New Jersey

Does the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission have the capacity to handle Real ID demand?

Published

12 months ago

March 20, 2025

Press Room

Does the NJ Motor Vehicle Commission have the capacity to handle Real ID demand?

3-minute read

New Jersey residents are facing appointment backlogs to obtain a Real ID ahead of the May 7th deadline.
The New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission has implemented initiatives like “Real ID Thursdays” to increase appointment availability, but demand remains high.
Residents are encouraged to check the MVC website for required documents and available appointments.
A Real ID is not mandatory, but a standard driver’s license will not be accepted for domestic flights after the deadline.
Passports remain a valid alternative for domestic air travel and accessing federal facilities.

With the federal Real ID program launching in less than two months, New Jersey residents looking to upgrade their licenses may be running into some problems.

Despite launching a “Real ID Thursday” initiative to make more appointments available, the state’s Motor Vehicle Commission currently has no appointments available for residents in any county north of Monmouth County before Real ID takes effect on May 7.

That includes appointments at physical agency locations as well as MVC’s mobile unit.

The only appointments for any kind of upgrade available at agency locations as of Thursday — about 50 slots — were at the mobile unit site in Lawrenceville or at locations in the southern half of the state — for those who have licenses expiring within the next three months and are trying to upgrade.

Agency spokesperson Bill Connolly said the “demand for Real ID now is extraordinarily high ahead of the start of federal enforcement in May.”

“The MVC has repeatedly added and reallocated appointments to better meet that demand over the past several months,” he said, noting that “Real ID Thursdays” added more than 43,000 appointments and more mobile unit appointments will be available as the agency coordinates with local hosts. The opportunity to book these additional appointments started last week.

Connolly also said about 3,000 new appointments for Real ID upgrades are added each business day at 7 a.m. and that “appointments are regularly added as customers cancel or modify their appointments.”

“While the MVC is processing record numbers of in-person transactions, especially Real IDs, we will continue to evaluate our operations and look to offer additional opportunities for our customers to get a Real ID,” he said.

The next appointment at each of the 28 licensing centers for those looking to upgrade and have a license or identification card expiring in the next three months as of Wednesday evening were:

Lawrenceville: May 13, 2:20 p.m.
Bayonne: May 14, 2:20 p.m.
Camden: April 16, 11:20 a.m.
Egg Harbor Township: April 30, 11:40 a.m.
Delanco: April 22, 9:40 a.m.
Eatontown: May 6, 12:40 p.m.
Edison: May 7, 1:40 p.m.
Elizabeth: May 20, 8 a.m.
Flemington: April 28, 8:40 a.m.
Freehold: May 2, 11:20 a.m.
Lodi: May 28, 10:40 a.m.
Manahawkin: April 28, 11 a.m.
Newark: May 30, Noon
Newton: May 13, 10:20 a.m.
North Bergen: May 20, 12:40 p.m.
Oakland: May 27, 11:20 a.m.
Paterson: May 7, 12:20 p.m.
Rahway: May 7, 10:40 a.m.
Randolph: May 14, 2 p.m.
North Cape May: April 8, 2:40 p.m.
Runnemede: May 2, 1 p.m.
Salem: April 9, 8:40 a.m.
South Plainfield: May 5, 10:20 a.m.
Toms River: April 29, 12:20 p.m.
Vineland: April 9, 8:20 a.m.
Washington: April 30, 1 p.m.
Wayne : May 19, 11:20 p.m.
West Deptford: April 15, 1:40 p.m.

Real ID: What to know

According to the TSA, as of January 2024, only about 56% of the licenses and government issued identification cards in use around the country comply with Real ID. In 34 states that number is less than 60% and in 22 states is less than 40%.

In order to get a Real ID, residents should check REALID.nj.gov to make sure they bring all the required documents — two proofs of residential address, one verifiable Social Security number and identity documents that add up to six Real ID Points — to their appointment.

The state started issuing the Real ID in September 2019. The deadline was initially October 2020 but was pushed back to October 2021 due to the pandemic. The federal government opted to push it back again to May 2023, as new COVID-19 variants continued to wreak havoc on motor vehicle agencies throughout the country. In 2022, officials delayed it a third time, to May 2025.

After the deadline, standard driver’s licenses or non-driver identification cards can no longer be used to fly within the U.S. A passport is also a valid form of identification for domestic travel.

No one is required to get Real ID. A standard driver’s license or non-driver identification card can still be used to drive in New Jersey, but it will no longer be a valid form of federal identification. Passports can be used as identification when flying domestically.

