New Jersey Driver License: Alcohol, Drugs, Penalties and Points

30 questions with the correct answer and an explanation for each. Topic: Alcohol, Drugs, Penalties and Points. Free, no account needed.

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1. A driver who has been drinking waits an hour, drinks black coffee, and takes a cold shower before getting behind the wheel, believing this will sober them up. What actually removes alcohol from the body?

  1. Coffee and a cold shower speed up alcohol elimination
  2. Only time, since the liver breaks down about 90 percent of the alcohol
  3. Eating a large meal reverses the effects of alcohol already absorbed
  4. Vigorous exercise burns off alcohol through sweat

Answer: B — Only time, since the liver breaks down about 90 percent of the alcohol

Only time sobers a person up; the liver metabolizes about 90 percent of alcohol, with the rest leaving through breath, urine and sweat.

2. A 19-year-old is pulled over and tests at a BAC of 0.02 percent. Has this driver crossed the illegal threshold for someone under 21?

  1. No, drivers under 21 are held to the same 0.08 percent standard as adults
  2. No, drivers under 21 are permitted up to 0.05 percent
  3. Yes, drivers under 21 are legally impaired at 0.01 percent or more
  4. Yes, but only if combined with a moving violation

Answer: C — Yes, drivers under 21 are legally impaired at 0.01 percent or more

Drivers under 21 are illegal to drive at a BAC of 0.01 percent or more, far lower than the adult 0.08 percent limit.

3. A driver's BAC measures 0.10 percent. Compared to driving sober, how much greater is the crash risk at this level?

  1. About 25 times
  2. About six times
  3. No measurably greater risk below 0.15
  4. About double

Answer: B — About six times

At 0.10 BAC crash risk is about six times normal; doubling occurs just over 0.05 and 25 times occurs at 0.15.

4. Aside from alcohol, which drug shows up most often in drivers involved in crashes?

  1. Hallucinogens
  2. Cold medication
  3. Prescription tranquilizers
  4. Marijuana

Answer: D — Marijuana

Marijuana is the drug most often found in crash-involved drivers after alcohol.

5. A driver just turned 41. How often should they now have their eyes tested?

  1. Only when vision problems are noticed
  2. Every year
  3. Every five years
  4. Every two to three years

Answer: B — Every year

Eye exams should happen every year or two generally, but yearly once a person is over 40.

6. A driver wants to wear earphones to listen to music while driving, reasoning it's no different from playing the radio through the car speakers. What does safe-driving guidance say about this?

  1. Earphones are acceptable at low volume
  2. Earphones are fine as long as only one ear is covered
  3. Never wear earphones, since hearing warns of horns, sirens and screeching tires
  4. Only noise-cancelling earphones should be avoided

Answer: C — Never wear earphones, since hearing warns of horns, sirens and screeching tires

Hearing alerts drivers to horns, sirens and screeching tires, so earphones should never be worn while driving.

7. A driver has had their license suspended three separate times within a three-year period. What classification does this meet?

  1. Repeat violator, a status with no added consequence
  2. No special classification unless it happens four times
  3. Habitual offender
  4. Provisional offender

Answer: C — Habitual offender

Three suspensions within three years meets the definition of a habitual offender.

8. A driver has several unpaid parking tickets but has never had a moving violation. Can this put their driving privileges at risk?

  1. No, only moving violations can lead to suspension
  2. Yes, privileges may be lost for unpaid parking tickets
  3. Only if the driver also lacks proof of insurance
  4. No, parking tickets are strictly a municipal matter unrelated to licensing

Answer: B — Yes, privileges may be lost for unpaid parking tickets

Unpaid parking tickets are explicitly listed as a reason driving privileges may be lost.

9. An 18-year-old is caught buying alcohol at a licensed bar. What is the fine for this offense?

  1. $250
  2. $200
  3. $1,000
  4. $500

Answer: D — $500

An underage buyer or drinker in a licensed establishment can be fined $500 and lose the license.

10. A driver is convicted of a first DUI offense with a BAC of 0.09 percent. What fine range applies?

  1. $250 to $400
  2. $300 to $500
  3. $500 to $1,000
  4. $100 to $250

Answer: A — $250 to $400

A first offense with BAC between 0.08 and under 0.10 carries a $250 to $400 fine.

