New Jersey DUI programs · IDRC
NJ IDRC Program: The 12-Hour vs 48-Hour Program, Cost, and Online Rules
IDRC stands for Intoxicated Driver Resource Center. After a DUI conviction in New Jersey, you don’t pick a class. The state’s Intoxicated Driving Program sends you a scheduling notice for your county’s 12-hour IDRC or a regional 48-hour IDRC, depending on your sentence. The IDRC screens you, teaches the education program, and monitors any treatment.
Quick answer: length, cost, online, and deadlines
The 12-hour program is at least 6 hours a day on 2 consecutive days. The 48-hour program runs 48 consecutive hours at a regional center. The MVC lists a $264 first curriculum fee and a $321 second curriculum fee paid to the IDRC, plus $100 program and $100 restoration fees paid to the MVC. You can’t swap in a private online course, though some counties run the 12-hour class live by video. If no scheduling notice arrives within 4 weeks of your conviction, call the IDP at 609-815-3100.
Who has to attend an IDRC
The IDP fact sheet says the IDRC applies if you live in New Jersey and were convicted of an alcohol- or drug-related traffic, boating, or related offense in New Jersey, or in another state while holding a New Jersey license. You must meet the IDP/IDRC requirements your convicting court set. N.J.S.A. 39:4-50 sets the first-offense requirement at 12 to 48 hours at an IDRC, served over two consecutive days of at least six hours each.
The 12-hour and 48-hour programs compared
| Program | What it involves | Who it is for |
|---|---|---|
| 12-hour IDRC (county) | An “at-risk” screening plus an early intervention education program, at least 6 hours a day on 2 consecutive days | Offenders sentenced to the 12-hour program. The MVC says county IDRCs serve first and third-time offenders; third and later offenders are referred to the 12-hour IDRC to meet multiple-offender requirements before license restoration |
| 48-hour IDRC (regional) | Screening and education during 48 consecutive hours at a regional facility designated by your county | Offenders sentenced to the 48-hour program. The MVC says the regional 48-hour centers serve second-time offenders |
| Assessment and treatment | A full substance use disorder assessment, then treatment if it is recommended. The IDRC monitors you during treatment | Anyone the IDRC screening refers for assessment. By statute, ordered treatment or referral cannot last more than one year |
According to the state brochure, the education program covers social and problem drinking, the stages of alcoholism, family and other relationships, how alcohol and drugs affect driving, and New Jersey’s intoxicated driving law. You also complete a questionnaire and meet with a counselor for a personal screening interview.
What the IDRC costs
| Charge | Amount | Paid to |
|---|---|---|
| Program fee | $100 | NJ Motor Vehicle Commission |
| First curriculum fee | $264 | The IDRC |
| Second curriculum fee | $321 | The IDRC |
| License restoration fee | $100 | NJ Motor Vehicle Commission |
| Assessment and treatment | Set by the provider | The treatment provider, only if treatment is recommended |
These amounts come from the MVC’s IDRC fee list. The statute lets the per-day IDRC fees be raised by regulation, so check the amount on your scheduling notice. The state says financially eligible New Jersey residents may qualify for treatment funding through the Driving Under the Influence Initiative (DUII). For 24/7 treatment referral, call 1-844-REACHNJ (1-844-732-2465).
Online and virtual classes. There is no private online substitute for the IDRC. Some county IDRCs deliver the 12-hour class live by video. Monmouth County’s virtual class form, for example, requires two consecutive days of 6 to 7 hours of live participation in one uninterrupted location, a photo ID, and a separate telehealth screening. Whether your county offers this is up to your assigned IDRC.
What happens if you don’t comply
N.J.S.A. 39:4-50(b) says failing to meet the IDP/IDRC screening, evaluation, referral, program and fee requirements leads to a two-day county jail term and a license suspension that lasts until you meet them. The IDP fact sheet describes the process:
- You get a Warning Notice giving you 10 business days to finish everything outstanding.
- If you don’t, the IDP reports you to the sentencing court with a Notice of Noncompliance.
- If requirements are still unmet 30 calendar days later, you face an additional license suspension until they are satisfied.
How completion reaches the MVC
The IDRC reports noncompliance with education or treatment to the court and the IDP. The IDP then recommends suspension or restoration to the MVC based on whether you finished your IDRC requirements. Your license is restored only after you have served every court- and MVC-imposed suspension and are in compliance with all IDRC requirements, including any recommended treatment. You also pay the $100 restoration fee and meet any ignition interlock requirement.
Finding your IDRC
The IDP assigns you to an IDRC automatically. The state’s directory lists every county 12-hour center and regional 48-hour program with addresses and phone numbers:
Source & accuracy: the 12-hour and 48-hour formats, the scheduling notice, the 4-week call-center rule, the out-of-state rules and the noncompliance steps come from the Intoxicated Driving Program’s DUI Conviction Fact Sheet. The education topics come from the state IDP brochure. The first-offense IDRC requirement, the noncompliance penalty and the one-year treatment limit come from N.J.S.A. 39:4-50 (as amended by P.L. 2019, c. 248). The fee table, which offenders go to county vs regional centers, and the restoration process come from the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission. The virtual 12-hour class details are one county’s (Monmouth) and may differ elsewhere. Your sentence and your assigned IDRC control, so confirm details with them. We are an independent directory. We do not run programs, we cannot enroll you, and none of these links are affiliate links. This is general information, not legal advice. Sources: NJ DMHAS — Intoxicated Driving Program, IDP DUI Conviction Fact Sheet (PDF), IDP brochure (PDF), IDRC directory (PDF), P.L. 2019, c. 248 (N.J.S.A. 39:4-50), NJ MVC — Suspensions, Monmouth County virtual 12-hour IDRC form (PDF).