November 24, 2020
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The new process provides greater protection and security for individuals’ personal information against fraud and identity theft, according to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission.
The days of receiving one’s driver’s license when visiting a DMV agency location in New Jersey are officially over.
Starting Tuesday, driver’s licenses will now be delivered via mail to state residents, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission announced.
When residents do visit a DMV location to renew their driver’s license, they will be issued a temporary license until the official one arrives in the mail. This should lead to quicker, more efficient visits at DMV agencies across the state, the MVC said.
The initiative to shift the issuing of driver’s licenses by mail is part of a long-planned security improvement that was delayed due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
As part of the new security features, driver’s licenses will now be issued from a centralized production facility.
The new process, known as Central Issuance, provides greater protection and security for individuals’ personal information against fraud and identity theft. As many as 27 other states already have the same issuing process in place, the DMV said.
“We already mail hundreds of thousands of licenses via our online and mail renewal systems, but this initiative will round out that process – and have the side effect of speeding your trip if you have to visit the agency in person,” said Sue Fulton, the MVC’s chief administrator.
The initiative was supposed to begin alongside the Department of Homeland Security’s REAL ID program, which has also been pushed back due to the public health crisis. New Jersey residents are not required to obtain a REAL ID until October 2021.
“My office is honored to work with Chief Sue Fulton and her team at the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission to move forward with this long-anticipated update that enhances the security of New Jersey licenses,” said Jared Maples, the director of New Jersey’s Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness. “In addition to complying with national REAL ID standards, having secure identity credentials better protects New Jersey residents from fraud and identity theft.”
The implementation of Central Issuance in New Jersey comes as more MVC services have shifted online and away from in-person due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
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