11. A driver is convicted of a first DUI involving drugs rather than alcohol. What happens with the interlock requirement compared to an alcohol DUI?

  1. No license action is taken for drug-related DUIs
  2. An interlock is required for three months regardless of the substance
  3. The license is lost for 7 to 12 months with no interlock requirement
  4. The interlock requirement doubles compared to alcohol cases

Answer: C — The license is lost for 7 to 12 months with no interlock requirement

A drug DUI results in a 7 to 12 month license loss with no interlock, unlike alcohol DUIs which use interlocks.

12. A driver is convicted of a second DUI within 10 years of the first. How long is the license suspended?

  1. Two years
  2. One year
  3. Eight years
  4. Three months

Answer: A — Two years

A second DUI offense within 10 years carries a two-year suspension.

13. A driver is convicted of a third DUI within 10 years of the second offense. How much jail time can this carry?

  1. Up to 60 days
  2. Up to 30 days
  3. 180 days
  4. 48 hours to 90 days

Answer: C — 180 days

A third DUI offense carries up to 180 days in jail along with an eight-year suspension.

14. A parent is convicted of DUI while their child is a passenger in the car. What does this add to the offense?

  1. A disorderly persons offense with up to six months' additional suspension and five days' community service
  2. An automatic permanent loss of license
  3. No additional penalty beyond the standard DUI charge
  4. A mandatory two-year prison sentence

Answer: A — A disorderly persons offense with up to six months' additional suspension and five days' community service

DUI with a minor aboard is a disorderly persons offense adding up to six months' suspension and five days' community service.

15. A driver is arrested for suspected intoxicated driving and refuses to take a breath test, arguing they never explicitly agreed to one. What does implied consent mean here?

  1. Consent must be given verbally at the time of the stop to be valid
  2. Consent is only implied if the driver signed a form when licensed
  3. Using the roads itself means agreeing to a breath test after such an arrest
  4. Implied consent only applies to commercial drivers

Answer: C — Using the roads itself means agreeing to a breath test after such an arrest

Implied consent means simply driving on the roads counts as agreeing to a breath test after an intoxicated-driving arrest.

16. A driver refuses a breath test after an intoxicated-driving arrest. Besides losing the license until an interlock is installed, what financial penalty follows?

  1. A $250 surcharge for one year
  2. A one-time $500 fine
  3. A $1,000-a-year surcharge for three years
  4. No separate surcharge, only the standard DUI fine

Answer: C — A $1,000-a-year surcharge for three years

Refusing a breath test brings a $1,000-a-year surcharge for three years, on top of losing the license until an interlock is installed.

17. A car is fitted with a court-ordered ignition interlock. At what breath-alcohol level does it block the car from starting?

  1. 0.02 percent
  2. 0.10 percent
  3. 0.05 percent
  4. 0.08 percent

Answer: C — 0.05 percent

An ignition interlock blocks the car from starting when breath alcohol is above 0.05 percent.

18. A DUI defendant is evaluated and found to need treatment. What is the minimum length of the program they are referred to, and what happens if they don't complete it?

  1. A one-year program with no bearing on re-licensing
  2. A 30-day program, waived if the driver pays a fine instead
  3. A 4-week program, optional for re-licensing
  4. A 16-week program at minimum, with completion required before re-licensing

Answer: D — A 16-week program at minimum, with completion required before re-licensing

Those needing treatment are referred to at least a 16-week program, and completing it is required before the license can be restored.

19. A car breaks down on a limited-access highway and the owner leaves it there for four hours without arranging a tow. What can this trigger?

  1. No penalty, since limited-access highways are exempt from abandonment rules
  2. A charge of abandoning a vehicle, with fines and possible suspension
  3. An automatic hit-and-run charge
  4. A penalty only if the vehicle is left for 48 hours or more, as on other roads

Answer: B — A charge of abandoning a vehicle, with fines and possible suspension

Leaving a vehicle on a limited-access highway for four hours counts as abandonment, carrying fines and possible suspension.

20. A driver flees the scene after a crash that injures another person, and this is their first such offense. What happens to their license?

