New Jersey gets 9-month extension to meet new ID rules

New Jersey has been given a nine-month extension to have its drivers’ licenses meet national proof-of-identity requirements.

Motor Vehicle Commission spokeswoman Mairin Bellack said Monday that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security last month extended the state’s exemption for Real ID requirements from Jan. 10 to Oct. 10.

Without the exemption, state-issued drivers’ licenses and non-driver IDs would not be accepted to get into most federal facilities. That includes military bases and may one day include commercial airplane travel.

Bellack said the state had its exemption extended because it is taking steps to meet requirements of the Real ID act.

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Among the things New Jersey is working on is allowing more than nine characters of a name to be included and requiring people have their photo taken immediately upon reaching the counter.

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