‘Get one now.’ NJ residents urged to get new Real ID ahead of May 7 deadline
Representatives with the TSA and Port Authority spoke with the media on Friday in an effort to avoid chaos at terminal gates.
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The deadline for getting a REAL ID in New Jersey is May 7, after multiple delays.
If you want to get on an airplane in May, you might want to seriously consider heading to the Motor Vehicle Commission as soon as possible for an ID upgrade. If you want to board a plane at Newark Liberty International Airport on or after that date, you'll need a REAL ID or a passport.
News 12 found some travelers at Newark Liberty on Friday who had the Real ID – travelers like Steve Yorkanis, of Monroe Township.
“I got it about eight months ago and I got it because I don’t want to keep taking my passport every time I travel to Florida," he said.
Others like Ron Oblinger, of West Milford, said he'll soon have it.
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“I’m already signed up. I’ll be going in a couple weeks to DMV," he said. “If they don’t do it, it’s going to be chaos.”
Representatives with the TSA and Port Authority spoke with the media on Friday in an effort to avoid chaos at terminal gates, such as delays at check-in and people missing flights if they don’t have a REAL ID on May 7.
“If there is someone hung up because of Real ID issues, we will try and move them to the side and keep that line moving," says Thomas Carter, federal security director with the TSA.
Aidan O’Donnell, with the Port Authority, added that getting someone through a checkpoint is not easy or quick.
“It is a very manual and time and intensive process," he says. “Please don’t be that person. The solution is simple: if you don’t have Real ID, get one now.”
You can get the REAL ID at your local MVC Center. It’s a new license, which will have a star in the corner.
It’s an enhanced ID, so you’ll need more proof of who you are, including a passport, birth certificate, a Social Security card and two proofs of address, like a driver's license or credit card bill.
Act fast if you have plans to travel because appointments are limited at the Motor Vehicle Commission.
“There’s still time…68 days left, and it needs to be a priority if you have that trip booked," says Carter.
