Here’s what 2 + 1 + 6 = REAL ID formula means for your NJ appointment

Published

1 year ago

January 25, 2025

Here’s what 2 + 1 + 6 = REAL ID formula means for your NJ appointment

You’ve read the headlines about getting a REAL ID before the May 7 deadline. You’ve done your due diligence and made an appointment.

Now what? What even is a REAL ID? It will be needed in more places than just the airport. How much does it cost?

Well, before you go to your appointment, you need to make sure you bring the right documentation.

The New Jersey Motor Vehicle commissioner requires a unique combination of documents, which follows a process called 2 + 1 + 6 = REAL ID.

That means you must have:

Identity documents that add up to six points
Two documents to prove your address
One valid social security number

Bear in mind that most transactions at the MVC require a physical document, and not just a copy on your smartphone.

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What’s included in REAL ID 6 points?

This is the spot where you’ll need to verify your identity with primary documents that add up to six points, such as:

A U.S passport or birth certificate (4 points each)
A certificate of naturalization (4 points)
Your current permanent resident card (3 points)
A U.S school or college photo ID with a transcript (2 points)
A legal name change court order, civil marriage certificate or divorce decree (2 points each)
Additional documents also count, like a current U.S military ID or New Jersey firearms purchaser card

What’s included in REAL ID 2?

The “2” of the REAL ID formula is where you prove your address. You need to provide two out of the following:

A valid NJ driver’s license or MVC-issued driver license renewal form displaying your residential address
A utility bill or credit card bill from within the past 90 days
A bank or credit union statement issued within the past 60 days
An original, unexpired lease or rental agreement
Any tax-related documents or government correspondence received within the past year
First-class mail from a government agency within the past six months

What’s included in REAL ID 1?

The “1” in the REAL ID process is where you need to prove your social security number. You’ll have to show one of the following:

A Social Security card
A pay stub with the full Social Security number
A W-2 or 1099 form issued within the past year
You can also enter your Social Security number in the application and the MVC will electronically verify it

What is REAL ID and where will I need it?

The REAL ID is a federal requirement for state-issued driver’s licenses and ID cards. It’s meant to issue minimum security standards for state-issued IDs.

It’s part of a post-9/11 bill passed by Congress in 2005, according to the U.S Department of Homeland Security.

The requirement was originally set to go into effect in 2020, but was pushed back five years amid backlogs induced by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Starting May 7 this year, a REAL ID will be required for domestic flying and to get into any federal buildings.

Your current ID might read “Not For Real ID purposes,” and that means that, even if unexpired, the ID would not be compliant with the federal requirement.

But you could also present another REAL ID-compliant document to TSA security at the airport, like a passport.

It can take about two weeks, or 15 business days, to process the request at your local MVC.

All Real IDs will feature a stamp on the right-hand corner to show that it is federally compliant. The symbol stamped on your Real ID card will vary, depending on the state it was issued in.

What happens at your REAL ID appointment?

At the appointment, the documents you provide are scanned and stored by the MVC, as per federal requirements. State officials stressed that the documents are securely stored.

A REAL ID has to be obtained via an in-person appointment, but renewals can be done online.

The ID costs $35, while a standard New Jersey license or ID costs $24.

Staff Writer Manahil Ahmah contributed this article, which contains information from USA Today

Daniel Munoz covers business, consumer affairs, labor and the economy for NorthJersey.com and The Record.

Email: munozd@northjersey.com; Twitter:@danielmunoz100 and Facebook

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N.J. group demands review of Trenton immigration arrest operation at auto shop

Published

4 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

N.J. group demands review of Trenton immigration arrest operation at auto shop

U.S. Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-Mercer, said in a statement on Facebook that she has been briefed about the incident and her office is monitoring the situation.

Pazmino said her organization is calling on members of the community to come together.

“Brown and Black immigrant communities and nonimmigrant communities are welcome, and should be uniting against this force,” she said.

She is also calling on local officials to assist relatives of those taken into custody.

