New Jersey has the same levels of criminal offenses as other states. A disorderly persons offense under New Jersey law is essentially a misdemeanor. An indictable crime is a felony. The key difference is the severity of the penalty that the charge carries. Under NJSA 2C:1-4, a disorderly persons offense is punishable by less than one year in jail. The most serious of indictable offenses are punished as first-degree crimes under NJSA 2C:43-1—at minimum, conviction carries between 10-20 years in prison.