With 63 days left before federal Real ID standards take effect on May 7, the state Motor Vehicle Commission will hold dedicated Real ID events in March and April to help drivers obtain the document needed for domestic air travel.
Beginning Thursday, March 20, MVC Licensing Centers will add nearly 4,500 new appointments on “Real ID Thursdays,” providing more opportunities for drivers to get a Real ID.
As the deadline approaches, MVC appointments have been in high demand.
As of 3:30 p.m. Tuesday, no appointments were available at the state’s 28 licensing centers to convert a standard license or ID card to a Real ID compliant document, according to the MVC website.
Appointments were more plentiful for driver to renew their license and convert it to a Real ID, if their renewal date is three months away or less.
More than 74,000 appointments were available for drivers to renew their license and convert it to a Real ID if their renewal date is three months away or less.
“Over the last few months, we’ve seen a dramatic increase in demand for Real ID, and we’ve repeatedly added and reallocated appointments to better meet that demand,” Latrecia Littles-Floyd, acting MVC Chief Administrator said in a statement. “The new initiative announced today will expand access further, helping to service more customers who need or want to get a REAL ID.”
These licenses and ID cards meet the requirements of the 2005 Real ID act, created to establish a more secure document in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Passports and Global Entry cards also meet those requirements.
Domestic air travelers over age 18 will need to show a Real ID compliant document at airport TSA security checkpoints. The Real ID act prohibits TSA agents from accepting documents that don’t meet Real ID security standards.
Starting April 5, the MVC also will host Real ID Mobile Unit events on Saturdays, starting April 5, where more customers can obtain Real ID licenses and ID cards at the commissions mobile agencies.
Both Real ID Thursdays and require appointments to be made on the MVC website. Added Real ID Thursday appointments will be available for booking on Friday morning, March 14, using the appointment scheduler on the website.
Appointments for the new Mobile Unit events will be added to the scheduler later in March, officials said.
Last week, TSA officials reiterated that the May 7 deadline is not likely to be extended as happened during and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
TSA officials warned that domestic air travelers who don’t have a Real ID face a 10 to 30 minute identification verification process and could miss their flight or be denied access to the secure area of an airport.
Those without a Real ID - or a U.S. or foreign passport or global entry card - will go through an identity verification process, by filling out paper forms and being asked specific questions to validate their ID by phone with an Identity Verification and Command Center, TSA officials said.
Stories by Larry Higgs
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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on X @CommutingLarry