TRENTON, N.J. — Mercer County Clerk Paula Sollami Covello would like to inform Mercer residents that starting May 3, 2023, if you plan to use a driver’s license as proof of identity at airport security or to enter certain federal buildings and facilities, it must be the new, more secure Real ID license.
A standard driver’s license or non-driver identification card can still be used to drive in New Jersey, but it will no longer be considered a valid form of federal identification.
It must be noted, there is no requirement to get a Real ID license. Standard, non-Real ID licenses will still be issued at the DMV. 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 at the County Connection site in Hamilton.
Real ID complies with federal standards that impose stronger requirements to prove US 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 enhance the nation’s security.
“Don’t wait until 2023 to apply for a passport or to obtain a Real ID from the DMV. The time to do this is now to avoid the expected rush and backlog of appointments,” said Clerk Sollami Covello.
For more information about Real ID and the requirements and documents needed to obtain one, you can visit NJ GOV Real ID. To apply for Real ID, appointments can be scheduled online at NJMVC.gov.
The Mercer County Clerk’s Office offers routine passport services, as well as County IDs and Veteran IDs. If you have any questions about the different forms of IDs, please contact the Clerk’s Office at 609-989-6465. For more information regarding passports, please visit the County Clerk’s website at https://www.mercercounty.org/government/county-clerk. 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 NJ-33, Hamilton, NJ. To schedule an appointment at County Connection, please contact the office at 609-890-9800