New Jersey’s REAL ID deadline: What residents need to know

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If you have plans to board a commercial flight, the deadline to get a REAL ID driver’s license to use as identification is fast approaching.

Starting May 7, only a REAL ID driver’s license will be accepted in New Jersey and across the country, unless you have another federally approved ID, such as a passport.

William Connolly, press secretary for the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission, said Garden State drivers who want a REAL ID can still get one.

“What we have done at the Motor Vehicle Commission is repeatedly add appointments and reallocate resources to better meet the really, really high demand for REAL ID right now,” he said.

Where to schedule a REAL ID appointment in N.J.

Connolly said New Jersey residents still need appointments to get a REAL ID. Licensing centers and mobile units across the Garden State are currently issuing them.

“Right now you can get a REAL ID at either a REAL ID appointment, [or] a license renewal appointment, and that is eligible for people who have licenses that are expiring within three months, and also at mobile unit appointments,” he said.

Connolly added, “Any New Jerseyan can get a REAL ID at any appointment [location] that MVC services,” he said. “You don’t need to go to your nearest location, you can go to another location. We add about 3,500 appointments each business morning.”

One new initiative that’s proven to be popular is called REAL ID Thursdays, which adds an additional 4,500 appointments every Thursday at MVC offices across the state.

Can you get a REAL ID after the enforcement deadline?

He said some people may think May 7 is the deadline to obtain a REAL ID, but that is not the case.

“May 7 is the beginning of enforcement. Enforcement will start that date, but you can get a REAL ID afterwards,” Connolly said. “We don’t want people to be panicked, we want people to make an informed decision, and we will continue to issue REAL ID in New Jersey after May 7.”

He said having a REAL ID is convenient, but it’s not mandatory.

“[If] you have a passport or another federally accepted ID, you can use that to enter federal facilities or board an aircraft. There are a lot of people in New Jersey who have a passport; those individuals, whether they want to get a REAL ID or not, it’s up to them,” he said.

What’s the difference between REAL ID and a standard driver’s license?

Connolly said it’s easy to see what kind of driver’s license you have by examining the front of your license.

“Standard New Jersey licenses have the words ‘not for REAL ID purposes’ on them, so if you have those words on your license, you have a standard license. If you have a REAL ID, you have a star in the upper right-hand corner,” Connolly said.

More information about the exact kind of identification needed to get a REAL ID in New Jersey can be found online.