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New Jersey License PlatesA New Jersey license plate is an identification plate, or tag issued by New Jersey authorities and affixed to the front or rear of a vehicle to serve as a unique identifier for the vehicle. License plates are issued in the state by the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) upon the completion of registration for a vehicle. Per state law, all motor vehicles, with an exception for certain categories, are required to be registered with the MVC. When you complete your vehicle's titling and registration process, you will be issued two license plates – one for the front and the other for the rear. Trailers, motorcycles, motorized bicycles, and autocycles are issued only one license plate.
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission issues the following types of license plates:
New Jersey License Plate Design and FormatsNew Jersey's standard license plate design has a reflective yellow to gradient white background and the word "New Jersey" shown at the center top. There are black outlines for registration stickers at the top, and the actual serial character for the plate in black font is centered in the middle of the design but with the first three characters separated from the rest by a state-shaped separator. The standard-issue design also has "Garden State" screened at the bottom in a black font.
New Jersey personalized plates have a minimum of three letters but no more than seven characters in a combination of letters and numbers. Special interest plates can be personalized with up to five characters.
Standard license plate:
Special license plates:
* Source: New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
New Jersey Vanity License PlateVanity license plates are personalized or custom plates that allow a vehicle owner to choose a specific combination of letters, numbers, or both to reflect their name, hobby, personal preference, or another unique message. Vanity license plates are personalized plates that allow vehicle owners to choose a specific combination of serials (alphanumeric) to reflect their personal preferences or any other unique message.
Note that any combination of numbers, alphabetic characters, or both carrying connotations offensive to good taste and decency, are not accepted by the MVC for use in personalized plates. The MVC issues personalized license plates to passenger vehicles, motorcycles, and commercial codes 11 and 15 vehicles. Motorcycle plates issued as personalized plates are limited to five spaces.
Some license plate combinations are reserved for groups or special vehicles, such as government agencies, automobile dealers, doctors, and automobile collectors. These plates are not available to the public as personalized plates.
Personalized license plate combinations in New Jersey are limited to a minimum of three letters and no more than seven characters, including letters, numbers, or a combination of both. Punctuation marks and symbols, such as the silhouette of New Jersey, are not allowed. Each character takes up a full space on the plate, and the plate can accommodate a maximum of seven characters or spaces.
The same combination can be issued for more than one vehicle owned or leased by the same person, but no more than six spaces can be used. Additional sets of plates will be denoted with a smaller dash number (-2, -3) following the registration number (for instance, JOHN-2, KIERAN-3). A separate application and a $50 fee are required for each additional set of plates. Combinations consisting of three letters and the numbers 1 through 20 are considered "Courtesy Plates", and approval from the Senator of your election district is required before submitting your request. The MVC charges a $30 fee for a "Courtesy Plate".
According to the law governing the issuance of personalized license plates in New Jersey, individuals with certain recent convictions are ineligible to receive such plates. Specifically, personalized plates may not be issued to anyone convicted of the following offenses within the last 10 years:
Additionally, individuals whose driving privileges in New Jersey have been revoked or suspended for any reason within the two years preceding the date of application are ineligible for personalized or courtesy plates. However, they may reapply for such plates two years after their driving privileges are restored.
You can order a personalized license plate online except if the vehicle is leased. If the vehicle is leased, contact the MVC's Special Plates Unit at (609) 292-6500 ext. 5061. Note that when using the online option to complete your application, your MyMVC account number will be required.
You can also apply for a vanity plate by completing the Personalized License Plate Application (SP-1 form). Send the completed application and a $50 check or money order made payable to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to:
New Jersey Motor Vehicle CommissionVanity license plates will be issued to the registered owner stated on the application. However, the plates may be reissued to a different name, but another $50 will be required. The New Jersey MVC honors vanity license plate requests on a first-come, first-serve basis. If your registration expires for a period of more than two years, an additional $50 fee will be required to reactivate the use of the vanity license plates. For more information on New Jersey vanity plates, see the Information About Personalized License Plates.
Most Popular License Plate in New JerseyCommon special interest plates in license plate numbers in New Jersey are:
New Jersey License Plate LookupA license plate lookup is the process of retrieving information about a vehicle registered to a particular license plate number. This information can include details about the vehicle's make, year, model, and history (such as accident reports or insurance status). You may need to conduct a license plate look-up when buying a used vehicle in order to check the history of a vehicle and verify the Vehicle Identification Number.
