Rules of Court · Part 7 · New Jersey
R. 7:6-3 New Jersey Rules of Court, R. 7:6-3: Guilty Plea by Mail or in an Electronic System in Non-Traffic Offenses., rendered as code with every cross-reference linked
Guilty Plea by Mail or in an Electronic System in Non-Traffic Offenses.
(a) Entry of Guilty Plea by Mail or in an Electronic System. In all non-traffic and non-parking offenses, except as limited below, on consideration of a written or electronically submitted application, supported by certification, with notice to the complaining witness and prosecutor, and at the time and place scheduled for trial, the judge may permit the defendant to enter a guilty plea by mail or in an electronic system approved by the Administrative Director of the Courts. The guilty plea by mail form or electronic application may also include a statement for the court to consider when determining the appropriate sentence. Entry of a guilty plea by mail or submitted in the electronic system shall not be available for the following:
(1) cases involving the imposition of a mandatory term of incarceration on conviction, unless defendant is currently incarcerated and the mandatory term of incarceration would be served concurrently and would not extend the period of incarceration;
(2) cases involving an issue of the identity of the defendant;
(3) cases involving acts of domestic violence;
(4) cases where the prosecution intends to seek the imposition of a custodial term in the event of a conviction, unless defendant is currently incarcerated and the proposed term of incarceration would not extend the period of incarceration and would be served concurrently; and
(5) any other case where excusing the defendant's appearance in municipal court would not be in the interest of justice.
(b) Plea Form Submitted by Mail or in the Electronic System - Certification. The guilty plea shall be submitted on a form by mail or in an electronic system approved by the Administrative Director of the Courts.
(c) Plea of Guilty by Mail or in the Electronic System--Acknowledgements, Waiver and Certification.
(1) In those cases in which a defendant may enter a plea of guilty to a non-traffic offense by mail or in the electronic system, the plea shall include:
(a) an acknowledgment that the defendant committed the non-traffic offense to which the defendant is pleading guilty and a factual basis for the plea;
(b) a waiver of the defendant's right to contest the case at a trial, the right to appear personally in court, and, if not represented by an attorney, a waiver of the right to be represented by an attorney; and
(c) an acknowledgment by the defendant that the plea of guilty is being entered voluntarily with understanding of the nature of the charge and the consequences of the plea.
(2) In those cases in which an attorney submits a plea of guilty on behalf of the defendant through the electronic system, the plea shall include a certification signed by the defendant that recites the terms of the plea; specifies that the defendant has reviewed such terms; establishes a factual basis for the plea; and establishes that the plea of guilty is being entered voluntarily with understanding of the nature of the charge and the consequences of the plea.
(d) Scheduling and Judgment.
(1) For guilty pleas submitted in the electronic system in matters that require review by the municipal prosecutor, the court shall enter the disposition in the electronic system. The matter may be scheduled for disposition on the record in open court at the discretion of the municipal court judge.
(2) For guilty pleas submitted on a manual plea by mail form or in the electronic system that do not involve the municipal prosecutor's review, the court shall schedule the matter to be heard on the record in open court.
(3) The court shall send a copy of its decision by ordinary mail or through the electronic system to the defendant, the complaining witness, and attorneys who have entered an appearance.
Note: Adopted June 15, 2007 to be effective September 1, 2007; caption amended, paragraph (a) caption and text amended, paragraph (b) caption and text amended, former paragraph (c) deleted, and new paragraphs (c) and (d) adopted July 30, 2021 to be effective September 1, 2021.
Verbatim rule text, unmarked. Nothing here is a summary.
rule 7:6-3 "Guilty Plea by Mail or in an Electronic System in Non-Traffic Offenses." {
(a) Entry of Guilty Plea by Mail or in an Electronic System. In all non-traffic and non-parking offenses, except as limited below, on consideration of a written or electronically submitted application, supported by certification, with notice to the complaining witness and prosecutor, and at the time and place scheduled for trial, the judge may permit the defendant to enter a guilty plea by mail or in an electronic system approved by the Administrative Director of the Courts. The guilty plea by mail form or electronic application may also include a statement for the court to consider when determining the appropriate sentence. Entry of a guilty plea by mail or submitted in the electronic system shall not be available for the following:
(1) cases involving the imposition of a mandatory term of incarceration on conviction, unless defendant is currently incarcerated and the mandatory term of incarceration would be served concurrently and would not extend the period of incarceration;
(2) cases involving an issue of the identity of the defendant;
(3) cases involving acts of domestic violence;
(4) cases where the prosecution intends to seek the imposition of a custodial term in the event of a conviction, unless defendant is currently incarcerated and the proposed term of incarceration would not extend the period of incarceration and would be served concurrently; and
(5) any other case where excusing the defendant's appearance in municipal court would not be in the interest of justice.
(b) Plea Form Submitted by Mail or in the Electronic System - Certification. The guilty plea shall be submitted on a form by mail or in an electronic system approved by the Administrative Director of the Courts.
(c) Plea of Guilty by Mail or in the Electronic System--Acknowledgements, Waiver and Certification.
(1) In those cases in which a defendant may enter a plea of guilty to a non-traffic offense by mail or in the electronic system, the plea shall include:
(a) an acknowledgment that the defendant committed the non-traffic offense to which the defendant is pleading guilty and a factual basis for the plea;
(b) a waiver of the defendant's right to contest the case at a trial, the right to appear personally in court, and, if not represented by an attorney, a waiver of the right to be represented by an attorney; and
(c) an acknowledgment by the defendant that the plea of guilty is being entered voluntarily with understanding of the nature of the charge and the consequences of the plea.
(2) In those cases in which an attorney submits a plea of guilty on behalf of the defendant through the electronic system, the plea shall include a certification signed by the defendant that recites the terms of the plea; specifies that the defendant has reviewed such terms; establishes a factual basis for the plea; and establishes that the plea of guilty is being entered voluntarily with understanding of the nature of the charge and the consequences of the plea.
(d) Scheduling and Judgment.
(1) For guilty pleas submitted in the electronic system in matters that require review by the municipal prosecutor, the court shall enter the disposition in the electronic system. The matter may be scheduled for disposition on the record in open court at the discretion of the municipal court judge.
(2) For guilty pleas submitted on a manual plea by mail form or in the electronic system that do not involve the municipal prosecutor's review, the court shall schedule the matter to be heard on the record in open court.
(3) The court shall send a copy of its decision by ordinary mail or through the electronic system to the defendant, the complaining witness, and attorneys who have entered an appearance.
Note: Adopted June 15, 2007 to be effective September 1, 2007; caption amended, paragraph (a) caption and text amended, paragraph (b) caption and text amended, former paragraph (c) deleted, and new paragraphs (c) and (d) adopted July 30, 2021 to be effective September 1, 2021.
}
referenced_by: 6:4-2
source: njcourts.gov // verbatim; changed 2025-09-22; corpus harvested 2026-09-02← R. 7:6-2 · chapter 7:6 · all rules
The Rules of Court are a government edict and carry no copyright; the text above is the Judiciary’s own publication, unchanged. Structure, links and highlighting are ours and carry no legal weight. Read the rule on njcourts.gov before you rely on it; amendments take effect each September 1.