What a New Jersey parking ticket is

New Jersey State statutes on parking tickets include N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.2 to 39:4-139.11. This page quotes parts of those sections, parts of N.J.S.A. 39:4-138, rows of the Statewide Violations Bureau Schedule, and the New Jersey Courts self-help page and Plea by Mail form. It does not apply them to any ticket. Confirm the court, the amount, the ticket number, and the response instructions printed on your ticket.

The statute text below is quoted from the New Jersey Legislature’s statutes database, headed “UPDATED THROUGH P.L.2026, c.50, and J.R.1”, as shown when retrieved on 29 Oct 2026.

What N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.2 and 39:4-139.3 say about the Parking Offenses Adjudication Act

N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.2: “This act shall be known and may be cited as "The Parking Offenses Adjudication Act."” That is the statute’s statement.

N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.3(c): “"Parking offense" means a violation of a State statute, an ordinance or resolution adopted by a county, municipality or authority or a regulation issued by a State authority which regulates the parking of vehicles. For purposes of this act, violations of ordinances or regulations will be within the civil jurisdiction of the court.”

N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.3(d): “"Parking ticket" means the summons issued alleging that a parking offense has occurred.” That is the statute’s statement.

This page quotes all of N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.2, and N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.3 has two other definitions, subsections a. and b., that this page does not cover.

What N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.4 says about the parking ticket

N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.4(a): “The complaint and summons shall be a uniform traffic ticket in the form prescribed by the Administrative Director of the Courts and shall contain information advising the person to whom it is issued of the manner in which and the time within which an answer to the offense alleged is required. The parking ticket shall also advise that penalties may result from a failure to answer, that the failure to answer or appear shall be considered an admission of liability, and that a default judgment may be entered against the owner of the vehicle.”

Subsection b. also states: “If the operator is not present, the parking ticket shall be served upon the owner of the vehicle by affixing the parking ticket to the vehicle in a conspicuous place, or by any other method appropriate under R. 4:4-4 of the Rules Governing the Courts of the State of New Jersey.” That is the statute’s statement.

Subsection b. has another sentence, and N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.4 has other subsections, including subsections c., d., and e., that this page does not cover. This page does not quote R. 4:4-4 of the Rules Governing the Courts of the State of New Jersey.

What N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.5 says about owner and operator liability

N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.5(a): “Except as provided in subsection b. of this section, the owner and operator shall be jointly liable for parking offenses, unless the owner can show that the vehicle was used without his consent, express or implied. An owner who pays any fine, penalty, civil judgment, costs or administrative fees in connection with a parking offense shall have the right to recover that sum from the operator in a court of competent jurisdiction.”

Subsection b.(1): “The owner of a motor vehicle who has leased the motor vehicle shall not be liable for a parking offense when the motor vehicle is under the control or in the possession of the lessee if, upon notice of a parking offense, the owner of a motor vehicle which was leased at the time of the offense notifies the clerk of the court where the case is pending, by a notarized statement of the name and address of the lessee. The notarized statement shall be in a form prescribed by the Administrative Director of the Courts.” That is the statute’s statement.

N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.5(b) has other paragraphs, including paragraphs (2), (3), and (4) and a paragraph on a lessee’s claim of mechanical failure, that this page does not cover.

What N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.6 says about a failure to appear notice

N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.6: “The municipal court shall immediately upon expiration of time to answer or appear, with respect to residents of New Jersey, follow the procedures set forth in R. 7:6-3(a) of the Rules Governing the Courts of the State of New Jersey. These procedures include the mailing of a notice of offense or a failure to appear notice to defendant. That notice shall be on a form approved by the Administrative Director of the Courts and shall inform the defendant of the parking offense charged; the time and date of the parking offense; the amount of fines, penalties and costs due; of his right to have a hearing; that a civil judgment may be entered against him for failure to appear or pay the amount due; and that his driver's license may be suspended; that his driving privileges may be revoked; and that a warrant may be issued for his arrest.” That is the statute’s statement.

N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.6 has another paragraph, on nonresidents, that this page does not cover. This page does not quote R. 7:6-3 of the Rules Governing the Courts of the State of New Jersey.

What N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.7 says about answering a parking ticket

N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.7(a): “In answer to a parking ticket or failure to appear notice, a person to whom a parking ticket or failure to appear notice was issued may:”

(1) “Admit the commission of the parking offense by payment of the fine and penalty due; or”
(2) “Deny liability and appear in court in accordance with the instructions on the summons or otherwise as provided by court rule.”

Subsection b.: “A person to whom a parking ticket or failure to appear notice has been issued may answer by personal appearance or by mail in accordance with instructions on the summons.”

Subsection c.: “A person who admits the commission of a parking offense shall, at the same time he submits his answer, pay the civil fine and any additional penalties established pursuant to local ordinance or regulation, which may be due for failure to answer within the time required.” That is the statute’s statement.

This page quotes all of N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.7 and does not cover any other part of it; it does not quote any court rule that paragraph (2) refers to.