You can look up vehicle records with a license plate number by visiting a NJMVC location. Alternatively, you can use the Recordsfinder website to perform an online license plate lookup. Note that personal information associated with motor vehicle records is prohibited from disclosure. Hence, the Recordsfinder website will only reveal non-sensitive information. However, law enforcement, pursuant to legal permission, may be able to assess sensitive information at an NJMVC location.
Both a license plate search and a reverse license plate number search allow you to obtain vehicle-related details online, and both terms are often used interchangeably. Recordsfinder offers services for conducting both license plate and reverse license plate searches. However, Recordsfinder complies with federal and state laws to protect the privacy of sensitive motorists' records by making only non-sensitive information available in a reverse license plate search.
What Do I Need to Get a License Plate in New Jersey?The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission issues license plates after you have completed the title and registration for your vehicle. If you bought your vehicle from a dealership in New Jersey, the dealership will handle the vehicle registration and title work for you. However, if you did not receive a title from the dealer, you must title your vehicle within 10 days of the purchase date to avoid a penalty fee.
If you purchase a new vehicle from an out-of-state dealer, verify the specific titling process required by New Jersey with the dealership, as this process may differ. Vehicle titles may be acquired at an MVC Vehicle Center, but the vehicle owner must appear in person. MVC vehicle Centers require that you schedule an appointment prior to your visit. The Center requires that you pay sales tax on the actual vehicle price and show the Manufacturer's Certificate of Origin (MCO) with the sales tax-satisfied stamp.
The following requirements apply when titling a vehicle:
For more information on titling a vehicle in New Jersey, see the vehicle title page of the NJMVC website.
To register a vehicle with the NJMVC, follow these steps:
Note that the vehicle registration fee varies depending on the type of vehicle. To calculate the approximate registration fee, use the NJMVC Registration Fee Calculator. For more information on completing a vehicle registration process with the NJMVC, see the vehicle registration page of the Commission's website.
Differences Between a Passenger License Plate and a Commercial License Plate in New JerseyWhile the NJMVC issues standard passenger license plates to passenger cars used for personal purposes, a commercial license plate is a license plate affixed to a commercial vehicle. The NJMVC lists vehicles classified as commercial vehicles on its commercial vehicle and registration information page.
Some key differences between passenger and commercial license plates in New Jersey are:
| Features | Passenger License Plate | Commercial License Plate |
|---|---|---|
| Vehicle Use | Personal | For hire, profit, or compensation |
| Requirements for obtaining | Completed vehicle titling and registration with the New Jersey MVC and payment for the appropriate fee | Completed vehicle titling and registration process with the NJMVC. However, the vehicle must be registered as a commercial vehicle |
How to Renew License Plate in New JerseyTypically, the NJMVC will send you a vehicle registration renewal notice to the email on file with the Commission three months before your current vehicle registration expires. You can renew your license plates once you follow the steps in the notice to renew your registration.
You can renew your vehicle registration online, in person, or by mail. To renew your registration online, visit the NJMVC vehicle registration renewal portal. You will need to have the following items to use the portal for renewal:
Note that you can only use the portal to complete a vehicle registration renewal if your vehicle class is listed in the NJMVC registration codes list. For more information on how the renewal portal works, see the NJMVC FAQs page.
If you are ineligible to renew your vehicle registration online, you must schedule an appointment with the NJMVC to renew your registration. Bring the following to your appointment:
At the NJMVC:
If completing your renewal by mail, include the following in your submission and ensure the address can be seen through the envelope window:
For more information on vehicle registration renewal, see the registration renewal page of the NJMVC website.
How to Transfer a License Plate in New JerseyIf you are changing vehicles in New Jersey, the NJMVC allows you to transfer plates from the old vehicle to a new vehicle as long as the new vehicle is registered in the same as the old vehicle and both vehicles are in the same class. To complete a license plate transfer:
New Jersey License Plate Lookup Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)The federal Driver Privacy Protection Act and New Jersey's equivalent of this law make finding the owner of a license plate challenging. New Jersey's Driver's Privacy Protection Act makes the public disclosure of personal information contained in motor vehicle records illegal. The Act defines personal information to mean information identifying an individual, such as an individual's photograph, social security number, driver identification number, name, address other than the 5-digit zip code, telephone number, and medical or disability information. However, information on vehicular accidents, driver's status, and driving violations are removed from the definition of personal information.
