NJ Issues Important Update On Driver's License Changes, REAL ID

NEW JERSEY – More changes have been made and additional services are now available to anyone who needs to obtain the REAL ID and take care of the big changes you need to make to your New Jersey driver's license.

And you'll need to do those changes soon if you want to get on a plane or gain access to many other things.

The Motor Vehicle Commission says it is fully operational for obtaining the REAL ID – by appointment only – in South Brunswick, Trenton, Eatontown, Delanco, Medford, Cherry Hill and Bayonne.

The MVC is testing REAL ID in eight additional agencies, according to Sue Fulton, chief administrator of the Motor Vehicle Commission. She did not identify those agencies, although she did say that anyone can try to schedule an appointment and participate in the testing by signing up at REALIDNJ.com.

A Patch reporter attempted to schedule an appointment and was told that South Plainfield was available, but the MVC declined to confirm whether that agency was undergoing testing.

The news comes more than a month after Fulton revealed what you need to know to start the process of obtaining the REAL ID.

After several delays, the MVC was staring down at a deadline to make the driver's license changes available to the public. New Jersey had an extension to comply with the federal regulations mandating the issuance of REAL IDs by Oct. 10.

Now, if you're a New Jersey resident, you need to get a "REAL ID" if you plan to fly anywhere in the U.S. on or after Oct. 1, 2020.

MVC employees have been training and getting familiar with the new systems that are intended to help put REAL IDs in place, officials say, and the MVC has had to fix a lot of bugs.

New Jersey had hoped to roll out REAL IDs by the end of May or early June.

But the delays happened because the MVC was undergoing computer software testing to "ensure that the systems are working as expected and that our employees are properly trained," MVC spokesman Jim Hooker.

"These were not yet available to the general public because, as we have said, we owe it to our customers to ensure that we do this right," Hooker has said. "We have 6 million drivers in New Jersey, and no one knows how many of them will want a REAL ID.”

New Jersey was one of four states that, until two months ago, had not yet provided REAL IDs. The federal government had granted extensions to New Jersey, Maine, Oklahoma and Oregon to comply.

The state also has developed a list of things you need to know. Bottom line: Getting one won't be as easy as you might have thought (see list of things you need to know below).

And even with the roll out, the Motor Vehicle Commission is expecting a lot of long lines to get the new REAL ID driver's license with a gold star stuck to it.

New Jersey officials say they're still working hard to develop an orderly transition that won't create too many of the inevitable long lines that have happened in the 40-plus states that have already issued REAL IDs.

Fulton acknowledged that New Jersey was slow in setting up the process to obtain a REAL ID but "we are on track to become the most successful in the country."

She said the technological systems in place were not adequate or updated enough to begin the process, suggesting that the Christie administration had not done enough to get the MVC ready.

Here is what else you must know:

• Fulton said the rollout is a "phase-in," but you can start the process of obtaining a REAL ID right now.
• The only way to get the REAL ID right now is by appointment.
• You need to make an appointment by going to https://www.realidnj.com and filling out a short form.
• You will get an email asking if you want to participate in the testing at several agencies after you sign up.
• Once the MVC determines that the REAL ID works at an agency, that agency will offer it to anybody.
• Obtaining a REAL ID at an agency should take about 20 minutes.
• To get a REAL ID, you need to bring two proofs of residential address, one proof of your Social Security number and six points of ID.
• The REAL ID looks like your traditional New Jersey driver license or ID, but with a gold star in the upper right corner. The standard driver license or ID looks similar, but instead of a gold star, it will have the words NOT FOR “REAL ID” PURPOSES written on it. Both the REAL ID driver license and the standard driver license are valid for driving. Here is what it will look like:

• There will be an $11 fee associated with changing your standard NJ driver license or non-driver ID to a REAL ID if not done at renewal.
• You will eventually get a REAL ID driver license or non-driver ID prior to the expiration of your current driver license or ID by visiting any New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Agency. This REAL ID driver license or ID will expire upon your current expiration date.
• You are not required to get a REAL ID. However, starting October 1, 2020, if you typically use your driver license or non-driver ID (instead of a passport or other form of ID) to fly domestically, you probably want a REAL ID. Otherwise you will need to use other acceptable identification such as a valid U.S. passport or military ID. The standard New Jersey driver license can still be used for driving.
• REAL IDs are best for those who typically use their driver license or non-driver ID (instead of a passport or other forms of ID) to fly domestically.
• If your current driver license or non-driver ID expires after Sept. 30, 2020, you can wait until renewal time. After that date, you'll need to use a passport or another form of acceptable identification for domestic air travel if you haven’t changed to a REAL ID driver license or ID.
• It is a federal requirement for security purposes that MVC scan the documents and keep them securely stored in an encrypted format.
• Your identification documents will be verified and, under certain circumstances, shared with the federal government. You can find out more by visiting the website https://www.realidnj.com.
• The MVC recommends you visit the agency during the middle of the month to potentially reduce your waiting time.
• The MVC will be adding more online services so drivers don’t have to visit an agency for certain transactions, such as renewing a standard driver license or non-driver ID. So check the website to see if you can skip the trip to Motor Vehicle.
• The MVC is increasing staffing so that it can serve people more quickly if you have to come to the agency in person. If you are getting a REAL ID for the first time, you will have to visit an MVC agency.