It’s time to get real. And if you need time to get real, the Motor Vehicle Commission is offering more real time on its new Real ID Thursdays.
Beginning May 7, anyone wishing to fly in the United States will be required to present a valid passport or a Real ID-compliant driver’s license. To accommodate the anticipated rush of summer travelers leading up to that date, the MVC is starting Real ID Thursdays on March 20.
“Over the last few months, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in demand for Real ID from our customers, and we’ve repeatedly added and reallocated appointments to better meet that demand,” said MVC Acting Chief Administrator Latrecia Littles-Floyd when the program was announced this week.
With the March 20 launch, MVC licensing facilities will add 4,500 new appointments on Thursdays. This will include additional license renewal appointments, where customers with licenses expiring within three months can renew their license and upgrade to Real ID at the same time, and Real ID non-renewal appointments, where customers with licenses expiring after three months can upgrade to Real ID.
Getting a Real ID-compliant license is not required. But you will need a passport of other federally accepted Real ID-compliant identification to board domestic flights or enter certain federal buildings beginning May 7.
The added appointments for Real ID Thursdays will be available for booking starting Friday morning, March 14. Appointments can be booked on the MVC website at RealID.NJ.gov. The site also includes information about what documents are needed to obtain a Real ID driver’s license: two proofs of residential address, one verifiable social security number, and identity documents that add up to six Real ID points.
Beginning April 5, the Motor Vehicle Commission will take their Real ID act on the road on Saturdays, though Warren County is currently not among the 16 of New Jersey’s 21 counties to get a mobile unit. Those Saturday appointments can be booked later in March.
The Real ID Act was passed in 2005—yes, 20 years ago—in response to the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks. But resistance from a number of states, the pandemic and myriad logistical issues have resulted in the law not taking effect until May of 2025.
Joe brings decades of journalism experience to the Ridge View Echo, covering everything from local school boards to the U.S. Supreme Court. A former National Law Journal editor and Columbia Law School press officer, he now enjoys telling community stories in Blairstown, where he lives with his wife, Rose, and their two dachshunds.
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
- Joe Phalon, Contributing Writerhttps://ridgeviewecho.com/author/joe-phalon-contributing-writer/
