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New Jersey state ID card

Get a New Jersey ID card so you can stop carrying your passport.

How it goes

  1. 1
    You arriveYou have moved to New Jersey and you need ID you can carry.
  2. 2
    Your documentsYou gather proof of who you are, where you live, and your status.
  3. 3
    You applyYou take them to the office that issues ID cards.
  4. Your cardYour ID card is issued, and your passport stays at home.

What it costs

A first ID card

Your first non-driver ID card costs $24. You pay it at the Licensing Center. New Jersey takes cash, checks, money orders, and cards. If you have a disability, the first card costs $6. A doctor must first complete the Physician Certification for Blind or Disabled Person form.

Whether you can get one

Who the card is issued to

You can apply if you live in New Jersey and you are 14 or older. The card proves who you are. It does not let you drive. If you hold a driver's licence from another state, you cannot get a New Jersey non-driver ID card. You must prove a home address in New Jersey. Electronic and paper documents are both accepted.

Documents you need

  • How much proof is enough
    • New Jersey uses a points system. You must reach 6 Points of ID. Each document you bring is worth points, and together they must add up to 6.
    • There are two versions of the card: standard, and REAL ID. New Jersey publishes a separate document list for each one. Both lists cover the non-driver ID card, not only the driver licence.
    • One sheet lists the documents for both the standard driver licence and the standard non-driver ID card.
    • The documents are split into a primary list and a secondary list. You must bring at least one document from the primary list.
    • You must also bring at least one document from the secondary list. One document alone is never enough.
    • You cannot reach the total with small documents alone. New Jersey allows no more than two 1-point documents.
  • Proof of who you are
    • Your home country passport counts as a primary document.
    • A green card, Form I-551, counts as a primary document.
    • A work permit card, Form I-766, counts as a primary document. You must bring it together with a valid Social Security card or proof of an ITIN.
    • Your original birth certificate from any country counts as a primary document.
    • An I-94 stamped Refugee, Parolee, or Asylee counts as a primary document. So does an I-94 with a Notice of Action, Form I-797, for an approved petition.
    • A Refugee Travel Document, Form I-571, counts as a primary document.
    • A US Re-entry Permit, Form I-327, counts as a primary document.
    • An ID card from your consulate or your national government counts as a primary document.
    • For the REAL ID version, your foreign passport must be unexpired and must come with a valid visa and your I-94. The I-94 can be the stamp or the form.
  • What makes a document count
    • An expired document can still work for the standard card. It cannot be expired by more than three years.
    • Bring your identity documents on paper. New Jersey does not accept them on a screen.
    • If a document is not in English, you must bring a certified translation with it.
    • The translation can come from the consulate or ministry that issued the document. It can come from a certified translator with a seal. It can also come from any person over 18 who can translate well and signs the certification form.
  • Address proofs you need
    • For the standard card you need one proof of your address.
    • For the REAL ID version you need two proofs of your address.
    • Address proofs can be on paper or on a screen. Both are accepted.
    • The proof must show your home address and your name.
  • Proof of where you live
    • A utility bill or a credit card bill works if it was issued in the past year.
    • A lease or rental agreement works if it has not expired.
    • A payslip works if it was issued within six (6) months.
    • A bank or credit union statement works if it was issued in the past year.
    • A letter sent to you by first class mail from any government agency works if it arrived in the past year.
    • A USPS Change of Address Form works as a proof of address.
  • If no bill is in your nameIf you are under 18, your parent or guardian can certify your address for you. They sign Form MR-24, the Parent-Guardian Consent form.

Your Social Security Number

What proves your number

You give one of three things: a Social Security number, an ITIN, or a signed affidavit. You write your Social Security number on the application. New Jersey then checks it with the Social Security Administration. If that check fails, you must bring a document that shows your full name and your full Social Security number. Your Social Security Card works, but only the original, not a copy. A W-2 form or a pay stub from the past year also works. If you have an ITIN and no Social Security number, bring an official IRS or New Jersey Division of Taxation document that shows your name and your ITIN. A New Jersey income tax refund showing the ITIN also works.

If you cannot get a number yet

If you cannot get a Social Security number and you have no ITIN, you sign an affidavit instead. You get the form from the MVC website. A notary must witness your signature, or you sign it in front of an MVC employee. A false statement on it is punished by law.

Where to go

How to apply

You apply in person. First you book an appointment at a Licensing Center. You cannot get your first card by post or online. Fill in the Non-driver ID Application, Form BA-208, before you go. Bring it with you to your appointment. You do not leave with the card. New Jersey mails it to you. Later, when you renew the card, you can do it online. Only the first card must be done in person.

Office locations

The MVC Licensing Centers page lists every office and its address. First-time non-driver IDs are by appointment only. Licensing Centers open 8 am to 4:30 pm Monday to Friday, and 8 am to 3 pm on Saturdays. They close on Sundays.

The application form

The form is BA-208, the Application for Permit/License/Non-Driver ID. The MVC non-driver ID page links to it. One form, BA-208, covers all of it. You use it for a permit, a driver licence, or a non-driver ID.

Other states

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Every source, quoted48 sources

Every fact on this page is quoted from the page that publishes it, in the words it uses.

Applying for a state ID card in New Jersey?

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