N.J. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 7

N.J. Stat. tit. 5, ch. 7
in effect

N.J. Stat. § 5:7-8 License required; fee

No person shall operate or conduct any motor vehicle races or exhibitions of motor vehicle driving skill, or any track or other place for the holding of such races or exhibitions, unless a license to operate and conduct the same shall be first obtained from the Department of Law and Public Safety, which license said department may, in its discretion, issue to any applicant therefor upon compliance with the provisions of this act and the rules and regulations issued pursuant thereto, and the payment of a fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) in the manner hereinafter provided. L.1953, c. 174, p. 1439, s. 1.

N.J. Stat. § 5:7-9 Application for license

Application for a license to operate or conduct a track or other place for the holding of such races or exhibitions shall be made in writing to the department at least thirty days prior to the date on which any race or exhibition, or series of races or exhibitions, shall be held thereon, which application shall describe the track or place desired to be licensed and shall contain such further information as the department may require and such application shall be accompanied by a fee of one hundred dollars ($100.00) of which seventy-five dollars ($75.00) shall be returned to the applicant if the license be refused. L.1953, c. 174, p. 1440, s. 2.

N.J. Stat. § 5:7-10 Guard or hub rail; fence; compliance with rules and regulations

No license shall be issued for the operation or conduct of any such track or other place unless (a) There is provided and maintained on the outer circumference of the track and around the entire outer circumference thereof, and in case spectators are permitted in the infield or within the inner circumference of the track, also on the inner circumference of the track and around the entire inner circumference thereof, (1) a guard or hub rail of hard wood or other suitable material supported by posts of similar material of at least six inches in width and six inches in thickness, or round posts not less than seven inches in diameter, which are set in the ground at least four feet and shall extend above the ground at least two feet and are spaced not more than six feet apart, upon which are mounted on the side of the posts toward the track two planks of hard wood or other suitable material, at least ten inches in width by three inches in thickness, fastened on the face of the posts and running horizontally and parallel to each other and there is attached on the opposite side of the posts and not more than eight inches from the top thereof a three-quarter inch steel cable running around the circumference of the track and securely fastened with eyebolts to the posts or (2) such other protective devices of a type or character as shall be approved by the department, after hearing in accordance herewith, and (b) There is provided along any part of the track where spectators are permitted to be, whether outside of the track or in the infield, a fence of a type approved by the department, six feet in height, and located not less than four feet away from the edge of the track, and (c) The applicant shall have complied with all rules and regulations made by the department under this act relating to matters of track construction and condition, guard rails, pit facilities, lighting and similar safety measures. L.1953, c. 174, p. 1440, s. 3.

N.J. Stat. § 5:7-11 License; expiration date; revocation; reinstatement

Each license so issued shall expire on the thirty-first of December following the date of its issuance. Any such license may be revoked at any time, however, for failure of the licensee to comply with the requirements of this act and of the rules and regulations made thereunder relating to the issuance of licenses. A licensee shall be afforded at least three days' notice of revocation and a reasonable opportunity to be heard prior thereto. A license which has been revoked may be reinstated by the department upon compliance with the requirements of this act and payment of a reinstatement fee of twenty dollars ($20.00). L.1953, c. 174, p. 1441, s. 4.

N.J. Stat. § 5:7-12 License for race or exhibition; compliance with rules; guard personnel

No license shall be issued for the holding of any motor vehicle race or exhibition of motor vehicle driving skill unless the department is satisfied that all provisions of this act and of the rules and regulations made under this act governing the physical conditions surrounding or relating to such track or place have been complied with, that all gateways into the track will be provided with guard personnel sufficient in the judgment of the department for the protection of spectators, but not more than one guard shall be required for a single gate or two guards for a double gate, and that provision is made for the protection of spectators against accident by the carrying of appropriate insurance as hereinafter provided. L.1953, c. 174, p. 1441, s. 5.

