How to report a pothole in New Jersey, and what happens when you do

🚘 New Jersey ranks eighth among the states with the worst pothole problems

🚘 Mild winters usually result in fewer potholes

🚘 NJDOT only handles state-operated roads

So far this year, about 120,000 potholes have been filled on state roads and interstate highways in New Jersey.

Garden State drivers should be really happy with that number. By mid-November last year, the number of repairs for 2022 was above 285,000.

“Last winter, we had one of our mildest winters on record, and we saw that in the condition of our roads,” said Steve Shapiro, press director for the New Jersey Department of Transportation.

With more moderate temperatures, water that seeped into asphalt cracks didn’t have as much opportunity to freeze and expand.

New Jersey isn’t the worst state in the country for “pothole problems,” according to USA Today Blueprint rankings. Based on an analysis of online searches from January 2020 to October 2023, New Jersey ranked eighth with Maryland.

Washington, Minnesota and Michigan were ranked as the states with the most pothole problems.

NJDOT’s established goal is for at least 80% of roads to be in “good or acceptable condition,” meaning they are not in need of repairs. Today, 81 percent of New Jersey roads meet that mark, Shapiro said. In 2008, this percentage was 47%.

How to report a pothole in New Jersey

NJDOT crews can repair potholes any time during the year, but their busiest repair season is spring, when the state’s snow melts after winter.

Crews monitor NJDOT-maintained roads for potholes that need filling, but many of their leads come from motorists.

The interactive map on the NJDOT website allows you to place a pin where you see the problem.

Reports can also be submitted by calling 1-800-POTHOLE. When you report a problem, you want to know the name of the road, the direction of travel (east or west, for example), and the nearest mile marker or street intersection.

“Once a complaint comes in, even from just one person, it will be entered into the system and our crews will go out to investigate as part of their normal routine,” Shapiro said.

If there is a problem on a county road and it is not maintained by the state, you can report it by calling the appropriate pothole hotline. New Jersey also does not handle the Atlantic City Expressway, Garden State Parkway, or New Jersey Turnpike.

New Jersey also gives motorists the opportunity to file a claim for damage caused by a pothole on a state-operated road. Claimants have a duty to prove that NJDOT was aware of the problem and failed to address it.

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