Press Release
NEW JERSEY MOTOR VEHICLE COMMISSION ANNOUNCES REAL ID READINESS INITIATIVES
New Systems, Services, and Hours Will “Get Ready” for REAL ID
TRENTON – New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Chief Administrator Sue Fulton today announced a sweeping set of ambitious initiatives the Commission is rolling out in preparation for the issuance of REAL ID.
“We’ve seen in other states that issuing REAL IDs causes dramatically longer lines, in some cases completely overwhelming Motor Vehicle agencies,” Fulton said. “We want to make sure that we are ready for our customer volume to double, triple, or even quadruple, when REAL ID starts.”
Chief Fulton laid out a number of major changes now under way or planned for the next few months, from enhancing online services to improving agency operations and computer systems and hiring roughly 200 new employees.
“All of our changes are designed for us to function as smoothly and efficiently as possible once we begin issuing REAL IDs in the weeks ahead,” Chief Fulton said. “Everything we are doing is designed to reduce lines and wait times, while improving the overall customer experience.”
REAL ID is the federal requirement for state-issued driver licenses and non-driver IDs to help prevent fraudulent identification. Either a REAL ID or a valid passport will be required to board commercial flights beginning October 1, 2020. Since the current, standard-issue New Jersey driver license will no longer be accepted as identification to fly, it is expected that millions of New Jerseyans will opt for the REAL ID license.
Following are the changes the Commission has either completed or is in the process of implementing:
Online Services
The MVC website has been revamped, with easier navigation and better search. More importantly, customers can now do several transactions online that previously required an in-person visit. This change means thousands of customers can “skip the trip,” resulting in shorter lines inside the agency:
Ìý
Agency Systems
“No one should be standing in line for hours because a system has gone down,” said Chief Administrator Fulton.Ìý “That’s why we’re replacing equipment and software in each of our 39 agencies.”
Over the next six months, MVC will complete the following:
Staffing and Hours
On any given day, at any given time, an average of only 60 percent of agency “windows” (stations) are open. On Saturdays or late Tuesday nights, it’s fewer than 50 percent.
“Our overtime budget is five times what it was just four years ago – but we are still stretching too few employees over multiple shifts every day, just to cover all the hours,” commented Chief Fulton. “We have the most staff on hand during mid-mornings and mid-afternoons on weekdays – when the fewest customers come in.”
MVC will be filling open positions at an accelerated rate in an effort to achieve 100percent of windows staffed, and will add 209 full-time and 80 part-time positions in the FY2020 budget. But even those changes will not staff every window.
To get to full staffing, MVC will consolidate its hours and move to one shift during the week rather than two, meaning all employees will be present at opening time, and until closing time. Starting July 6, Motor Vehicle agencies will be open weekdays 8am-4:30pm. In addition, to serve those who cannot visit during standard business hours, MVC Saturday hours will be extended, from 8am-3pm, and will use part-time employees to staff the windows at 100 percent instead of 50 percent, to serve more customers in less time.
Current thru Jul 5, 2019 |
Effective Jul 6, 2019 |
|
MONDAY |
8am – 5:30pm |
8am – 4:30pm |
TUESDAY |
8am – 7:30pm |
8am – 4:30pm |
WEDNESDAY |
8am – 5:30pm |
8am – 4:30pm |
THURSDAY |
8am – 5:30pm |
8am – 4:30pm |
FRIDAY |
8am – 5:30pm |
8am – 4:30pm |
SATURDAY |
8am – 1pm |
8am – 3pm |
REAL ID
“As these new initiatives come online, we will be able to roll out REAL ID availability in beta testing, agency by agency, starting in June,” said Chief Fulton. “As with most software roll-outs, we can’t predict how long the beta testing and debugging will last, but we will expand as quickly as we can without sacrificing customer service.”
“While we are eligible for another one-year extension starting in October 2019, we do not plan to apply for one,” concluded Fulton. “We expect New Jersey to be compliant well before that deadline even as we make the many ambitious improvements necessary to minimize any impact on our valued customers.”