10 Sep Is there any way to get a free REAL ID?

Q. I am 90 years of age and my income is below the poverty guideline of New Jersey. I am getting Pharmaceutical Assistance to the Aged and Disabled (PAAD) PAAD and Universal Service Fund (USF) utility assistance. Kindly advise me in what way I can get a free REAL ID?
— Needing help

A. The deadline to get a REAL ID has been pushed back.

Now, starting May 7, 2025, you will need a REAL ID for air travel — even within the United States — if you don’t have a passport or another federally approved form of identification, the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission said.

The standard New Jersey driver license can still be used for driving.

Unfortunately, a REAL ID driver license is not available for free in New Jersey. Driver license fees are not subject to waivers or discounts based on income or age, the agency said.

Getting a REAL ID is not mandatory in New Jersey, the agency said.

“A standard NJ driver license can still be used for driving and other purposes,” it said. “However, starting May 7, 2025, standard driver licenses and IDs will no longer be accepted to board domestic flights or enter certain federal facilities. Beginning that date, individuals will need to provide a REAL ID license or ID, or another federally accepted form of identification, like a passport, to clear federal checkpoints.”

A REAL ID driver license is valid for four years and costs $35.

You can learn more on the agency’s website at REALID.nj.gov.

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This story was originally published in September 2024.

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