Latest news with #MotorVehicleCommission
Yahoo
01-07-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Lawmakers advance bill to allow digital driver's licenses in New Jersey
Supporters say digital driver's licenses are better than physical IDs, which can be lost, stolen, broken or damaged, outdated, and easily replicated for counterfeiting. (Dana DiFilippo | New Jersey Monitor) Digital driver's licenses are one step closer to being filed in New Jerseyans' virtual wallets under a bill the Legislature advanced Monday with overwhelming approval. The proposal is one Gov. Phil Murphy unveiled during his final State of the State address in January. At the time, he called it 'common sense' and said it would 'make life easier for people we serve.' But the bill — which now sits on the governor's desk awaiting his signature — wouldn't take effect for more than three years. It's also likely the state would have to apply for a waiver for mobile versions under Real ID requirements, which began in May. The state Motor Vehicle Commission would be able to charge a 'reasonable' fee for issuing mobile driver's licenses or non-driver identification cards. Thirteen states already offer mobile driver's licenses, including Arizona, Colorado, Georgia, Iowa, Ohio, and neighboring states like New York and Delaware. Some states' mobile licenses can be used at certain airports and federal agencies, according to the Transportation Security Administration. The bill also states that if someone hands off their phone to show their ID, that doesn't constitute consent to search their phone or access information that isn't on their identification card. It also requires the commission to equip the digital IDs with certain features to ensure 'security and integrity' of the documentation to protect people's personal information. The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators called mobile driver's licenses the 'future of licensing and proof of identity.' They're a significant improvement over physical IDs, which can be lost, stolen, broken or damaged, outdated, and easily replicated for counterfeiting, the organization said. A spokesman for the Motor Vehicle Commission did not respond to a request for comment. The bill passed the Assembly with a vote of 75-3, with two abstentions. In the Senate, it passed 31-6. The no votes were all Republicans. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
CBS News
06-05-2025
- CBS News
Here's what New Jersey residents need to know about Real ID before flying Wednesday
What New Jersey residents need to know about Real ID What New Jersey residents need to know about Real ID What New Jersey residents need to know about Real ID The Real ID deadline is Wednesday, May 7, and New Jersey is said to have the lowest compliance of any state. All U.S. travelers are required to switch over to Real ID or use an enhanced form of identification, like a passport, to fly domestically starting Wednesday. But if you're hoping for a last-minute appointment, think again. Early Tuesday morning, the state's Motor Vehicle Commission website had no slots available until July. So what happens if you have to fly? "The best piece of advice I can give is go to click on that Real ID link. There's a very comprehensive and thorough list of all the IDs that are acceptable as Real ID, and I think some folks may be pleasantly surprised that they may have one of those," TSA Federal Security Director New Jersey Thomas Carter said Tuesday. Transportation Security Administration officials say travelers who show up at the airport without a valid form of ID will still be able to board domestic flights during this first phase, but they will face additional screening and wait times. "You will still be able to process through. That individual who is not Real ID compliant needs to plan for some enhanced screening that they may be going through at the checkpoint above and beyond the normal process," Carter said. "As the timeline moves from right to left, it is going to intensify, and eventually, whatever that timeline may be, a Real ID will be a must." So why are Real IDs happening now? "You have to go back to the horrific events of [September 11, 2001]. Every individual on those airplanes that committed the horrific act, somewhere along their journey used fraudulent ID," Carter said. The state's MVC says it will offer emergency appointments for travelers who need to board domestic flights within 14 days for life-or-death reasons or for urgent travel plans, like a family death. Those will only be available at the Trenton office, and there are no guarantees. Travelers at Newark Airport face delays as well as deadline Reminders about Real ID are all over Newark Liberty International Airport, where travelers have been dealing with delays and cancellations for more than a week. Alicia Powell and her family are grateful they're flying Tuesday, not Wednesday. "That would be worse for sure. We don't want any other reasons to be stuck at the airport," Powell said. Rush for Real ID appointments in New Jersey A CBS analysis conducted last month found that 30 states were less than 70% compliant ahead of the Real ID deadline. At last update, New Jersey was 17% compliant, and New York was 43% compliant. "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," NJMVC spokesperson William Connolly said last month. "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." New Jersey's MVC added thousands of Real ID appointments on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in the months leading up to the deadline, and it says hundreds of appointments are added each day. The Murphy administration has pointed to several reasons for the state's low compliance, including the fact that the it uses an appointment-based system, and that 79% of New Jersey residents already have passports, impacting how many need to get Real ID now. Additionally, some residents who are eligible for driver's licenses are not eligible for Real ID. At an MVC office in Rahway, some were still unable to get a Real ID appointment. "I am going to be traveling soon, and I waited until the last minute to get the Real ID. Right now, there is no appointments around New Jersey," Union County resident Manny Nunez said. "It got it. It is always good when I am traveling," Mark Cosmeus of Union County said. How to get a Real ID If you already have a New Jersey driver's license, visit the MVC website to make an appointment to upgrade to a Real ID. If your license expires within three months, you can get a Real ID at a license renewal appointment. If your license expires after that, you need to book a Real ID, non-renewal appointment. If you do not have a New Jersey driver's license, you can get a Real ID at a non-driver ID appointment. Residents who just moved to New Jersey can get a Real ID at an out-of-state transfer appointment, and new drivers can get one after passing their road test. Applicants will need to provide two proofs of residence, a verifiable Social Security number and certain identity documents that add up to 6 Real ID points. CLICK HERE for a closer look at what to bring.