The REAL ID Act, which was enacted following the 9/11 Commission’s recommendation, established minimum security standards for state-issued driver’s licenses and identification cards for the purpose of boarding federally regulated commercial aircraft, accessing certain federal facilities and entering nuclear power plants.

Katie Sobko covers the New Jersey Statehouse. Email: sobko@northjersey.com

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New Jersey

How much are World Cup tickets? FIFA sells $2,000 tailgate tickets

Published

6 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

How much are World Cup tickets? FIFA sells ,000 tailgate tickets

Tickets for the 2026 FIFA World Cup are highly coveted. Admission to a game can cost thousands and most matches are already sold out.

Here’s what to know, and how much tickets are selling for.

How to get New Jersey New York FIFA World Cup 2026 tickets

Fans can buy the New Jersey New York Venue Series pass starting at $25,800 per person, for admission to all eight games in New Jersey New York Stadium Stadium.

Alternatively, fans can buy premium admission that are available for upward of $1,000.

For instance, the admission to the France vs Senegal game on June 16 ranges from $2,300 to $3,400.

The closer to the final, the more expensive tickets are. Admission for the Round of 16 match on July 5, costs between $2,800 and $6,000.

Anyone interested in a luxury suite should be ready to pay roughly $200,000 for game at the New Jersey New York Stadium. The silver lining is that the price includes admission for to 24 people.

Premium tickets for the final match are sold out.

How can I buy cheaper FIFA World Cup Tickets?

A Last-Minute Sales Phase for individual tickets opens on April 2 at 11 a.m. ET. Tickets might sell out within minutes, given the high global demand for them. Most of the tickets left are category 1 and 2, the most expensive seats.

Price varies depending on the match. As an example the USA vs Paraguay match has seats available for $1,940 and $2,735, according to The Athletic.

Forty out of the 104 matches are already sold out.

What are the tailgate tickets? What is the FIFA Pavilion?

FIFA is selling Pavilion tickets for roughly $2,000. The sporting organization describes the pavilions as “an exclusive retreat located in our secure perimeter immediately outside the stadium. Featuring beverage service and elevated street food-inspired dining available pre- and post-match.

For the price, you get to tailgate a game three hours before the match and two hours after it finishes. It also includes a ticket to see the game inside the stadium.

Juan Carlos Castillo is a New Jersey-based trending reporter for the USA Today Network. Find him on Twitter at _JCCastillo.

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New Jersey

Did anyone win Powerball? Winning numbers for March 4, 2026

Published

18 hours ago

March 5, 2026

Press Room

Did anyone win Powerball? Winning numbers for March 4, 2026

APP.com Digital Desk
| Asbury Park Press

Powerball winning numbers are in for the Wednesday, March 2 drawing with a jackpot that reached an estimated $20 million ($9.4 million cash option).

The winning numbers in Wednesday’s drawing are 7, 14, 42, 47, and 56, with Powerball number 6. The Power Play number is 4.

Did anyone win the Powerball jackpot?

No one won the Powerball jackpot

When is the next drawing of the Powerball?

The next Powerball drawing is Saturday. Drawings are held at 10:59 p.m. every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday.

How late can you buy a Powerball ticket?

In New Jersey, in-store and online ticket sales are available until 9:59 p.m. on the night of the draw.

What does it cost to play Powerball?

Powerball costs $2 to play. For an additional $1 per play, the Power Play feature can multiply nonjackpot prizes by two, three, four, five or 10 times.

Are you a Powerball winner? Here’s how to claim your lottery prize

All New Jersey Lottery retailers will redeem prizes up to $599.99. For prizes over $599.99, winners can submit winning tickets through the mail or in person at New Jersey Lottery offices. By mail, send a winner claim form, winning lottery ticket and a copy of a government-issued ID to New Jersey Lottery, Attn: Validations, PO Box 041, Trenton, NJ 08625-0041.

Winners can drop off their claim form and winning ticket in person at the New Jersey Lottery office where a secure drop box is available. Claim forms are also available at the office. Hours are Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.; Lawrence Park Complex, 1333 Brunswick Avenue Circle, Trenton, NJ 08648.

To find a lottery retalier, you can search the NJ lotto website.

What is the Powerball payout?

