NJ MVC Will Be Adding More REAL ID Appointments, As Deadline Looms

NEW JERSEY — The deadline to get a federally approved REAL ID in order to board domestic air flights has been pushed back again, but it is still approaching.

Starting 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.

However, starting May 3, 2023 you must show a REAL ID if you use your driver's license to board planes.

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

However, it has been nearly impossible to get an appointment on the MVC website and been that way for the past several months, if not longer.

"We will be adding a significant number of REAL ID opportunities in coming months, with plans for several initiatives that will make REAL ID more broadly available," said MVC spokesperson William Connolly on Friday. "This will include dedicated REAL ID events, using our existing facilities as well as MVC mobile units."

He also said the best way to get a REAL ID now is at a driver's license renewal appointment. Those appointments are widely available within a day or two at all 24 Licensing Centers across the state.

New Jersey has been issuing REAL ID since September 2019.

What is REAL ID?

REAL ID is a federal program that establishes minimum security requirements for state-issued IDs. As of May 3, 2023, passengers on domestic flights will have to present a REAL ID or a passport in order to board.

The REAL ID Act was passed in 2005, and the original deadline of October 2020 was set by President Donald Trump's administration. That deadline was then extended by a year due to the coronavirus.

Last year, the Department of Homeland Security extended the deadline another 19 months, from October 2021 to May 2023, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.

The program is opposed by 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.

The attempt by the federal government to create a REAL ID was opposed by some U.S. states under President George W. Bush and REAL ID was not enforced under President Barack Obama.

REAL IDs don't look much different from a standard New Jersey driver's license — except REAL IDs have a 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.

Doing this gets you a star icon on your license, which means it is REAL ID compliant.

Getting a REAL ID must be done in-person at the MVC. Here are the documents you have to bring with you for your REAL ID appointment: https://www.nj.gov/mvc/realid/...

The application will also require the DMV to take a new photo for your new license.

A New Jersey REAL ID license or ID costs $35, compared to a standard license or ID at $24. It is not mandatory to get a REAL ID. But you will need it to fly within the U.S. if you don't have a valid passport.

It is not required to get a REAL ID to drive. Children under 18 do not need REAL IDs to board airplanes if they are accompanied by an adult.

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