County Clerk shares news that Real ID requirement is delayed

TRENTON, N.J. — Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello would like to inform Mercer residents that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security has extended the deadline by two years for requiring citizens to have Real ID for domestic air travel and for entering federal buildings and facilities.

Starting May 7, 2025, you must have a Real ID-compliant driver license/ID to fly within the U.S. and regular driver’s licenses will no longer be accepted by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) to fly domestically.  You still will be able to use a U.S. passport or passport card for identification.

It must be noted that until the deadline, a standard New Jersey driver’s license remains valid for air travel within the U.S. This extension will give state motor vehicle departments and travelers more time to prepare to meet the Real ID deadline.

Real ID complies with federal standards that impose stronger requirements to prove U.S. residency. Real ID is a more secure, federally mandated document that will be accepted at airports as identification and to enter federal buildings. The intent of Real ID is to ultimately reduce identity theft and fraud, and to enhance the nation’s security.

Passport books and passport cards will also remain as valid proof of identification for international travel and are Real ID compliant for domestic flights. The Mercer County Clerk’s Office offers both at its Trenton location and the County Connection site in Hamilton.

For the County Clerk’s passport office, please call 609-989-6473. Appointments can also be made at the Mercer County Connection, located at 957 N.J. Rt. 33, Hamilton. To schedule an appointment at County Connection, please contact the office at 609-890-9800. Or visit the County Clerk’s website at https://www.mercercounty.org/government/county-clerk. Please note that while our office also offers County ID Cards and Veteran ID cards, these are not useful to meet Real ID requirements.