What New Jersey Residents Need to Know About Real ID for Air Travel Today

The Real ID deadline is Wednesday, May 7 , with New Jersey reportedly having the the least adherence among all states .

All U.S. travelers are required to change to Real ID Or utilize an upgraded form of ID, such as a passport, for domestic flights beginning 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.

What occurs when you need to travel by air?

The top piece of guidance I can offer is to go. TSA.gov , simply click on the Real ID link. The page offers an extensive and detailed list of all the identification documents that qualify for the Real ID, and many people might find themselves happily surprised to discover they possess one of these valid forms,” stated TSA Federal Security Director for New Jersey, Thomas Carter, on 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 initial stage, however, they will encounter extra screening procedures and longer waiting periods.

Even so, you'll still manage to proceed. The person lacking a Real ID should expect additional scrutiny during their screening at the checkpoint, which goes beyond regular procedures," Carter stated. "As this progresses from right to left on the timeline, it will become more stringent until ultimately, regardless of the specific timeframe, possessing a Real ID will be mandatory.

"You need to get there three hours ahead of your departure time for the domestic flight for this extra level of security," AAA senior manager Robert Sinclair said .

The TSA states that additional personnel will be deployed to manage possible crowd surges during this shift towards the new mandate. But what prompted the introduction of Real ID at this time?

"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 DMV states that 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.

Passengers at Newark Airport encounter holdups along with an approaching deadline.

Reminders regarding the Real ID Act are ubiquitous at Newark Liberty International Airport, where visitors frequently encounter them as they travel. handling postponements and cancelations for over seven days .

Alicia Powell and her family felt thankful for their flight on Tuesday instead of Wednesday.

"That definitely wouldn’t be better. We don’t want additional reasons to get trapped at the airport," Powell stated.

Rush for Real ID appointments in New Jersey

A CBS analysis conducted last month found that In thirty states, the compliance was below 70%. before the Real ID deadline. As of the latest update, New Jersey had shown 17% compliance, while New York remained non-compliant. 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 the MVC office in Rahway on Tuesday, 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's no appointments around New Jersey," Union County resident Manny Nunez said.

"I 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 possess a New Jersey driver's license, go to the MVC site to schedule an appointment to update to a Real ID.

Should your license expire within three months, you may obtain a Real ID during a license renewal appointment. However, if your license has expired beyond this period, you will be required to schedule a separate Real ID appointment specifically for this purpose rather than renewing it.

If you don’t possess a New Jersey driver’s license, you can obtain a Real ID during a non-driver ID appointment. For residents who recently relocated to New Jersey, they can acquire a Real ID via an out-of-state transfer appointment. Meanwhile, newly licensed drivers can secure a Real ID once they’ve passed their driving test.

Candidates must submit two pieces of evidence for their address, a valid Social Security number, along with specific identification papers that collectively total at least 6 Real ID points. CLICK HERE For a detailed view of what to pack.