N.J. Stat. § 5:7-13 License for race or exhibition; liability insurance

No license shall be issued for the holding of any motor vehicle race or exhibition of motor vehicle driving skill until the person applying for the license shall have filed with the department evidence satisfactory to it of the issuance of an insurance policy approved by the department and conditioned, in the case of a race or exhibition at a track or other place accommodating less than one thousand people, for the payment of not less than twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000.00) to any one person obtaining judgment, and not less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) on all judgments recovered, and for the payment of not less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00) to any one person obtaining judgment, and not less than one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000.00) on all judgments recovered, in the case of all other races or exhibitions, upon a claim or claims arising out of the same transaction or transactions, connected with the same subject of action (to be apportioned ratably among judgment creditors according to the amount of their respective judgments) for damages because of bodily injury, including death at any time resulting therefrom, caused to any person or persons, other than the driver, and all pit area personnel as the result of an accident occurring as a result of the conduct of any motor vehicle race or exhibition of motor vehicle driving skill, for which the license is granted, under which policy the liability of the company shall become absolute when loss or damage covered by the policy occurs, and satisfaction by the insured of a final judgment for the loss or damage shall not be a condition precedent to the right or duty of said company to make payment on account of the loss or damage and which policy shall not be cancellable or annulled as to any loss or damage by an agreement between the carrier and the insured after the insured has become responsible for the loss or damage or in any other event, except on ten days prior notice to the department. L.1953, c. 174, p. 1442, s. 6.

N.J. Stat. § 5:7-14 Rules and regulations

The department shall formulate and prescribe rules and regulations not inconsistent with this act, which shall be formulated in each year after holding a public hearing in the months of January or February, notice whereof shall be sent by mail to each licensed track owner of the preceding year at least ten days before the hearing. Said rules and regulations shall prescribe the types or character of protective devices designed to protect participants in and spectators attending any such race or exhibition, including, but not limited to, the matters of track construction and condition, guard rails, pit facilities, lighting, inspection of vehicles and equipment, physical conditions of drivers, fire protection and medical and ambulance facilities and generally governing the conduct of all motor vehicle races and exhibitions of motor vehicle driving skill to be held within this State and governing the issuance of licenses therefor. L.1953, c. 174, p. 1443, s. 7.

N.J. Stat. § 5:7-15 Inspection by department

The department shall have power at all convenient times to inspect any race track or place of exhibition, licensed by it or for which application for license has been made to it, for which any license for the holding of any motor vehicle race or exhibition of motor vehicle driving skill has been applied for or issued. L.1953, c. 174, p. 1443, s. 8.

N.J. Stat. § 5:7-16 Employees

The department is authorized and directed, insofar as possible, to utilize the services of employees of the several divisions of the department to perform the functions and duties charged to it under this act and to appoint and remove, subject to the provisions of Title 11 of the Revised Statutes, such additional personnel necessary to assist it in the performance of the duties imposed by this act. L.1953, c. 174, p. 1443, s. 9.

N.J. Stat. § 5:7-17 Disposition of fees

All fees received by the department pursuant to this act shall be paid and accounted for by it to the State Treasurer for credit to the general funds of the State. L.1953, c. 174, p. 1444, s. 10.

N.J. Stat. § 5:7-18 Violations

Any person, partnership, association or corporation managing, operating, or conducting a motor vehicle race or exhibition of motor vehicle driving skill, except in accordance with a license issued therefor, or violating any of the provisions of this act, shall be a disorderly person, and upon conviction shall be punished for each such offense, by a fine of not less than two hundred dollars ($200.00) and not more than one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) or by imprisonment for not more than one year, or by both such fine and imprisonment. L.1953, c. 174, p. 1444, s. 11.

N.J. Stat. § 5:7-19 Repeal

"An act concerning motor vehicle racing and exhibitions of motor vehicle driving skill, providing for the issuance of licenses therefor, the inspection of tracks and maintenance of guard rails and fences for the protection of spectators and prescribing penalties for violations thereof," approved May twenty-seventh, one thousand nine hundred and fifty-two, is repealed but all licenses and permits issued thereunder shall continue in full force and effect until the expiration thereof. L.1953, c. 174, p. 1444, s. 12.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/legislative-activity/statutesFetched: 10/17/2026