29 Apr Do I need to write a check to get a REAL ID?

Q. Do we need to write a check to pay the $35 fee for a REAL ID?
— Driver

A. The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005 after the 9/11 Commission recommended the federal government “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification, such as driver’s licenses.”

You still have time before you need to get one, though. You can use your standard New Jersey driver’s license until May 7, 2025, or, of course, you can still use a passport or another federally approved form of identification to fly.

We asked the state Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) about payments.

It said an initial REAL ID must be obtained in-person at an agency.

“At agencies, the MVC accepts checks, money orders, and cash alongside credit cards,” it said.

You can get more information here.

You can email the Department of Homeland Security with questions about REAL ID at .

Email your questions to .

This story was originally published in May 2024.

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