DMVZoneBlogNew Jersey bans handheld phones behind the wheel. See the $200 to $800 fines, when points start, what hands-free allows, and the stricter rule for new drivers.
In New Jersey you may not hold a phone or other wireless device while driving, including at red lights. Fines climb from $200 to $800, and a third offense within 10 years adds 3 points and can cost you your license for 90 days.
Police can stop you for the phone alone. You do not need to be speeding or weaving first. The law covers talking, texting, scrolling and holding the phone to look at a map.
Permit holders and probationary drivers in New Jersey's GDL program may not use any phone or electronic device while driving, hands-free included. The 911 emergency exception still applies.
Looking down at a phone for five seconds at 55 mph means driving the length of a football field blind. New Jersey police also run a statewide distracted driving crackdown each year, so enforcement comes in waves.
You are stopped at a red light in New Jersey. May you text?
Answer: C. The ban covers the whole time you are driving on the road, including stops at lights and in traffic.
A 17-year-old probationary driver wants to use a hands-free earpiece. Is that legal?
Answer: B. GDL permit and probationary drivers may not use any wireless device, hands-free included, except to call for help in an emergency.
When does a New Jersey phone ticket start adding points?
Answer: C. Only a third or later offense within 10 years carries 3 points.
Yes, if the phone sits in a mount and you set the route before you drive. Holding it to read or type is a violation.
It can. It is a moving violation on your record even when it carries no points.
The range is set by state law. The judge picks an amount within it and the court adds costs.
Checked against these pages on November 12, 2026. Laws change, so open the source before you rely on a number.
Rules and fees change. Always confirm the details with the official New Jersey DMV or motor vehicle agency before you act. DMVZone practice questions are written to teach the rules and are not copies of the real test.
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How many points a New Jersey ticket adds, when 12 points means suspension, and the four ways points come off your MVC record.
Why New Jersey bills some drivers every year for three years after a ticket, how much it costs, how to pay NJSVS, and what a course can and cannot fix.