What N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.8 says about default judgment, costs, and time limits

N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.8(b): “If a person to whom a failure to appear notice has been issued fails to answer or fails to appear at a hearing when he is required to do so, or, having admitted commission of the parking offense, fails to pay the fine and penalties assessed by the court, the court may, in addition to all other remedies and penalties currently available to the court for failure to appear, enter a judgment by default sustaining the charges, fix the appropriate fine and assess appropriate penalties and costs, if any.”

Subsection d.: “If payment is not made within 10 days after entry of a default judgment for a parking offense, the order of the court may be filed in the office of the clerk of the Superior Court and, when filed, shall have the effect of a civil money judgment. Judgments for parking offenses shall be maintained in a separate judgment roll from other civil judgments. Execution may be levied and other measures may be taken for the collection of the judgment which are authorized for the collection of an unpaid civil judgment. The court may assess costs against a judgment debtor, not to exceed $25.00 for each violation, to be paid upon satisfaction of the judgment.”

Subsection f.: “A default judgment under this act may be filed by the court at any time within three years after the parking ticket was issued.” That is the statute’s statement.

The 10-day period and what may follow it are both stated in subsection d., quoted whole above. N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.8 has other subsections, including subsection a. on evidence and the issuing officer, subsection c. on vacating a default judgment, and subsection e. on appeals, that this page does not cover.

What N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.10 says about license or registration suspension

N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.10(b): “The judge or the commission may suspend the driver's license, or the registration of the motor vehicle of an owner, lessee, or operator who has not answered or appeared in response to a failure to appear notice or has not paid or otherwise satisfied outstanding parking fines or penalties.”

Subsection b. continues: “If the license or registration suspension is the result of the failure to pay outstanding parking fines or penalties, or respond to a failure to appear notice, the commission shall:”

(1) “delay the imposition of the license or registration suspension for at least 30 days after the date on which the commission received a notice of suspension from the municipal court; and”
(2) “upon receipt of a notice of suspension from the municipal court, provide written notice advising the owner, lessee, or operator that the suspension shall take effect 30 days after the date of the commission's notice. The written notice issued by the commission shall provide the reason for suspension, identify the municipal court that issued the notice of suspension, and inform the owner, lessee, or operator that the suspension may be avoided by contacting the municipal court that issued the notice of suspension within the 30-day period to resolve the pending parking violation.”

Subsection b. also states: “If an owner, lessee or operator has been found guilty of a parking offense and has failed to pay or otherwise satisfy outstanding parking fines or penalties, the court shall provide notice and an opportunity to appear before a judge prior to suspending that person's driver's license or motor vehicle registration.” It adds: “In accordance with section 1 of P.L.1981, c.365 (C.39:4-203.1) and section 1 of P.L.2009, c.317 (C.2B:12-23.1), a court may permit alternatives to the payment of certain outstanding portions of parking fines and penalties based on a person's ability to pay, including allowing the payment of the fine in installments, conversion of the fine to community service, or revoking portions of the fine or penalty.” And: “If, prior to the effective date of the suspension by the commission, the person submits the receipt of payment to the commission or the commission receives the electronic notice stating that the person's obligations have been satisfied, the commission shall not suspend the person's license or registration.” That is the statute’s statement.

The consequence of the 30-day period is stated in paragraph (2), quoted whole above. Subsection b. has other sentences, including a sentence on what the judge and the commission consider and sentences on receipts and restoration, and N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.10 has other subsections, including subsection a. on court notice to the commission and subsection c. on records, that this page does not cover. This page does not quote section 1 of P.L.1981, c.365 or section 1 of P.L.2009, c.317, which the quoted sentence names.

What N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.10a says about the three-year limit

N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.10a: “In any parking case, if the municipal court fails, within three years of the date of the violation, to either issue a warrant for the defendant's arrest, or to order a suspension of the defendant's driving privileges or the defendant's non-resident reciprocity privileges or prohibit the person from receiving or obtaining driving privileges, the matter shall be dismissed and shall not be reopened.” That is the statute’s statement.

The consequence of the three-year period is stated in the same sentence. This page quotes all of N.J.S.A. 39:4-139.10a, and it does not cover how that sentence applies to a particular case.

What the Statewide Violations Bureau Schedule lists for parking under State statutes

The New Jersey Courts Statewide Violations Bureau Schedule is headed “STATEWIDE VIOLATIONS BUREAU SCHEDULE (Updated on July 29, 2021)”. Its rows for these State statute parking offenses read:

Statute	Description	Amount
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-135”	“Improper parking”	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-136”	“Parking on highway”	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-137”	“Allowing a vehicle to stand on highway unattended while motor running and without setting brakes”	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-138(a)”	“Improper parking within intersection”	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-138(b)”	“Improper parking on a crosswalk”	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-138(c)”	“Improper parking in safety bus zone”	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-138(d)”	“Improper parking in front of driveway”	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-138(e)”	“Improper parking within 25 ft. of crosswalk”	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-138(f)”	“Improper parking on a sidewalk”	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-138(g)”	“Improper parking in a no parking area established by State Highway Department”	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-138(h)”	“Improper parking within 50 feet of stop sign”	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-138(i)”	“Improper parking within 10 feet of fire hydrant”	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-138(j)”	“Improper parking within 50 feet of railroad”	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-138(k)”	(description printed across two lines; not quoted)	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-138(l)”	(description printed across two lines; not quoted)	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-138(m)”	“Double parking”	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-138(n)”	(description printed across two lines; not quoted)	“$55.00”
“N.J.S.A. 39:4-139”	“Loading or unloading for unreasonable period of time”	“$55.00”

That is the schedule’s statement, as dated July 29, 2021. The schedule does not state how often it is updated, and this page does not say whether a newer schedule exists. The schedule has other rows, including rows for other parking offenses and for other violations, that this page does not cover. The rows quoted above do not say whether court costs are included, and this page does not add any amount.

N.J.S.A. 39:4-138 was amended after that schedule date. Its compiled history line reads: “amended 1948, c.342, s.2; 1951, c.23, s.77; 1981, c.20, s.1; 1989, c.201, s.1; 2009, c. 107, s.2; 2009, c.257, s.1; 2017, c.131, s.157; 2025, c.155, s.2.” This page does not say what the 2025 amendment changed. The compiled section includes subsection p.: “In any electric vehicle charging space if the vehicle is a non-electric vehicle or is a plug-in electric vehicle, including a battery electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, that is not actively charging and where the space is clearly marked with signage and pavement markings indicating the space is reserved for plug-in electric vehicles that are actively charging, which signage and pavement markings shall be visible during the day and night.” It continues: “An individual who violates the provisions of this subsection shall be subject to a fine of $55 for the first offense, $100 for the second offense, and $200 for the third and each subsequent offense.” That is the statute’s statement.

The schedule rows quoted above do not include a row for subsection p. of N.J.S.A. 39:4-138, and this page does not say which amount a court applies to a ticket under it. N.J.S.A. 39:4-138 has other subsections and sentences, including its lead-in list of places and a sentence on towing for subsection p., that this page does not cover.

The schedule rows above are for the State statutes they name. The sources quoted on this page do not state a statewide fine for a ticket issued under a county or municipal ordinance or resolution, and this page does not state one.

What the New Jersey Courts self-help page says about finding a ticket, paying, or pleading not guilty

The New Jersey Courts Municipal Court self-help page, in its section headed “NJMC Direct Ticket System”, states: “To find a ticket in the system, you will need:”

“The court ID number,”
“the ticket number, and”
“your license number.”

The self-help page continues: “If you do not have the ticket, you can use the Municipal Court Case Search or call the municipal court in the city or town where you got the ticket. If you do not know where the ticket was written, you can call 609-421-6100”.

On paying, the self-help page states: “If the ticket does not require a court appearance, you can go to NJMCdirect.com and pay the fine with a credit card. You may also call the court to arrange to pay by check or cash directly at the court. You can look up the amount due on the Violations Bureau Schedule. If you pay the fine, that means you are pleading guilty to the violation.”

On a not guilty plea, in the same section, the self-help page states: “If you want to plead not guilty to the violation, check the box. After indicating you want to plead not guilty, for some less serious offenses, you can complete a Plea by Mail form and upload it on Judiciary Electronic Document Submission (JEDS). For some less serious offenses you can also plead not guilty in the Municipal Case Resolution system, accessed via NJMCDirect.com. The prosecutor may reach out to you to discuss a possible plea deal. The judge will hear the case on your scheduled court date.” That is the court’s statement, not an instruction from us.

The self-help page has other sections and sentences, including sections on court appearances, sentencing, time payments, and appeals, that this page does not cover.

The Plea by Mail form (CN 10715) states: “This form can only be used to plead not guilty or guilty in certain traffic (including parking) cases or to plead guilty in certain non-traffic cases.” It also states: “If you plead guilty or the judge finds you guilty of an offense other than parking, a record of the conviction may be sent to the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission and, if your license was not issued by NJ, to the motor vehicle agency of the state that issued your driver’s license.” That is the court’s statement, not an instruction from us.

The Plea by Mail form has other sentences and sections, including its return-date sentence, rights statements, appeal sentence, and plea sections, that this page does not cover. This page does not quote the court rules the form names.

Paths the ticket describes (not which to choose)

Read the court named on your ticket, the State statute, ordinance, resolution, or regulation it cites, the date, any amount, and the response instructions printed on it.

We do not tell you whether to pay or request a hearing. We do not list winning defenses.

Violation.com does not sell a New Jersey parking PDF and does not collect New Jersey fines. If you upload a parking notice, we summarize what the notice shows. It is not legal advice.

US overview: What a parking ticket notice is. Contrast: What an NYC parking ticket is.

Related: New Jersey speeding tickets.

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Sources retrieved 29 Oct 2026:

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Information on this page was last checked against official sources on November 8, 2026.