CBS News
06-05-2025
- CBS News
Here's what New Jersey residents need to know about Real ID before flying tomorrow
The Real ID deadline is Wednesday, May 7, and New Jersey is said to have the lowest compliance of any state. All U.S. travelers are required to switch over to Real ID or use an enhanced form of identification, like a passport, to fly domestically starting Wednesday. But if you're hoping for a last-minute appointment, think again. Early Tuesday morning, the state's Motor Vehicle Commission website had no slots available until July. So what happens if you have to fly? Transportation Security Administration officials say travelers who show up at the airport without a valid form of ID will still be able to board domestic flights during this first phase, but they will face additional screening and wait times. "The best piece of advice I can give is go to click on the REAL ID link. There's a very comprehensive and thought out list for all the IDs that are acceptable to REAL ID, and I think some folks may be pleasantly surprised they have one of those, other than that drivers license that everyone seems to focus as the only ID," a TSA official told CBS News New York. The MVC also says it will offer emergency appointments for travelers who need to board domestic flights within 14 days for life-or-death reasons or for urgent travel plans, like a family death. Those will only be available at the Trenton office, and there are no guarantees. New Jersey Real ID appointment A CBS analysis conducted last month found that 30 states were less than 70% compliant ahead of the Real ID deadline. At last update, New Jersey was 17% compliant, and New York was 43% compliant. "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," NJMVC spokesperson William Connolly said last month. "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." New Jersey's MVC added thousands of Real ID appointments on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays in the months leading up to the deadline, and it says hundreds of appointments are added each day. The Murphy administration has pointed to several reasons for the state's low compliance, including the fact that the it uses an appointment-based system, and that many New Jersey residents already have passports, impacting how many need to get Real ID now. Additionally, some residents who are eligible for driver's licenses are not eligible for Real ID. How to get a Real ID If you already have a New Jersey driver's license, visit the MVC website to make an appointment to upgrade to a Real ID. If your license expires within three months, you can get a Real ID at a license renewal appointment. If your license expires after that, you need to book a Real ID, non-renewal appointment. If you do not have a New Jersey driver's license, you can get a Real ID at a non-driver ID appointment. Residents who just moved to New Jersey can get a Real ID at an out-of-state transfer appointment, and new drivers can get one after passing their road test. Applicants will need to provide two proofs of residence, a verifiable Social Security number and certain identity documents that add up to 6 Real ID points. CLICK HERE for a closer look at what to bring.
