To help speed up sign-ups for REAL ID driver’s licenses, Gov. Phil Murphy and New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Acting Chief Administrator Latrecia Littles-Floyd Friday announced the introduction of “REAL ID Tuesdays” at licensing centers ahead of May 7 when the federal government begins enforcing REAL ID.
Starting that day, individuals will be required to provide a REAL ID-compliant driver license or ID, or another federally approved form of identification, such as a passport, to board domestic flights and enter certain federal facilities.
“REAL ID Tuesdays” will be held every other Tuesday starting May 20, with a goal of adding about 5,200 REAL ID appointments every two weeks at licensing centers. These new appointments for “REAL ID Tuesdays” will be available for booking on the NJMVC’s appointment scheduler starting May 5. It costs $11 more to upgrade a current license or ID to a REAL ID at renewal in New Jersey. The standard NJ license/ID costs $24, and a REAL ID costs $35. A driver’s renewal date is unchanged.
“The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission has been working non-stop to help as many eligible New Jerseyans as possible obtain a Real ID. Our challenges are not unique to New Jersey–every state in the nation is facing similar pressures as the deadline approaches. Our state has made Real IDs available for the past five and a half years—since September 2019. We are currently issuing approximately 23,000 Real ID’s per week and remain focused on delivering efficient service and to ensure that every eligible New Jerseyan can secure one,” NJMVC spokesperson William Connolly said.
The Garden State has been lagged behind the other 49 states in signing up for the REAL ID licenses. A CBS News analysis from April 7-18 shows New Jersey has the lowest compliance of 49 states, with just 17% of the population getting a REAL ID.
One possible reason New Jersey is last in signing up for Real ID is because it leads the nation for the number of people who have U.S passports, according to the Center for American progress. New Jersey leads the U.S. with 79% of its citizens holding a valid U.S. passport in 2024, which the center says is the highest in the nation. Passports meet Real ID standards for proof of identity and residence.
To get a New Jersey REAL ID, a person should make an NJMCV Appointment at a local MVC licensing center and provide:
- Proof of Identity. This may include your:
- U.S. birth certificate.
- U.S. passport.
- U.S. Certificate of Naturalization.
- Proof of Social Security. This may include your:
- Social security card.
- W-2 form issued within the last year.
- Pay stub that includes your full name and social security number (SSN).
- Proof of residency. You will need 2 documents to prove your New Jersey Residency. This may include your:
- Valid New Jersey license or ID.
- A utility or credit card bill issued within the last 90 days.
- Any correspondence received from the IRS within the last year.
- The 6 points of ID you’re required to show at the MVC for most standard transactions (the documents you’ve already provided may count toward this).
The program is part of the Real ID Act that was passed by Congress in 2005 after the publication of the 9/11 Commission Report in an effort to increase security of identification documents, making them more difficult to duplicate.
