in New Jersey.
Parking Within 15 Feet of Fire Hydrants
New Jersey state law requires you to give 15 feet of space between fire hydrants and your car so that emergency vehicles will be able to access the hydrant should the need arise. Failure to leave at least 15 feet of space can result in parking enforcement officers writing you a ticket.
Violating Alternate Side Parking Rules
Areas where government-sponsored street cleaners work are subject to alternate side parking rules. These rules are typically marked by a sign and only go into effect on certain days at certain times. During those times, the signs will be treated as No Parking signs and ticketed similarly.
Violating a No Stopping Sign
No Stopping signs mean no stopping, standing, or parking. If your vehicle reaches a speed of zero miles per hour at any point, you can receive a ticket. Of course, there are exceptions to this rule, such as during emergency situations, when the road is blocked by obstacles, and so on. However, as a general rule of thumb, you should try to avoid a road if roadway conditions would require you to stop in a No Stopping zone.
Parking at a No Standing Sign
No Standing signs mean no standing or parking, but temporary stopping is allowed. You may stop your vehicle for the sole purpose of picking up or dropping off passengers. However, you may not take the time to load or unload items, stop and wait for passengers to arrive, or leave your vehicle parked or unattended.
Disregarding a No Parking Sign
No Parking means no parking but stopping and standing are acceptable. You may stop your vehicle to pick up or drop off passengers or to load or unload vehicles, but you may not stop and wait for passengers to arrive. In No Parking zones, you can never leave your vehicle turned off and unattended for any reason, as that would be considered parked.
Parking in School Zones
School Zones are zones in which school personnel (i.e., teachers, students, faculty, or staff) are presumed to always or almost always have the right of way. Parking in any place within a school zone is typically illegal. In some cases, however, there will be available parking spaces that you can use only so long as you do not park in such a way as to endanger the safety of others or disrupt traffic within the school zone.
Disputes of a Parking Ticket
With so much money being spent on parking tickets each year, it’s no wonder why people end up researching the best strategies for disputing a parking ticket in New Jersey. Fortunately, our years of experience in the business of traffic law have helped us to put together this list of common defenses.
However, it’s important to know that, though these might seem simple, your odds of succeeding with one reduce dramatically when you fight your case without a lawyer’s help.
Missing or Unreadable Signs
When a parking ticket is issued for a sign violation, one of the first things you should do is look around and see where that sign is. If you can’t see it, search around a bit. If it turns out that the sign is either missing or is somehow unreadable, you might be able to prove that no reasonable person would have known not to park there, which could be grounds for a dismissal.
Broken Meter
If a meter is broken, the law requires that you use a functional meter somewhere else. However, if the meter is functional when you arrive and broken when you get back, that error can be argued to not be your fault. Since you did what you were legally required to do, you might be able to argue for dismissal on the grounds that there was no way you could have known that the meter would break.
Defective Ticket With Wrong Information
It is a common misconception that a simple misspelling of your name or missed letter in your license plate will result in the complete dismissal of your parking ticket. In reality, for such small inaccuracies that are clearly typos, the court will simply amend the ticket with the correct information.
However, glaring inaccuracies like the completely wrong name, completely wrong license plate number, or wrong vehicle make and model can result in dismissal.
Disabled Ticket
There are countless parking spaces across New Jersey that are reserved for people with disabilities. These accessible parking spaces are not to be used by anybody without the proper permit, placard, and plates. If you received one of these tickets despite having the proper items, then you might be able to have the ticket dismissed by going to court and proving such.
What if I Don’t Pay My New Jersey Parking Ticket?
Failure to pay a New Jersey parking ticket can result in serious consequences, such as additional penalties and a criminal conviction for a failure to pay.
Penalties, Fines, and Interest
If you fail to pay a parking ticket fine, you will be charged late fees and interest as though you took out a loan. Failure to pay these increased penalties can result in you being charged with failure to pay, a separate offense that incurs additional financial penalties.
Vehicle Booting and Towing
Rack up enough unpaid parking ticket debt and the state of New Jersey might put a boot on your car—or worse: tow it. If your vehicle is towed, you may have to pay the towing and impoundment fees on top of all other penalties, fines, and interest before your vehicle is returned to you.
Arrest
If the jurisdiction in which you have failed to pay your parking ticket deems your behavior criminal, then you can be arrested and sentenced to up to one day per $20 owed. For example, if you owe $400 in fines, the state may sentence you to 20 days in jail.
Possible License Suspension
In addition to all of the above penalties, you might find the state suspending your driver license until your outstanding balance has been paid in full. Lifting this suspension will often require you to pay the full outstanding balance as well as a suspension lift fee before your license is reinstated.
How To Avoid NJ Parking Tickets
Avoiding New Jersey parking tickets is as simple as knowing when and where to park. We’ve curated a list of tips and tricks to help you learn just that.
Check Your Meter Time Limit and Don’t Arrive Even a Minute Late to Your Car
Always write down your meter time limit the moment you pay for it. Consider setting an alarm on your phone to go off 10 minutes before that time, allowing yourself plenty of time to get back to the meter to either refill your time or move your car.
Place Your Meter Receipt Face Up on Your Dashboard
As long as your meter receipt is face up on your dashboard, easily visible from the sidewalk, and valid, then you can avoid getting a ticket for violating the meter laws.
When Multiple Parking Signs Exist in the Same Area, Heed the Advice of the Most Restrictive One
If there are two parking signs nearby and you’re not sure which one applies to the spot that you’re looking to park in, assume it’s the more restrictive one. This way, you reduce the odds of parking in a spot that you think is legal only to later get a ticket.
Keep Your Registration and Insurance Up to Date
Driving without a valid registration or without valid insurance can result in you getting even more tickets and facing even more penalties. Make sure your documents are always up to date and set reminders to renew them in advance.
Park at Least 15 Feet Away From Fire Hydrants
New Jersey state law requires you to park at least 15 feet away from fire hydrants. There’s no need to measure it out every time, but doing so wouldn’t hurt.
Understand the Difference Between No Stopping, No Standing, and No Parking Signs
No Stopping, No Standing, and No Parking laws are defined as follows:
- No Stopping: No loading or unloading passengers or items or stopping unless roadway conditions require you to.
- No Standing: You can drop off or pick up passengers but you cannot load or unload items or stop and wait or to park your car.
- No Parking: You can load or unload passengers or items but cannot stop to wait or to park your car.
Never Park in Any Part of a Crosswalk or Designated Bike Lane
In New Jersey, it is illegal to park in any location where any part of your vehicle disrupts the flow of traffic over a crosswalk, bike lane, bus lane, fire lane, etc.
Pay Your Parking Ticket Through Appwinit.com
If you’ve been convicted of or pleaded guilty to a parking ticket in New Jersey, you can pay it through the WinIt app. However, if you haven’t pleaded guilty or been convicted yet, hold on just a second. It’s possible that—with the right legal help, like from the expert lawyers on the WinIt app—you could entirely avoid having to pay a penny. Download WinIt and get the process started today.