Yahoo
06-05-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
‘It's terrible': New Jerseyans scramble to get REAL IDs before this week's deadline
When Scott Case realized the REAL ID deadline was coming up this week, he decided to head to his local department of motor vehicles Monday morning. 'I've known about it and I've been putting it off, so some of it's on me,' the frequent business traveler from Collingswood, New Jersey, acknowledged to CNN. But during the frenzied final weeks before the federal government starts enforcing REAL ID regulations this Wednesday, Case and others are learning getting one at the last minute is a big challenge. 'I feel bad for anybody who doesn't have a passport,' said Case as he left without securing an ID. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 as a way to enhance security for identification, requiring new minimum standards for state-issued driver's licenses and IDs. While people without REAL IDs will still be able to drive using current non-compliant licenses and use that identification in other scenarios, REAL IDs will be required for domestic air travel for those without a valid passport or other approved identification. A sign by the door of the Motor Vehicle Commission office in Camden, New Jersey, tells residents they'll need to book appointments in advance. - Danny Freeman/CNN After years of pushing the deadline for Americans to get a REAL ID, the Department of Homeland Security says it will finally start enforcement May 7. From Illinois and Washington to Florida and Alabama, Americans across the country are encountering long lines as they scramble to get their REAL IDs before Wednesday. 'It's not gonna happen,' said driver Toe Cooper, from Burlington Township, New Jersey. A sign outlining the documentation necessary to get a REAL ID hangs in the Department of Motor Vehicles office in Troy, New York, on February 19. - Jim Franco/AlbanyAt the Motor Vehicle Commission – New Jersey's version of the Department of Motor Vehicles – in Camden, customers packed the small building trying to get a REAL ID. Cooper tried to walk in to get his Monday because he couldn't get an appointment online. 'I've been on there every night looking. There's nothing on there,' explained Cooper. 'You can get an appointment for anything else, but for REAL ID it said nothing is available,' he added. In a statement, the state's Motor Vehicle Commission said it has been 'working non-stop to help as many eligible New Jerseyans as possible' obtain a REAL ID. 'Demand is very high right now,' acknowledged commission spokesperson William Connolly. 'And our challenges are not unique to New Jersey – every state in the nation is facing similar pressures as enforcement approaches,' Connolly noted. The commission said the state is issuing roughly 25,000 REAL IDs per week with 'thousands of new appointments for REAL IDs opening up on our scheduler each morning on a rolling basis.' New Jersey also has 'dedicated REAL ID days' offering thousands of additional appointments and an expanded mobile unit program for driver services, including the new IDs, he said. Cooper couldn't get a REAL ID without an appointment, but even for those with appointments, frustration was not always avoidable. Bruce Beegal, from Brigantine, New Jersey, came to the office with his daughter to get her REAL ID on Monday. But at their appointment they were told they were missing one extra form of identification, and they couldn't complete the process. 'This is a joke,' said Beegal. 'What's going on here, it's terrible.' Beegal's daughter has a passport, so he's not worried about her boarding a plane, but he said he couldn't believe he might have to do this process again after the REAL ID enforcement deadline passes. 'It sucks,' he said. For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at
CNN
06-05-2025
- Politics
- CNN
‘It's terrible': New Jerseyans scramble to get Real IDs before this week's deadline
When Scott Case realized the REAL ID deadline was coming up this week, he decided to head to his local department of motor vehicles Monday morning. 'I've known about it and I've been putting it off, so some of it's on me,' the frequent business traveler from Collingswood, New Jersey, acknowledged to CNN. But during the frenzied final weeks before the federal government starts enforcing REAL ID regulations this Wednesday, Case and others are learning getting one at the last minute is a big challenge. 'I feel bad for anybody who doesn't have a passport,' said Case as he left without securing an ID. Congress passed the REAL ID Act in 2005 as a way to enhance security for identification, requiring new minimum standards for state-issued driver's licenses and IDs. While people without REAL IDs will still be able to drive using current non-compliant licenses and use that identification in other scenarios, REAL IDs will be required for domestic air travel for those without a valid passport or other approved identification. After years of pushing the deadline for Americans to get a REAL ID, the Department of Homeland Security says it will finally start enforcement May 7. From Illinois and Washington to Florida and Alabama, Americans across the country are encountering long lines as they scramble to get their REAL IDs before Wednesday. 'It's not gonna happen,' said driver Toe Cooper, from Burlington Township, New Jersey. At the Motor Vehicle Commission – New Jersey's version of the Department of Motor Vehicles – in Camden, customers packed the small building trying to get a REAL ID. Cooper tried to walk in to get his Monday because he couldn't get an appointment online. 'I've been on there every night looking. There's nothing on there,' explained Cooper. 'You can get an appointment for anything else, but for REAL ID it said nothing is available,' he added. In a statement, the state's Motor Vehicle Commission said it has been 'working non-stop to help as many eligible New Jerseyans as possible' obtain a REAL ID. 'Demand is very high right now,' acknowledged commission spokesperson William Connolly. 'And our challenges are not unique to New Jersey – every state in the nation is facing similar pressures as enforcement approaches,' Connolly noted. The commission said the state is issuing roughly 25,000 REAL IDs per week with 'thousands of new appointments for REAL IDs opening up on our scheduler each morning on a rolling basis.' New Jersey also has 'dedicated REAL ID days' offering thousands of additional appointments and an expanded mobile unit program for driver services, including the new IDs, he said. Cooper couldn't get a REAL ID without an appointment, but even for those with appointments, frustration was not always avoidable. Bruce Beegal, from Brigantine, New Jersey, came to the office with his daughter to get her REAL ID on Monday. But at their appointment they were told they were missing one extra form of identification, and they couldn't complete the process. 'This is a joke,' said Beegal. 'What's going on here, it's terrible.' Beegal's daughter has a passport, so he's not worried about her boarding a plane, but he said he couldn't believe he might have to do this process again after the REAL ID enforcement deadline passes. 'It sucks,' he said.
