The NJ SS-19 Green Card is a temporary windshield authorization the Motor Vehicle Commission hands you with your registration packet when you register a newer vehicle that has never been inspected in New Jersey. Put it in the lower left corner of your windshield right away, and bring the vehicle to a state-operated inspection station within 14 days to get a five-year New Car Dealer Inspection Decal.1New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Vehicles Leased or Purchased Outside New Jersey You do not fill anything out; the agency generates the form for you. Your only job is to act on it before the 14-day window closes.
When the MVC Issues One
The Green Card appears when you register a vehicle in New Jersey that is under five model years old and has never been through a New Jersey inspection. The most common trigger is buying or leasing a brand-new car from an out-of-state dealer, since that dealer cannot issue a New Car Dealer Inspection Decal itself. You may also receive one if you move to New Jersey with a newer vehicle and title and register it at an MVC agency for the first time.1New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Vehicles Leased or Purchased Outside New Jersey In either case the agency includes the Green Card in the completed registration packet and tells you to visit an inspection station within 14 days.2New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Vehicle Inspection FAQs
What the Green Card Authorizes
The card is your proof of compliance during the 14-day grace period. Its own text says “the vehicle indicated below must be presented at a designated area of an official state inspection facility within 14 days of this notice to receive a motor vehicle inspection approval decal.”3New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police. New Jersey Vehicle Inspection Program FAQs After day 14 it expires, and the vehicle no longer has valid inspection authorization on it.
What to Bring to the Inspection Station
Bring three original documents. Photocopies, faxes, and computer-generated PDFs are not accepted:4New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. How Do I Get My Vehicle Inspected?
- A valid driver’s license. You must be at least 17, but you do not have to be the vehicle’s owner.
- The original vehicle registration issued by the MVC agency. An online renewal receipt does not count.
- A New Jersey insurance identification card. The insured’s surname must match the owner’s surname on the registration. For a leased vehicle, the leasing company must be listed as the owner on the insurance card.
Bring the SS-19 itself, too. It directs the inspector to the designated reinspection area where new-vehicle decals are issued.2New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Vehicle Inspection FAQs
Where to Go
New Jersey operates roughly two dozen state inspection stations. Most are open Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and Saturday from 7:00 a.m. to noon; all are closed Sunday.5New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Inspection Locations A few stations, including Washington, Salem, and Cape May, operate by appointment only, and at least one (Lodi) has been temporarily closed. Check the MVC’s inspection locations page before you go to confirm hours and whether you need to schedule a visit.
When you pull in, tell the attendant you’re there for a New Car Dealer Inspection Decal with a Green Card. They’ll route you to the designated reinspection area rather than the general inspection lane.3New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police. New Jersey Vehicle Inspection Program FAQs
What Happens at the Station
This is not a full mechanical or emissions inspection. Because the vehicle is under five model years old, it qualifies for a new-car exemption. The inspector reviews your three documents, confirms the vehicle matches the registration, and installs a New Car Dealer Inspection Decal on the windshield. No emissions or on-board diagnostics test is run. The state does not charge an inspection fee for passenger vehicles at its own stations, and the visit itself takes only a few minutes.
When the New-Car Decal Expires
The decal expires on the last day of the month in which the car was registered, five years from the model year.3New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police. New Jersey Vehicle Inspection Program FAQs A 2026 model-year car registered in March, for example, would carry a decal good through March 2031. After that, the vehicle enters the standard cycle: passenger cars are inspected every two years at a state-operated station or a licensed private inspection facility, and that later visit does include the regular emissions and on-board diagnostics check.6Justia Law. New Jersey Revised Statutes Title 39 Section 39-8-1
One boundary worth flagging: heavy-duty diesel vehicles with a gross vehicle weight rating of 18,000 pounds or more follow a separate annual smoke-opacity inspection at licensed private diesel facilities, not the state stations.2New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission. Vehicle Inspection FAQs The SS-19 process covers passenger vehicles and light trucks.
If You Miss the 14-Day Window
Once the Green Card lapses, you’re driving without valid inspection authorization. Law enforcement can cite you for an expired or missing inspection sticker, which carries a fine of $100 to $200, up to 30 days in jail, or both. Fraudulently displaying a stolen or altered inspection sticker is a separate offense carrying a $500 fine per sticker.7FindLaw. New Jersey Code 39-8-9 – Enforcement, Penalties, Disposition of Fines, Revocation of Registration, Suspension The MVC can also revoke your registration for repeated noncompliance. Because the visit is short and free, the practical answer is to schedule it within the first week or two after registration and be done with it.