Increases degree of crime for unlawful taking of motor vehicle.

A110

ASSEMBLY, No. 110

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION

Sponsored by:

Assemblyman AL BARLAS

District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)

Assemblyman CHRISTOPHER P. DEPHILLIPS

District 40 (Bergen, Essex and Passaic)

Co-Sponsored by:

Assemblymen Azzariti Jr., Auth and S.Kean

SYNOPSIS

���� Increases degree of crime for unlawful taking of
motor vehicle.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.

��

An Act
concerning unlawful taking of a motor vehicle and
amending. N.J.S.2C:20-10.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� N.J.S.2C:20-10 is
amended to read as follows:

���� 2C:20-10.� Unlawful Taking of
Means of Conveyance

���� �a.�� A person commits a
disorderly persons offense if, with purpose to withhold temporarily from the
owner, he takes, operates, or exercises control over any means of conveyance,
other than a motor vehicle, without consent of the owner or other person authorized
to give consent.� "Means of conveyance" includes but is not limited
to motor vehicles, bicycles, motorized bicycles, boats, horses, vessels,
surfboards, rafts, skimobiles, airplanes, trains, trams and trailers. It is an
affirmative defense to prosecution under subsections a., b. and c. of this
section that the actor reasonably believed that the owner or any other person
authorized to give consent would have consented to the operation had he known
of it.�

���� �b.�� A person commits a crime
of the
[
fourth
]

third

degree if, with purpose to withhold temporarily from the owner, he takes,
operates or exercises control over a motor vehicle without the consent of the
owner or other person authorized to give consent.�

���� �c.�� A person commits a crime
of the
[
third
]

second

degree if, with purpose to withhold temporarily from the owner, he takes,
operates or exercises control over a motor vehicle without the consent of the
owner or other person authorized to give consent and operates the motor vehicle
in a manner that creates a risk of injury to any person or a risk of damage to
property.�

���� �d.�� A person commits a crime
of the fourth degree if he enters and rides in a motor vehicle knowing that the
motor vehicle has been taken or is being operated without the consent of the
owner or other person authorized to consent.�

(cf: P.L.1993, c.134, s.1)

���� 2.��� This act shall take
effect immediately.

STATEMENT

���� This bill increases the
penalties for joyriding.

���� Specifically, the bill
increases the degree of crime for unlawful taking of a motor vehicle without
the consent of the owner or other person authorized to give consent.

���� Currently, the unlawful
taking, operation, or exercise of control over a motor vehicle without the
consent of the owner or other authorized person is a fourth degree crime.� This
bill makes it a third degree crime for any person to commit such an act.�

���� A third degree crime is
punishable by three to five years imprisonment, a fine of up to $15,000, or
both.

���� Finally, this bill increases
the degree of crime for any person to take, operate, or exercise control over a
motor vehicle without the consent of the owner or other person authorized to
give consent in a manner that creates a risk of injury to any person or a risk
of damage to property.� Currently, this is a third degree crime.� This bill
makes it a second degree crime to commit such an act.�

���� A second degree crime is
punishable by five to 10 years imprisonment, a fine of up to $150,000, or both.