{"id":803,"date":"2004-12-16T12:02:16","date_gmt":"2004-12-16T20:02:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/lee.org\/blog\/archives\/2004\/12\/16\/how-to-beat-a-speeding-ticket-in-new-jersey\/"},"modified":"2014-02-15T11:11:31","modified_gmt":"2014-02-15T19:11:31","slug":"how-to-beat-a-speeding-ticket-in-new-jersey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lee.org\/blog\/2004\/12\/16\/how-to-beat-a-speeding-ticket-in-new-jersey\/","title":{"rendered":"How to beat a speeding ticket in New Jersey"},"content":{"rendered":"

Well, that’s not a perfectly accurate title, but that’s what everyone wants to do. Read on.<\/p>\n

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If this information saves you $500, I would appreciate a $5 donation. Don’t send me anything until AFTER you have been to the courthouse and saved money! Here is a Paypal donation link:<\/strong><\/p>\n


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I got a “15MPH over the limit”, 4 point speeding ticket in Hackettstown New Jersey in October 2004. The cost of the ticket was about $100. But that’s the cheap part. The insurance rate hike is far more expensive! I called AIG (my new insurance company after they bought my policy from GE, who bought it from Colonial Penn, who bought it from…) and they couldn’t tell me how much my insurance was going go up with this ticket. Grrrr. But I recall that GE told me how much my rates would go up… about $150 per point for 3 years. And I would stop earning my “Merit Discount”. 5 years of me not getting any points earns me an 8% merit discount on my liability ($340\/yr) & collision ($400\/yr) insurance.<\/p>\n

So the total cost of my 4 point ticket is:<\/strong><\/p>\n

$100 = speeding ticket
\n$300 = $60\/year for 5 years, lost merit discount<\/a>
\n$1,800 = $150\/point * 4 points * 3 years
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\n $2,200<\/strong><\/p>\n

Yow!<\/strong><\/p>\n

So here’s how to beat a speeding ticket in New Jersey<\/strong>. I can only tell you about my experience which was in Hackettstown, NJ.<\/p>\n

With this strategy, the total cost of my ticket was reduced by more than 80%!<\/p>\n

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  1. Get a ticket :-(<\/li>\n
  2. Go to your court date. Bring a checkbook and dress well. If you show up 30 minutes before the court opens, you’ll put your name near the beginning of the sign-in sheet and you’ll get out of court in an hour… Else, you could be there for 1-3 hours.<\/li>\n
  3. On the way in, sign the “I want to talk to the prosecutor” sheet. It will be next to the sign-in sheet.<\/li>\n
  4. Possibly wait a few hours. Read the book you brought and\/or people-watch. It’s more interesting than watching people at the DMV!<\/li>\n
  5. When you’re name is called to speak with the prosecutor, tell him that you’d like to pay a surcharge to the court instead of getting points on your license. (If the judge calls you before the prosecutor, tell him that you’re waiting to speak to the prosecutor) I was offered two choices:\n