Only one in seven New Jersey drivers have opted for the more secure Real ID driver’s license and ID cards that in close to one year will be the only license accepted as identification for domestic air travel.
As of April 22, only 816,382 Real ID-compliant licenses and non-license identification cards have been issued by the state Motor Vehicle Commission compared to 6,160,472 standard licenses and IDs, said William Connolly, a MVC spokesperson.
That is less than the national average, according to U.S. Homeland Security. As of March 2023, approximately 151 million Real ID compliant licenses and cards have been issued nationwide, which represent approximately 53% of the population that holds either a drivers license or state-issued ID card.
The problem is as of May 7, 2025, the standard non-Real ID license and identification cards will not be accepted as ID by airport security for domestic air travel. Will there be a run on them as the May deadline approaches?
The problem for both the MVC and state motor vehicle departments across the country is how to predict and prepare for the likely wave of drivers trying to obtain a Real ID license or ID card at the last minute. Officials said there is no way to forecast what that demand will be.
How to get a Real ID
Getting a Real ID for the first time, or upgrading a standard license to a Real ID license both are in-person transactions that must be done at an MVC licensing center.
“The DMV is the point where people need to get their licenses and they also need to be strongly encouraging people to get a Real ID compliant license,” said Lisa Farbstein, a TSA spokesperson.
MVC officials said they’ve been publicizing the approaching deadline and encourage drivers not to wait.
“The MVC has been promoting Real ID through an ongoing media campaign, which will be expanded in summer 2024 to include a partnership with the TSA for airport advertising,” Connolly said. “The MVC’s media campaign parallels other federal campaigns that are promoting REAL ID, too.”
The TSA is helping states, by developing a website that includes a toolkit for states to use to help promote the need to acquire a Real ID, Farbstein said.
Getting a Real ID requires an appointment and is not considered a “walk-in transaction by the MVC. Real ID appointments that were hard to come by in early 2023 have become more readily available.
“The MVC has broad capacity to issue Real IDs, with same-day and next-day appointments available across the state at Licensing Centers,” Connolly said.
A recent check of the MVC website showed there were 44,584 available appointments to obtain a Real ID and 88,425 appointments available to renew and upgrade a standard license to a Real ID. and 14 of 28 licensing centers had same day appointments available.
Customers can get a Read ID at over 3,000 appointments each day, either at a license renewal appointment (for customers with licenses expiring within three months) or a REAL ID non-renewal appointment (for customers with licenses expiring later).
The MVC also acquired two more mobile agencies which have been deployed primarily to issue Real ID licenses.
“The MVC also provides customers with the opportunity to get a Real ID through four Mobile Units that crisscross the state bringing REAL ID processing and other MVC services directly into communities in coordination with local officials and civic groups,” Connolly said.
All appointments for a Real ID, at Licensing Centers and at the Mobile Units need to be scheduled on the MVC website, he said.
Unlike standard licenses, Real ID licenses and ID cards require more documents identifying and proving who a person is and where they live. The MVC has an online document selector to help pick the right documents.
What if you don’t have a Real ID after May 7, 2025
Real ID isn’t the only form of ID that will be accepted. Passports and other federally-issued documents will also be accepted.
“Due to a variety of factors, including the relatively high number of passport holders in New Jersey, it is not clear how many eligible residents will need or want to get a Real ID,” Connolly said.
New Jersey started issuing Real ID licenses and non-driver ID cards in September 2019, gradually phasing it in to more MVC agencies as staff were trained.
Don’t expect another extension
While the deadline to obtain a Real ID has been extended three times by federal Homeland Security, officials warned travelers not to expect another extension. Previous extensions were granted because the COVID-19 pandemic slowed the implementation process.
“With federal enforcement of Real ID coming in about a year, customers who will need or want a Real ID to board domestic flights or enter certain federal facilities should upgrade ahead of time to avoid any last-minute crunch,” Connolly said.
The Transportation Security Administration has held media events prior to the last deadline extension to increase public awareness and officials hinted more are coming.
“TSA of course will do what we can to publicize the fact that travelers will need a Real ID compliant form of ID, a license, passport or other acceptable ID to fly after the May 7, 2025 deadline,” Farbstein said.
Real ID is a more secure document
Real ID is a more secure, federally-mandated document that will be accepted at airports as identification and to enter federal buildings. The law creating it was passed after being recommended by the 9/11 Commission that investigated the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The license has various security features and digital photographs designed to make it difficult to counterfeit.
Individuals without lawful status in the U.S. are not eligible to obtain a Real ID.
It is not mandatory to get a Real ID license. A Real ID license functions the same as a standard license for driving. Non-Real ID license s have the wording “Not for Real ID” purposes, meaning it can’t be used as identification at the airport after May 7, 2025. That wording is federally mandated, MVC officials said.
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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @CommutingLarry
