How Often Do You Need to Renew Your Registration in NJ?

In New Jersey, you need to renew your vehicle registration every year. The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC) mails a renewal notice about three months before your current registration expires, and you can complete the renewal online, by mail, or in person once that notice arrives.¹

When Your Renewal Notice Arrives

The NJMVC sends the notice roughly 90 days before your expiration date. It carries the Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) and a Personal Identification Number (PIN), both of which you’ll use to renew.¹ You don’t have to wait until the last minute. As soon as the notice shows up, you can process the renewal.

Lost the notice? If you’re still inside your renewal window, the online system has a “Help! I lost my PIN!” link that will send you a replacement so you can finish the renewal online. If online isn’t available for your vehicle type, you can still renew in person by bringing your current registration (if you have it), driver’s license, proof of insurance, and the renewal fee.²

How to Renew

Online is the fastest route. Enter the VIN and PIN, confirm your insurance information, and pay; the renewal takes effect immediately. Not every registration type qualifies, and the NJMVC lists eligible vehicle codes on its site.¹

By mail, fill out both sides of the renewal notice, enclose a check or money order to NJMVC for the amount shown, and send it back in the return envelope. Give it enough lead time before your expiration date.

In person, you’ll need an appointment at an NJMVC agency. Bring the renewal notice or your VIN, your insurance card, your license plate number, proof of identity, a completed Form BA-49, and payment.¹

What a Year of Registration Costs

Fees depend on your vehicle’s weight and model year. For passenger cars from model year 1980 or newer:³

Under 3,500 lbs. and more than two model years old: $46.50
Under 3,500 lbs. and within two model years: $59.00
Over 3,500 lbs. and more than two model years old: $71.50
Over 3,500 lbs. and within two model years: $84.00

Drivers age 65 or older and people with disabilities pay $7 less than those amounts. Motorcycles are $65 per year and mopeds are $15. Electric vehicles carry an additional annual EV fee on top of the standard registration; it started at $250 in July 2024 and rises $10 each year for four years, reaching $270 for 2026.³

Registration and Inspection Are Not the Same

Registration runs on a one-year cycle. Inspections do not. Most vehicles are inspected once every two years, and new vehicles get an initial inspection window of five years.⁴ Renewing your registration doesn’t reset the inspection clock, and having a current inspection doesn’t renew your registration. Track both separately.

If You Miss the Renewal

Driving with an expired registration can cost you up to $100 in fines under New Jersey law. The bigger hit tends to be what follows: police may tow an unregistered vehicle off a public road, and the towing and storage costs are yours to pay. You also can’t park an unregistered vehicle on a public street.⁵

Your registration is also tied to your auto insurance. If coverage lapses, the NJMVC will send a notice, and you have 30 days to file proof of insurance or show that an allowable exception applies. When the gap in coverage was 15 days or less, the Chief Administrator may waive the suspension, but only if new coverage started within that 15-day window.⁶ Ignore the notice and your registration is suspended, which makes the vehicle illegal to drive until you resolve it.

1
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Vehicle Registration Renewal
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New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Registration Missing Documentation
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New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Registration and Title Fees
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New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. How Do I Get My Vehicle Inspected
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FindLaw. New Jersey Code 39:3-4 – Registration of Motor Vehicles
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Legal Information Institute. New Jersey Administrative Code 13:18-6.4 – Suspension of Vehicle Registration