The process to get a coveted Real ID driver’s license — which can be used as identification for domestic air travel and to gain access to federal buildings after May 3, 2023 — just got a little easier.
Starting on June 15, drivers will no longer need to show a Social Security card or other documentation to prove their Social Security number, thanks to changes in the federal Real ID law that allows a Social Security number to be electronically verified with the Social Security Administration database. This change applies to Real ID and standard driver’s licenses and non-driver ID cards, MVC officials said.
State Motor Vehicle Commission officials announced the change on Monday to conform with the federal Real ID Modernization Act. That law streamlined the application process by eliminating the requirement for a driver to provide documents to prove their social security number.
MVC Chief Administrator Sue Fulton issued a waiver to conform with the federal law on Monday, which takes effect on Wednesday.
That federal law, passed in December 2020, supersedes a 2019 state law that requires applicants for New Jersey licenses or non-driver IDs to present documents, such as a Social Security card or W-2 form, to prove their Social Security number. That change also gives drivers who apply for a standard license the same break.
It also allows the MVC to reuse existing photographs of drivers taken by the state and used to issue a person’s current driver’s license or identification card. The photographs are stored as part of their official state record.
The state still must verify the applicant’s Social Security number with the Social Security Administration. If the number and information provided do not match the administration’s information, the application will be denied, MVC officials said.
The MVC currently performs that verification electronically during the applicant’s in-person license or ID transaction.
The changes comes as drivers have less than one year to get Real ID license for domestic air travel, which has sparked a run on appointments at MVC licensing centers. On May 16, the MVC released thousand of additional appointments to allow drivers to change their license to a Real ID license at agencies.
Drivers also can get a Real ID license when they renew their drivers license in person at an agency, provided they bring the needed nine points of identification with them.
New Jersey started issuing Real ID licenses and non-driver ID cards in September 2019, gradually phasing it in to more state Motor Vehicle Commission agencies as staff was trained.
After a final extension, May 3, 2023, is the date fliers need to remember when Real ID security standards take effect to fly domestically.
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For more information on the requirements for a standard or REAL ID license or non-driver ID in New Jersey, visit the MVC website at NJMVC.gov.
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Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com.
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