“We need to support families affected by these kidnappings, with mutual aid, donations and anything else you think will help each other,” Pazmino said.

A woman identified as Andrea, while holding her 1-year-old daughter, Genesis, tearfully spoke in Spanish about the anguish she feels and her fears about the future without her husband Christian, one of the men taken into custody. A friend, who translated her word into English, said Christian was a good and honest man.

“If he used to see a neighbor carrying something heavy, he would run to help them. If a friend needed a favor, he didn’t ask, he just did it,” she said.

Andrea (left) whose husband, Christian, was taken into custody during a raid on a Trenton auto repair shop, holds her 1-year-old daughter, Genesis, while translator Ashley Batz reads her statement in English. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

She said “his daughter was his whole world. He would wake up to her and give her kisses every morning. He would play with her after a long day at work. He loved us and protected us. He didn’t do anything wrong, so why was he taken?”

The Rev. Erich Kussman, St. Bartholomew’s pastor, said the entire Lutheran Church stands with the family.

“Anything you need, you can come to us. I want you to know that. I will stand with you, and we will do what we can to protect you, because that’s the call of the gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said.

“Standing with ICE is antithetical to the gospel of Jesus Christ, hands down,” he added. “Fifty-one times the scriptures tell us to welcome the immigrant and foreigner as one of our own. If you’re not living true to that gospel, the words of Christ himself, you are not a Christian, no matter what you claim to be.”

With immigration enforcement activity on the rise in New Jersey, lawmakers have proposed several bills to expand protections for immigrant communities. One measure called the “Fight Unlawful Conduct and Keep Individuals and Communities Empowered Act” would allow individuals to file a lawsuit against ICE agents who violate their constitutional rights.

Asma Elhuni speaking at a podium — Asma Elhuni, an organizer with Resistencia En Acción NJ speaks at a press conference at St. Bartholomew Lutheran Church in Trenton, joined by pastor Erich Kussman. The group was responding to the detention of three workers at Agudo’s Repair Shop on Feb. 20, 2026. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

Another proposed bill would require any business that operates a private prison or detention facility in the state to pay a tax equal to 50% of the taxpayer’s gross receipts derived from the operation of the facility during the previous year. The bill also stipulates all revenues generated would go to an “immigration protection fund.”

Recently proposed legislation would prohibit ICE agents from ever holding a public job in the Garden State, and New Jersey U.S. Sens. Cory Booker and Andy Kim are proposing legislation to prevent new funding for the Department of Homeland Security from being used to purchase a warehouse in Roxbury, New Jersey.

Requests for comment from ICE and the U.S. Marshals Service were not immediately returned.

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Spring’s coming; Sunny, warm Saturday and significant warm-up ahead NJ

Published

17 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Spring’s coming; Sunny, warm Saturday and significant warm-up ahead NJ

A brief respite from cold weather is ahead of New Jersey this weekend, before temperatures continue to rise late next week, according to the National Weather Service.

Saturday, Feb. 28 will be sunny across the Garden State, and temperatures will be comfortable, reaching the high 40s and low 50s.

Then, a brief artic cold front is expected to move into the region late on Saturday night, bringing temps to low 30’s and some scattered snow showers on Sunday, especially in North Jersey.

During the week, a couple low pressure systems are in the NWS forecast. Little snow if any is expected from these systems, especially in the late week, when a significant warm-up is expected.

Asbury Park and Monmouth County weekend weather forecast

Saturday: Mostly sunny, with a high near 45.

Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 33.

Sunday: Partly sunny and a chance of snow before 1 p.m. The high should be near 39. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New snow accumulation of less than a half inch possible.

Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 22.

Wildwoods and Atlantic County weather forecast

Saturday: Partly sunny, then gradually becoming sunny, with a high near 56.

Saturday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 31.

Sunday: Partly sunny and a slight chance of rain before 1 p.m. The high should be near 44. Southeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. Chance of precipitation is 20%.

Sunday night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 19.