New Jersey’s REAL ID deadline: What residents need to know
Starting May 7, REAL IDs will be the only driver’s licenses accepted to board a plane or enter a federal building.
Listen 0:57
The REAL ID New Jersey driver's license has a white star in gold in the upper right-hand corner. (N.J. Motor Vehicle Commission)
From Camden and Cherry Hill to Trenton and the Jersey Shore, what about life in New Jersey do you want WHYY News to cover? Let us know.
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.
What if I have an emergency and need a REAL ID?
Additional appointments will be available in the REAL ID emergency issuance program, said press secretary William Connolly.
“These appointments are only available for those that meet specific requirements about a life-or-death emergency or travel plans within 14 days, and for those individuals that do not have an acceptable form of identification to clear [Transportation Security Administration] checkpoints,” he said.
What are the life-or-death requirements?
According to the MVC, a REAL ID emergency appointment is available to those who need to travel by plane domestically in the next 14 days because of a life-threatening illness or injury, or if an immediate family member has either died, is dying or has a life-threatening illness or injury.
Who qualifies as an immediate family member?
The following individuals are considered to be immediate family members, according to the MVC:
- A parent
- A legal guardian
- A spouse
- A sibling
- A grandparent
Aunts, uncles, cousins or any other relative is not considered to be an immediate family member.
Proof of the emergency
For emergency REAL ID appointments, the MVC will require documentation, which could include:
- A death certificate
- A statement from a mortuary
- A letter from a hospital, on hospital letterhead, signed by a doctor explaining the life-threatening medical condition
If the document submitted is not in English, the MVC requires that it be translated by a professional translator.
Proof of ‘travel plans’
Residents will also have to:
- Confirm they don’t have a passport (up to one year expired from the travel date) or other TSA-approved forms of ID
- Submit a copy of an airline ticket
- Provide an invoice with travel dates and proof of payment
In addition to that, residents will need two proofs of residential address, a verifiable Social Security number and identity documents that add up to six points of ID, Connolly said. A complete list of identification requirements and options can be found online.
The cost of an emergency REAL ID appointment
An emergency REAL ID appointment will cost an additional $80 shipping fee.
“This fee is solely to cover the expedited shipping, it does not cover the cost of the actual license,” he said. “MVC is not making additional money off of this.”
The cost of the actual REAL ID license in New Jersey is $35.
To qualify for an emergency REAL ID appointment, residents need to make an appointment through the online portal.
Individuals who get an emergency REAL ID appointment will be scheduled and serviced at the MVC’s Trenton Regional Center.
Connolly said demand for REAL ID in New Jersey and across the nation has skyrocketed over the past several months as the deadline approaches, and the MVC continues to offer 3,500 new appointments every day, along with mobile REAL ID appointment vehicles traveling around the state. The REAL ID Thursdays initiative also offers an extra 4,600 appointments every week.
He stressed that REAL ID is not mandatory, and said that many New Jersey residents, if they do not have a REAL ID, probably have a passport or another federally approved ID they can use to board a plane or enter a federal building.
“As we navigate this really high demand for REAL ID right now, we want our customers to make a considered choice and decide whether they need to get a REAL ID at this exact moment,” he said.
Noble said the requirements to get an emergency REAL ID appointment are severe, but necessary.
“Without them there would be an onslaught of people without an immediate need who simply decided they need it [the REAL ID license] now,” she said.
She said once the REAL ID deadline arrives, everyone will be treated the same.
“If you are somebody who thinks it does not apply to you, you are mistaken,” she said.
Connolly said the MVC cannot guarantee it will be able to accommodate all appointment requests, and the emergency REAL ID appointment program will continue for the foreseeable future.
Get daily updates from WHYY News!
WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.
An emergency REAL ID program requires proof of a life-or-death crisis, documented travel plans and an $80 shipping fee.
1 week ago
Listen 1:17
If you don’t get a Real ID when you renew your license in N.J., it could take months
The state of New Jersey is limiting appointments for converting a standard license to Real ID, so people who want one should convert at renewal time.
3 years ago
No more DMV! Pa. driver’s license renewals to be done online
Existing photos will be used for all renewals, allowing drivers to avoid having to go to a local Division of Motor Vehicles center.
5 years ago