UPDATE – NJ Motor Vehicle Commission: Changes and Extensions, Effective July 9th

With all the difficulties customers faced with NJMVC service centers opening on July 7th, changes have been made in the processes when visiting facilities. Also, note some centers will have Saturday hours and the state has taken some NJMVC employees of furloughs to service the public. Check the NJMVC website for hours, what services are offered at certain centers, and updated information. Below are some changes and further extensions:

1. Each morning, when opening, the NJMVC facilities will establish the total number of customers that each agency can serve that day, based on that agency’s size, staffing, and previous day’s performance. Tickets will be given out up to that number (and based on priority reason for coming to MVC – SEE NUMBER 3 below), then remaining customers not given a ticket will be required to leave the premises. As soon as capacity is met at a facility, MVC will publish if the site is filled to capacity on their website and social media.

2. People will not be allowed to sign up to wait on MVC property after capacity is reached until the next morning at 7:00 AM.

3. New drivers will be given preference at Licensing Centers. When staff go out to distribute tickets, the first tickets will be given to those who have completed requirements for a new permit or license. Already-licensed drivers (who will be able to drive under the extension) will be served after all new drivers have been served.

The following documents, if expiring between March 1 and May 31, have been extended to September 30, 2020. If expiring between June 1 and August 31, they have been extended to December 31, 2020.

• All standard driver licenses (including permits)
• Standard non-driver IDs
• Vehicle registrations
• Inspections
• Temporary tags

CDL Extensions
Expiration dates on commercial driver licenses (CDLs), commercial learner’s permits, and HAZMAT endorsements have been extended a second time, to September 30, 2020. This means expirations that were previously extended to June 30 have been extended for another three months. The extensions do not apply to documents that expired before March 1.

The extension also includes the Medical Certifications of CDL holders, as long as the medical certificates were for 90 days or more and expired after March 1.

The extensions mirror those issued recently by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration, which oversees CDLs, and the federal Transportation Security Administration, which oversees Hazardous Materials endorsements (HAZMAT).

Many transactions can now be conducted online. Check out the NJMVC online services to see if you need to conduct business with NJMVC online.

All customers are required to wear face coverings when visiting an agency.

Update on NJ MVC Openings: Date Changed to July 7th for Most Services

The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission announced on Friday most in-person transactions scheduled to start on June 29 will be delayed until July 7, while the text notification system undergoes final testing.

• Vehicle Centers and Licensing Centers will open to the public Tuesday, July 7 (this is a change from the previous date of 6/29/20). Dealer drop-offs, driving school drop-offs, and license plate surrenders were available starting June 15.

• Road testing will re-started on June 29. If your road test appointment was canceled during the COVID emergency, you should have received a letter from MVC to reschedule. Otherwise, make an appointment via the website (available soon) .

• Inspections will re-start on June 29.

• Many transactions can now be conducted online. Check the NJMVC online services page to see if you can “Skip the Trip” to the agency.

• Some NJMVC agency locations are now designated as Licensing Centers and some as Vehicle Centers. This means certain transactions can only be conducted at certain agencies. Licensing centers offer license and ID transactions as well as driver testing. Vehicle Centers offer registration, title, and license plate transactions. Check out this guide to determine which agency you should visit to conduct your transaction.

• While at the agency location, you may need to text and be brought into the facility with a text alert while waiting outside in your vehicle.

• If you do plan on visiting an agency, please remember to bring a face covering. All customers are required to wear face coverings when visiting an agency.

Most licenses, IDs, registrations, and other documents scheduled to expire after March 13 have been extended to July 31 or later (more info at NJMVC.gov).

Starting July 7, designated Licensing Centers will be processing new licenses and permits, out-of-state transfers, and REAL ID for those whose appointments were canceled.

Starting July 7, designated Vehicle Centers will be adding individual registration and title transactions.

Transactions that can be done online will not be available in person until further notice.

The Commission continues to urge customers to use NJMVC.gov to renew or replace licenses, renew or replace registrations, or change their address.

For Farm Vehicle Certificates call your local county Rutgers Cooperative Extension Office. Check with your local county Rutgers Cooperative Extension office to see if walk-in clients are being accepted, as status of offices differs throughout the state. Prior to receiving your certificate, an annual application form must be submitted. To save time you can print the 2020 application form yourself and mail into your county office. Please call your County Agricultural Agent for more information.

