In this paper, breakdown voltages in $SF_6-N_2$ mixtures were experimentally investigated to understand characteristics of dielectric strength and physical phenomena in nonuniform field disturbed by a needle shape protrusion. The test voltages are the lightning impulse$(pm1.2/44 mus)$ and the damped oscillatory impulse$(pm400 ns / 0.83 MHz)$ voltages which can be occurred by the operation of disconnecting switches in gas-insulated switchgears(GIS). The effects of the polarity and wave shape of the test voltages, and the gas pressure on the V-t characteristics were in detail examined. The V-t characteristic curves were measured in different two ways : (1) one is the method by taking the maximum voltage recorded at or prior to breakdown against the time to breakdown, that is, the Procedures recommended in IEC 60060-1, (2) the other is the method by taking the voltage at the instant of chopping against the time to breakdown. As a result, the V-t characteristics of $SF_6-N_2$ mixtures in nonuniform electric field were significantly affected by the polarity and wave shape of the applied voltages. The positive breakdown voltages resulted in lower breakdown voltages in the time ranges considered, and the V-t curves for the negative oscillatory impulse voltage were extended over the longer time range. For the lightning impulse voltages, the V-t curves obtained by IEC Pub. 60060-1 were nearly same with the V-t curves obtained by the voltage at the instant of chopping against the time to breakdown. It is clear that the actual breakdown voltages were much lower than the maximum voltages appearing at or prior to breakdown because of the displacement current produced as a result of the dV/dt during the oscillatory transient voltage app1ication. The scattering of the negative actual breakdown voltages was much larger than that of the positive.