Real ID driver’s licenses are coming to New Jersey soon, but questions from drivers about the new, more secure license are being asked now.

Here’s the quick recap: The Motor Vehicle Commission is beta testing issuing Real ID licenses — which will be necessary if you want to board a commercial airliner without a passport — at its internal agency located in MVC headquarters. That will expand to other agencies, but when, depends on how many problems come up and how quickly they can be solved, said Sue Fulton, MVC chief administrator

New Jersey is one of six states that haven’t implemented federal Real ID standards to meet the provisions of a 2005 law that requires minimum security standards for all driver’s licenses. The law was passed after being recommended by the 9/11 Commission that investigated the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in 2001. All states must comply with Real ID, in order to have driver’s licenses accepted as valid ID at airports and to enter federal buildings.

Q: Do I have to get a Real ID?

A: No one will force you to get a Real ID license. The state will still issue standard, non-Real ID driver’s licenses. They are valid for driving, but won’t be accepted as valid ID at the airport. Drivers who go to the motor vehicle agency to renew or obtain a new license will be asked if they want a Real ID or a standard license. Drivers without a Real ID license can also use a passport or military ID as identification to get on flights or enter federal buildings.

Q: Why charge $11 to change my unexpired driver’s license to a Real ID license?

A: That is the standard fee the MVC currently charges to change an unexpired license. It does not cover the full cost to the MVC of issuing a Real ID license, Fulton said. The MVC is covering that extra cost through internal savings, she said. Right now, the cost of Real ID will not trigger an increase in driver’s licenses fees, which are set by state statute and not by the MVC, Fulton said.

Q: What changed, except I have to pay $11 to get a gold star? How does the “Real” ID differ from the current license?

A: The two most obvious physical changes to the Real ID license is that it now displays a driver’s full name and has a gold star in the upper right corner. The current license doesn’t show all the letters of a person’s last name or middle name. There are other security features in the license that are proprietary. “MVC does not discuss or provide security feature information in order to maintain the security integrity of our ID’s,” said Jim Hooker, an MVC spokesman.

Q: I thought this was why we got digital licenses?

A: The digital driver’s license was one of the early steps leading to Real ID. Part of that effort was “Operation Facial Scrub” to get new photos of drivers in the system and find people who held multiple licenses under different names.

Q: Do I present the same six points of ID that I used to get my current license to get a Real ID license?

A: MVC officials said the six points of ID drivers present will change. The “Real ID” has a more stringent set of requirements, including two proofs of residence and proof of social security number. Details about what types of identification will be accepted will be listed in the REALIDnj.com website in the coming weeks, Hooker said.

Q: What accommodations are being made for customers with mobility issues who are unable to stand on line for a long time?

A: The MVC is doing several things. A queuing system now operating in Trenton and Delanco will be expanded to other agencies. Customers take a number when they enter. In most cases, they can sit until they’re called to a window, Hooker said.

Agencies also have some windows with lowered desktops for customers in wheelchairs or who use scooters or other mobility devices, he said. The MVC also expanded the use of mobile agencies, which have wheelchair lifts, he said.

A customer who is unable to stand in line for prolonged period of time due to a medical condition can can go to the receptionist and tell them about their issue, Hooker said.

“Most of the time we will be able to find the person a seat,” he said.

If a driver with disability has a specific question about being accommodated, they can call the MVC’s general number at 609-292-6500 or email through the “Contact Us’’ area of our website, he said.

Q: Why couldn’t I get a Real ID the last time I went to MVC?

A: The MVC had to finish a computer system upgrade that was completed last November. MVC officials also decided not to start the Real ID program sooner, based on the experience DMVs in other states had.

“California was early and things didn’t go well,” she said. “We wanted to make sure we get it right.”

Q: Will illegal aliens be allowed to get a Real ID?

A: Individuals without lawful status in the U.S. are not eligible to obtain a Real ID, Hooker said. As long as an individual, who has lawful status, can meet all the federal requirements for proof of identification, they will be eligible for a Real ID. That applies to citizens and non-citizens alike, he said.

That means aliens who’ve been lawfully admitted to the country for permanent or temporary residence, those who have conditional permanent resident status, an approved application for asylum, or have entered the United States as refugees, are eligible for a Real ID license or identification card, according to U.S. Homeland Security.

Q: My license expires this summer. Will I have to go back to the MVC to get the new “Real ID” and pay NJ twice?

A: If you’re eligible, you can renew your standard license through the MVC website to avoid a trip to the agency. It’s your decision whether to get a Real ID when it’s available or wait until your license expires. If you decide to get a Real ID before your license expires, the MVC will charge an $11 change fee, not the $24 cost of a renewed license.

Q: Can they get it done?

A: MVC officials can’t estimate how many drivers will come to an agency to get a Real ID between the date it’s available statewide and the Oct. 1, 2020 federal deadline, Fulton said. In some other states, only 10% of the licensed drivers obtained a Real ID license. Drivers also are being encouraged to wait until they need a Real ID before coming to an agency.

MVC officials also added more transactions that can be done online, including renewing a driver’s license, if you are eligible. This way fewer people should need to go to the agency, Fulton said.

Q: The MVC is discontinuing the one night per week they are open. Will there be a 10 hour wait on Saturdays?

A: The MVC has discontinued evening hours on Tuesdays, because less than half the windows in an MVC agency were staffed, Fulton said. The MVC has taken other steps to decrease lines and wait times. The agency is hiring 209 more full-time workers to staff all the windows at agencies and 80 part timers.

New computers and payment systems for agencies are being purchased, which are expected to process customer transactions faster, Fulton said. Agencies are now open two hours later on Saturday afternoons and will be 100% staffed, Fulton said.

Larry Higgs may be reached at lhiggs@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @commutinglarry. Find NJ.com on Facebook.

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