NJ Changes REAL ID Requirements As Deadline Creeps Closer

NEW JERSEY - For those still seeking to obtain a REAL ID before next year’s deadline, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission has made obtaining one a bit easier.

Starting on May 3, 2023, you must have a REAL ID-compliant driver's license to fly within the U.S., unless you use a valid U.S. passport. Until that date, a standard New Jersey driver's license will be valid for air travel within the U.S.

Starting June 15, the MVC will no longer require registrants to show a social security card or other document to prove SSN, thanks to an electronically verified database with the Social Security Administration. The database can be used for information verification for Standard driver’s licenses and other ID cards in New Jersey as well, the MVC said in a statement.

The MVC change comes amid 2020’s federal Real ID Modernization Act, which slashes the requirement for drivers to show social security number documentation when applying for a REAL ID. It overpowers a 2019 state law that requires social security number proof to be shown via documentation during the application process.

New Jersey has been issuing REAL ID since September 2019.

But the program hasn't been recieved well by all, including the ACLU, which says it is a thinly veiled attempt to create a national ID. The ACLU also says the ID will allow the federal government to collect even more information on residents, as well as place a burden on state governments to issue the ID cards.

REAL IDs don't look much different from a standard New Jersey driver's license, save for REAL IDs' signature yellow star. The license itself doesn't have any new information, but in order to receive one, you have to go to the MVC and prove your identity, your New Jersey residency, your lawful presence in the country and your Social Security status.

A REAL ID is not a driver's license and won’t be required to drive. Children under 18 do not need REAL IDs to board airplanes if they are accompanied by an adult.

A New Jersey REAL ID license or ID costs $35, compared to a standard license or ID at $24.

You can get a REAL ID by making an appointment with the New Jersey MVC, and you can get a REAL ID appointment here.

With reporting by Carly Baldwin.