The complete guide to winnings is:

Match 5 White Balls + Powerball: Jackpot
Match 5 White Balls: $1 million
Match 4 White Balls + Powerball: $50,000
Match 4 White Balls: $100
Match 3 White Balls + Powerball: $100
Match 3 White Balls: $7
Match 2 White Balls + Powerball: $7
Match 1 White Ball + Powerball: $4
Match Powerball: $4
Match 5 White Balls with Power Play: $2 million
Match 4 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $200,000
Match 4 White Balls with Power Play: $400
Match 3 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $400
Match 3 White Balls with Power Play: $28
Match 2 White Balls + Powerball with Power Play: $28
Match 1 White Ball + Powerball with Power Play: $16
Match Powerball with Power Play: $16

What are the odds of winning the Powerball jackpot?

The overall odds of winning the Powerball are 1 in 292.2 million.

How do I find the Powerball winning numbers?

Powerball drawings are broadcast live every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59 p.m. from the Florida Lottery draw studio in Tallahassee. Drawings are also lived streamed on Powerball.com. The winning numbers are posted to the Powerball and New Jersey Lottery websites.

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New Jersey

NJ’s biggest Catholic diocese hits pause on plan to merge parishes

Published

1 day ago

March 4, 2026

Press Room

NJ’s biggest Catholic diocese hits pause on plan to merge parishes

Last June, the Catholic Archdiocese of Newark launched a review called “We Are His Witnesses,” which aimed to consider potential consolidations or closures of some of its 211 North Jersey parishes.

But amid confusion and pushback from many parishioners, Cardinal Joseph Tobin said Wednesday that the archdiocese will now extend its review to allow for further study and conversations.

In a letter published on the Archdiocese website March 4, Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, noted the challenges remain the same: a steady decline in membership and a shortage of priests projected to grow worse in the coming years. He did not specify how much longer the process would take but said he would have more to announce in June.

The largest of New Jersey’s five Catholic dioceses, the Newark Archdiocese serves approximately 1.3 million people in Bergen, Essex, Hudson and Union counties.

Story continues after gallery.

Some parishioners, Tobin wrote, “came to believe — incorrectly — that the overall goal of We Are His Witnesses is to close churches. That has never been the purpose.

“This work is not driven by downsizing, but by mission: by the call to strengthen parish life so that it can truly form disciples and reach those who are not yet engaged in the life of the Church.”

The program’s aim is not to close churches, but to “strengthen parish life” he added.

He said a follow-up announcement would come on June 12 but reassured parishioners that “there is no need to fear that an immediate and wholesale closure of parishes will be announced.”

‘The Church is not a museum’

Current circumstances demand Church leaders to make difficult decisions, he said. “The challenges we face are real: fewer priests, fewer people in the pews, communities that look very different than they did even a generation ago, and financial strain. Ignoring the changed landscape does not preserve parish life; it weakens it. The Church is not a museum to preserve what it once was,” he wrote.

The initiative kicked off last summer, with meetings at churches around the region to allow parishioners to offer feedback. Many expressed fears about their future of their church, Tobin said.

Parishioners at many of the meetings and in letters to Tobin expressed concerns about the program. As a result, Tobin concluded that “it is clear that the communities of the Archdiocese need more time for honest discernment. We are extending this phase of our work to allow for deeper reflection and broader consultation throughout our local Church.”

“This is not a pause in mission. It is a call to take the mission seriously and to ask ourselves, with renewed honesty, what it means to be a missionary Church today.”

Msgr. Richard Arnhols, pastor emeritus of St. John the Evangelist Roman Catholic Church in Bergenfield and a member of a committee of pastoral leaders helping to guide the review, said that, “Based on the input from the priests and people of the parishes which took place last fall, Cardinal Tobin has approved a period of additional study and reflection before any decisions are made.”

The first step is further conversation among parish priests, which will take place this month, he said.

Gregory Hann, a religious instructor at St. Vincent Academy in Newark, applauded Tobin’s decision. “If we continue to do things the way we have been doing them, we become a stagnant Church and we allow the comforts of our culture and the outside to keep us from moving from the Cross to glory.”

Nicholas Grillo of Bloomfield, a parishioner who attended several listening sessions at Holy Rosary Church in Jersey City, approved of the decision. “Hopefully the pause will give them time to reevaluate this going forward,” he said.

He added that it was a “waste of money” to pay large sums of money to a consultant that “doesn’t understand the intricacies of the Archdiocese of Newark,” he said, referring to the Catholic Leadership Institute, a Pennsylvania group that the archdiocese has engaged.

Instead, Grillo suggested, “they should put together a group of lay parishioners and priests from the diocese who can collaborate on a better path forward.”

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