  1. It is lost permanently
  2. It is lost for one year
  3. No license action, only fines and jail apply
  4. It is suspended for 90 days

Answer: B — It is lost for one year

A first hit-and-run offense with injury or death results in a one-year license loss; a later offense results in permanent loss.

21. A driver is convicted of insurance fraud related to their vehicle coverage. Besides fines up to $5,000 and up to three years, what happens to their license?

  1. No effect on the license, only criminal penalties
  2. A six-month license loss
  3. Permanent revocation
  4. A one-year license loss

Answer: D — A one-year license loss

Insurance fraud carries a one-year license loss on top of the criminal fine and jail exposure.

22. A driver whose license is suspended for DUI is caught driving within 1,000 feet of a school. How does this affect the jail term compared to a suspended-DUI offense elsewhere?

  1. It is reduced to a fine only
  2. It becomes a mandatory life suspension
  3. It stays the same regardless of location
  4. It rises to 60 to 90 days, increasing to 180 days

Answer: D — It rises to 60 to 90 days, increasing to 180 days

Driving while suspended for DUI within 1,000 feet of a school raises the jail term to 60 to 90 days, rising to 180 days.

23. A driver falls six months behind on court-ordered child support payments. What can happen to their license?

  1. Nothing, license action only applies to moving violations
  2. A surcharge is added but the license remains valid
  3. It is automatically suspended
  4. It is downgraded to a probationary license

Answer: C — It is automatically suspended

Owing six months of child support results in license suspension.

24. A driver accumulates 13 points within 24 months. What does this trigger?

  1. A Notice of Scheduled Suspension, with the option to attend a Driver Improvement Program
  2. An automatic permanent revocation
  3. A mandatory ignition interlock
  4. Nothing until the driver reaches 20 points

Answer: A — A Notice of Scheduled Suspension, with the option to attend a Driver Improvement Program

Reaching 12 to 14 points in 24 months triggers a Notice of Scheduled Suspension, with the Driver Improvement Program as an option.

25. A driver completes a voluntary defensive driving course. How often can they use this course to remove points from their record?

  1. Once every five years, removing 2 points
  2. Twice every five years
  3. Only once in a lifetime
  4. Once a year, removing 3 points

Answer: A — Once every five years, removing 2 points

A defensive driving course removes 2 points and counts once every five years.

26. A driver accumulates six points within three years. What surcharge results, and how does it grow with more points?

  1. A flat $500 regardless of additional points
  2. $250 per point over six
  3. $100 for six points with no additional charge for more
  4. $150 for six points plus $25 for each additional point

Answer: D — $150 for six points plus $25 for each additional point

Six or more points in three years cost $150 for the first six plus $25 per additional point.

27. A New Jersey driver is convicted of a moving violation in another state. How many points get added to their New Jersey record?

  1. 4 points
  2. No points, since the violation happened out of state
  3. 5 points
  4. 2 points

Answer: D — 2 points

Out-of-state moving violations add 2 points to the record.

28. A driver goes a full year without any violation or suspension. How many points can this remove from their record?

  1. Up to 3 points, never dropping below zero
  2. Up to 5 points
  3. 1 point only
  4. All points are wiped clean

Answer: A — Up to 3 points, never dropping below zero

A violation-free year removes up to 3 points, but the total never drops below zero.

29. A driver is cited for speeding 35 mph over the posted limit. How many points does this carry?

  1. 5 points
  2. 2 points
  3. 4 points
  4. 3 points

Answer: A — 5 points

Speeding 30 mph or more over the limit carries 5 points, the same value as racing or reckless driving.

30. A New Jersey driver receives a moving violation while driving through Wisconsin. Will this violation be added to their New Jersey driving record through the interstate compact system?

  1. No, Wisconsin is not a member of the Driver License Compact that shares such records
  2. Yes, since Wisconsin belongs to both compacts
  3. No, but only because Wisconsin is not a member of the Nonresident Violator Compact
  4. Yes, all states automatically share violations with New Jersey

Answer: A — No, Wisconsin is not a member of the Driver License Compact that shares such records

Out-of-state violations join a driver's record through the Driver License Compact, and Wisconsin is not a member of that compact.

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