Given these strict laws, you are unlikely to be able to find the owner of a license plate in New Jersey except in limited circumstances as allowed under the DPPA, such as when mandated by law for use by a government agency in carrying out its function or a private person or entity on behalf of a local, state, or federal agency in carrying out its functions.
Recordsfinder offers access to non-sensitive information on over 269 million registered vehicles across the US. Using the car's license plate number or VIN, you can find details like the vehicle's make, model, year of manufacture, and odometer readings. While this information will not reveal the identity of a license plate owner, it can still prove valuable when considering a used car.
To replace lost license plates with new ones, you must first file an official police report with law enforcement in the area where the license plates were stolen and obtain a copy of the report for your records. Next, visit a motor vehicle agency and present the current registration and required identification. Finally, pay the $6 standard plates fee or the $11 fee for special interest or dedicated replacements.
New Jersey law enforcement may run your license plates for several reasons, including checking for outstanding warrants and confirming a vehicle's registration status. When they run your license plates, the police can see the following information:
While comprehensive searches often require paid subscriptions, you can get valuable vehicle information using the free license plate lookups service option from Recordsfinder. This can be helpful when buying a used car to identify potential discrepancies between the listed VIN and the vehicle linked to the license plate, preventing purchases with cloned VINs. The free license plate look-up service Recordsfinder also offers basic details like the car's make, model, year, and engine type.
Using RecordsFinder, you can perform a free license plate lookup by providing the vehicle's plate to obtain extensive information, such as:
If caught driving with an expired license plate in New Jersey, you may be fined up to $100. Also, in New Jersey, violations of motor vehicle regulations can result in points on a driver's record. A driver's license suspension may occur if they accumulate up to 12 points on your driver records.
If you have sold your vehicle and have no intention of using the old plates on a new vehicle, the NJMVC requires that you surrender the plates. To surrender license plates in New Jersey, visit a motor vehicle agency and deposit the unused plates in the drop box outside the agency. The agency will mail a receipt to you as proof that you surrendered the plates.
Per New Jersey requirements, any NJMVC-issued license plates no longer in use must be surrendered to the state. Hence, if you are moving or have moved to another state, return your New Jersey license plates to the NJMVC by visiting any of its motor vehicle agencies and dropping them in a drop box outside the agency. Alternatively, mail the plates to:
New Jersey Motor Vehicle CommissionYou should enclose a self-addressed, stamped envelope when returning license plates by mail. This envelope will be used to send you a receipt upon successfully surrendering your plates. This receipt is necessary as it indicates that the plates were properly returned and can be useful if any unwarranted charges arise.
Although New Jersey expects vehicle owners to surrender their plates to the MVC before moving, you may be unable to turn them in for several reasons. For instance, your insurance company may request the plates after the cancellation of your insurance as a result of your out-of-state move. In another example, you may forget to surrender the plates. In any of these cases, it is unlikely that the NJMVC will penalize you for failing to turn the plates in. Therefore, you are likely to be able to register your car in the new state's DMV office without running afoul of the law.
New Jersey standard-issue license plates measure 12 inches (width) by 6 inches (height).
New Jersey law enforcement will issue a citation if you drive your vehicle without license plates. If you are not buying your vehicle from a dealer who will provide you with a temporary tag, you will need to head to an MVC office to register your vehicle and receive your permanent license plates before driving it off the lot. However, the state allows non-residents to apply for a temporary vehicle registration at a motor vehicle agency if necessary.
You can get temporary license plates, also known as temporary tags, from a licensed dealer, allowing you to legally drive a new or newly acquired used vehicle for up to 30 days while the dealership processes the title transfer and completes the registration.
Dealers can obtain these tags by using the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission's (NJMVC) temp tag service, allowing them to print them. To do so, they must provide their dealer license number and other identifying information to confirm their eligibility for the service.
To renew your license plate, renew your vehicle registration by:
Alternatively, if you are not eligible for renewing your vehicle registration online:
New Jersey allows vehicle owners to replace lost or stolen license plates. However, there are specific steps to follow to obtain replacement plates:
For a vehicle currently in use:
For a vehicle you no longer own:
You will receive notification of the updated license plate status in the mail. Save the verification provided in the notification in a safe place as proof that you notified the NJMVC.
To replace lost or stolen plates with new plates containing the next available number: