If you’re a frequent flyer, it’s time to get real.

The time to get a REAL ID is getting closer. On May 7, 2025, it becomes a requirement to travel by airpane.

Here are some common questions about REAL ID:.

What is REAL ID?

REAL ID is the new federal requirement for state-issued driver licenses and nondriver IDs to help prevent fraudulent identification.

How to know if you have a REAL ID?

REAL ID-compliant cards will have one of the following markings on the upper top portion of the card — a black or gold star. If the card does not have one of these markings, it is not REAL ID-compliant and won’t be accepted as proof of identity in order to board commercial aircraft.

A non-REAL ID-compliant ID will have the words “NOT FOR REAL ID PURPOSES” printed on it. 

When will REAL ID be required to fly?

A REAL ID will be needed starting May 7, 2025, in New Jersey. While this will may keep you from flying, it won’t from driving. The standard New Jersey driver license can still be used for driving.

Do you need a REAL ID to fly in the United States?

The only other acceptable forms of identification to fly will be a U.S. passport or a federally approved form of identification.

Will I need a REAL ID for any other reasons?

You will also need the REAL ID to access federal facilities and enter nuclear power plants.

How do I get a REAL ID?

REAL IDs can be obtained by making an appointment at the NJ MVC.

NJ REAL ID requirements

There are three things you’ll need to have before getting your REAL ID.

• You need two forms of residential address. This includes a valid NJ driver license/nondriver identification card, a utility or credit card bill issued over the past 90 days, a checking or savings account statement from a bank or credit card union issued in the past 60 days, an original, unexpired lease or rental agreement, a tax bill, statement or receipt, or any letter from the IRS or tax office within the past year, first class mail from any government agency in the past six months, and, if under 18, a statement from parent or guardian certifying the address of the applicant.
• You also need proof of a full Social Security number. This includes a Social Security card, a pay stub with name and full social security number, a W-2 or a 1099 Form issued within the past year, or if you know your Social Security number and will enter it on the application, and the Motor Vehicle Commission will verify it electronically.
• You’ll also need your birth certificate or an unexpired U.S. passport. If you’re not a U.S. citizen, you’ll need to bring other forms.

Do I need a REAL ID if I have a passport?

No. If you want to travel in the United States, a passport will suffice.

SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Cody Ceci scored with 24 seconds left in the third period, and the San Jose Sharks beat the New Jersey Devils 3-2 on Saturday.

With the game tied 2-2, Ceci’s slap shot from the point beat Devils goaltender Jacob Markstrom.

Yaroslav Askarov stopped 28 shots for San Jose, and Markstrom made 21 saves for New Jersey.

Macklin Celebrini gave the Sharks a 2-1 lead with a hard wrist shot on his first shift of the third period, but Paul Cotter answered for the Devils.

Nikolai Kovalenko scored his first goal with the Sharks late in the first period after joining the team in a trade last month. Nico Hischier, on his 26th birthday, tied the game in the second on the power play by deflecting the puck in off a pass by Jack Hughes.

Takeaways

Devils: The Devils lost their four straight on a six-game road trip, and have yet to find a rhythm coming off the holiday break.

Sharks: The Sharks won against a second consecutive playoff team after beating the Lightning on Thursday to snap an eight-game losing streak. Askarov, coming off a perfect third period on Thursday, looked solid in his second straight start as the Sharks are giving their goaltender of the future more experience.

Key moment

With the puck in the Devils’ zone in the final seconds of the third, Jonas Siegenthaler fell in the corner. The Sharks’ Alexander Wennberg retrieved the puck and passed it up high to Ceci, whose slap shot trickled off Markstrom’s glove and in.

Key stat

Celebrini’s 13th goal of the season put him in first amongst rookies. He entered the game tied with the Flyers’ Matvei Michkov.

Up next

The Devils visit the Kraken on Monday, while the Sharks host the Golden Knights on Tuesday.

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A state appeals court ruled late last month that a jury can decide to shorten the sentence of a New York man convicted of sexually assaulting an Atlantic City housekeeper nearly seven years ago.

The judges agreed in an opinion issued Dec. 19 that the New Jersey Superior Court wrongfully sentenced 39-year-old Jamel Carlton to an extended prison sentence for the assault at Bally’s Hotel and Casino in 2018.

Carlton appealed both his conviction and sentence of 42 years, which a Superior Court judge imposed while deeming the Saugerties man a, “persistent offender.”