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NJ Motor Vehicle’s Next-of Kin Registry

Did you know you can submit your emergency contact information to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJ MVC)?

The Next-of-Kin registry allows NJ residents of at least 14 years or older to submit and maintain emergency contact information to the NJ MVC. The information is not public. It is only allowed to be used by law enforcement officers to contact someone’s next of kin in the event of a vehicle crash that limits a victim’s ability to communicate with the officers.

The Next-of-Kin Registry database was established in 2011. This registry was created in response to “Sara’s Law,” which was enacted in honor of Sayreville resident Sara Elizabeth Dubinin. After being involved in a car accident in September 2007, Miss Dubinin lost consciousness and went into a coma before her parents could be informed. Eventually, she passed away. The registry was then created to guarantee that, in the event of a car accident, an emergency contact may be informed right away.

To register (or update) Next-of-Kin information online (click here)
or
By mail – print out the form (click here), complete the information and mail it to:

New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission
Driver Management Unit – Data Entry
PO Box 134
Trenton, NJ 08666-0134

Remember:

• Update your registration as needed.
• Emergency contacts must be at least 18 years old.
• If you are under 18 years of age, your emergency contact must be your parent or legal guardian.

• Contacts may be updated at any time by logging onto the registry online or
  mailing in an updated form.

HOW TO: Transferring Car Ownership without Probate

Oftentimes, the only thing in a person’s “probate estate” is their car. This is especially true when the first spouse dies.

Technically, you must process the will to have authority to transfer the car. However, New Jersey recently changed the law.

New Jersey now allows a person to designate the beneficiary of their car by completing the attached form, on the back of this memo, for each car they have.

Below is a link you can use to get a copy of the form. You can print and fill it out. By completing this you can avoid having to wait for a probate process or having to probate at all.

NJ MVC Transfer on Death Beneficiary Form (click here)

This will also avoid any potential issues with the car insurance. Car Insurance Policies have provisions that if a car is in an Estate, then the only person who can use the car is the Executor/Administrator who is using it for Estate Administration matters. If the driver does not qualify, and there is an accident, the insurance company can deny coverage.