NJ Motor Vehicle Commission Announces Plans to Reopen in Stages Starting June 29th to Limited In-Person Transactions

The State of New Jersey announced on Friday 6/5/20, plans for a phased reopening of MVC facilities to the publicTruck hauling sod following closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The reopening will proceed in a way that safeguards public health and safety, bringing many changes and improved efficiencies to Commission operations.

MVC workspaces have been extensively overhauled during the COVID-19 closure to add Plexiglas barriers and other social distancing measures. MVC employees are returning to the agencies prior to the public openings, for health & safety briefings, hardware and software reboots, and training on new protocols.

Going forward, everyone who enters the MVC agency will be required to wear a face covering. That includes customers as well as employees. If a customer cannot wear a face covering, MVC will make other arrangements for their transaction.

In order to limit crowds and speed services during the phased reopening, some agencies have been designated as Licensing Centers and some as Vehicle Centers. Lists of Licensing Centers and Vehicle Centers, as well as information on transactions, will be posted soon at NJMVC.gov.

Drop-off and pick-up transactions will be processed starting June 15, but only the following:
• At designated Licensing Centers, MVC will be processing and validating permits from driving schools and high schools on a drop-off basis.
• At designated Vehicle Centers, MVC will be processing registration and title work from dealers. License plates can also be surrendered by drop-off at these agencies in a designated area.

MVC will also be processing registration/title transfers for private sales by a new combination online and mail-in procedure. Customers will be able to sign up for this option at NJMVC.gov. More detail will be provided in the next few days.

These activities will clear a three-month backlog from our March 15 closure:

  • Road tests and the issuing of new licenses and permits are tentatively expected to start on June 29 (subject to change), with some additional transactions like out-of-state transfers and private sales registrations, but still on a limited basis to prevent crowding.
  • The Commission has tripled road-testing capacity, adding 11 courses and reassigning over 100 Safety Specialists to serve as road test examiners for 30 to 60 days. This takes MVC from an average of 5,800 road tests per week to about 16,300. MVC expects the backlog to be cleared by the end of the 60 days.
    Those whose road tests were canceled during the shut-down will be contacted by MVC and provided a secure link to get the first appointments.
  • At designated Licensing Centers starting June 29 (tentative), MVC will be processing new licenses and permits, out-of-state transfers, and REAL ID for those whose appointments were canceled.

At designated Vehicle Centers starting June 29 (tentative), MVC will be adding individual registration and title transactions.

Transactions with NJMVC that can be done online will not be available in person at this time.

NOTE EXTENSIONS ARE STILL APPLICABLE: All driver licenses, non-driver IDs, vehicle registrations, inspection stickers, and temporary tags expiring before May 31 have been extended to July 31. Documents expiring in June or July are extended by two months. Most renewals, replacements, changes of address, and other transactions can be processed online at NJMVC.gov.

To obtain a farm vehicle certificate, contact your local Rutgers Cooperative Extension office in your home county. Most RCE county offices do not allow public access currently for face-to-face interaction. However, they may have other means of providing you a certificate. For more information on farm vehicle regulations with NJMVC and farm vehicle certificates see the NJFB New Jersey Motor Vehicle Regulations for Farm Vehicles and Equipment.

NJMVC Further Extends Driver License, Registration, and Inspection Expiration Dates Due to COVID-19

The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission Chief Administrator Sue Fulton, on Monday, May 18th, announced additional extensions to driver license, registration, and inspection expiration dates in the continuing efforts to mitigate COVID-19 and safeguard public health.

Effective immediately, the following documents, if expiring between March 13 and May 31, have been extended to July 31. Documents expiring June 30 are extended two months to August 31, and those expiring July 31 are extended to September 30.

• All Standard driver licenses (including permits) and standard non-driver IDs
• Privately owned and commercial vehicle registrations (including Farmer and Farm Use registrations)
• Vehicle inspections
• Purple Heart/Disabled Veteran placards
• Temporary tags

“Get it done online now, if you’re able,” Fulton suggests. “We do anticipate that volumes will spike once we reopen and when we reach the end of these extensions. Our job is to serve customers in the most efficient way possible and one way we can do that is by steering people to our expanded list of online services.”

On March 13, the NJMVC initially announced two-month extensions for licenses, registrations, and inspection stickers expiring in March, April, and May, timelines that have now been pushed back.

The NJMVC encourages customers to utilize online services, which have been expanded during the COVID-19 crisis. In most cases, customers can renew a license, replace a lost license, change an address, renew a registration, and complete other transactions through the NJMVC’s Online Services portal.

Customers also should check NJMVC.gov for the latest information and updates.