Supreme Court dismisses thousands of old cases and license suspensions.
Find out if your case was dismissed.
Charges excluded from the order list:
1) Indictable charges
2) Disorderly persons charges
3) Petty disorderly persons charges
4) The following motor vehicle charges
N.J.S.A. 39:3-10 Driving without a license
N.J.S.A. 39:3-10.13 Operating a commercial vehicle while intoxicated
N.J.S.A. 39:3-10.24 Refusal to submit to a breath test while operating a commercial vehicle
N.J.S.A. 39:3-10.18(b) Operating a commercial vehicle while commercial license suspended or revoked
N.J.S.A. 39:3-40 Driving while license suspended or revoked
N.J.S.A. 39:4-49.1 Drugs in a motor vehicle
N.J.S.A. 39:4-50 Driving while intoxicated
N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.4a Refusal to submit to a chemical test
N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.14 Underage driving while intoxicated
N.J.S.A. 39:4-50.19 Failure to install an interlock device
N.J.S.A. 39:4-96 Reckless driving
N.J.S.A. 39:4-98 Speeding (only those complaints in which the speed was alleged to be in excess of 35 mph over the posted speed limit)
N.J.S.A. 39:4-128.1 Passing a stopped school bus
N.J.S.A. 39:4-129(a), (b) Leaving the scene of an accident with personal injury or property damage
N.J.S.A. 39:6B-2 Driving without insurance
N.J.S.A. 12:7-46 Boating while intoxicated
Dismissal of Old Cases - FAQs
- You were issued an arrest warrant before Jan. 1, 2003; or
- You were issued a license suspension before Jan. 1, 1994; and
- Either arrest warrant or license suspension is still in effect; and
- Your case did not involve and is not related to any cases on the excluded charges list.
Q. Was my municipal case dismissed?
Your case may have been dismissed if it was opened and you failed to appear in court AND
Q. I did not find my municipal case. What does that mean?
Your case may involve a charge listed on the excluded charges list. If you did not find your cases listed on the dismissed cases list, your case is still outstanding and you should contact the municipal court where your case was filed to resolve your case. Find your municipal court contact information. If your case is not a traffic-related matter and the municipal court is stating that they have no record, you may contact the Superior Court Clerk’s Office to determine whether your matter has been expunged (no public record). Here is a link to guidance on that procedure.
Q. Now that my municipal case is dismissed, is the arrest warrant for "failure to appear" also withdrawn?
Yes. There is no more warrant for your arrest for failure to appear.
Q. Now that my municipal case is dismissed, is the driver’s license suspension for "failure to appear" also withdrawn?
Yes, it's withdrawn. However, this is separate from requirements that the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) has for restoring driving privileges. Learn more about restoring a driver's license.
Q. How do I find out if I have other outstanding municipal court matters?
You can search for your outstanding municipal court cases on the municipal court ticket payment system, NJMCDirect.
- Cases more than 15 years old with a bench warrant attached, which were dismissed by Omnibus Dismissal Order of January 2019 and Supplemental Order of Sept. 2019.
- Additional cases older than 1994 with driver’s license suspensions attached. Those cases were dismissed by Omnibus Dismissal Order of May 21, 2021.
- Additional cases older than 1998 with a driver's license suspension and/or warrant attached. Those cases were dismissed by Omnibus Dismissal Order of Dec. 12, 2022.
- Additional cases older than 2004 with a driver’s license suspension and/or warrant attached. Those cases were dismissed by Omnibus Dismissal Order of Dec. 11, 2023.
- Additional cases cases older than 2007 with a driver’s license suspension and/or warrant attached. Those cases were dismissed by Omnibus Dismissal Order of Oct. 7, 2024.
- Read the press release, Directive 26-20, and the 2019 Report to learn more.
Q. Why did the Supreme Court dismiss certain municipal cases?
Those cases dismissed by the Court Orders addressed less serious municipal cases, and were unlikely to be adjudicated after sitting unresolved for many years. There are several categories of dismissals: