MVC Six-Point Identification Verification Program (2024)

STATE OF NEW JERSEY
Division of The Ratepayer Advocate
31 Clinton Street, 11^th Fl
P. O. Box 46005
Newark, New Jersey 07101

JAMES E. McGREEVEY
Governor

SEEMA M. SINGH, Esq.
Director and Ratepayer Advocate

What You Need to Know About:
New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission's
Six-Point Identification Verification Program

By Seema M. Singh, Esq.
Pubic Advocate-Designate
And Ratepayer Advocate

The State of New Jersey in 2003 created a new Six-Point Identification Verification Program to establish more secure processes to issue auto operator licenses in keeping with federal Homeland Security guidelines.

The new program was created under legislation signed by Governor James E. McGreevey, which also changed the name of the Division of Motor Vehicles, the responsible state agency, to the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC).

The most important goals of this legislation are to improve motor vehicle services for drivers, to enhance customer services and to establish a more secure licensing process in keeping with the Federal Security Guidelines.

The new identification verification program has generated many questions from legal non-citizen state residents who are now uncertain as to how they can qualify for driver licenses and renewals.

In December 2003, the state legislature added another licensing provision to MVC requirements that tightens security conditions for all applicants for regular and provisional licenses and driver’s permits, requiring the submission of a digitized photo as a condition of receiving one of these permits in addition to the six point ID verification elements discussed below.

Before I discuss the new program, I want to point out that the Six Point ID Verification Program changes the process by which New Jersey issues driver licenses, driver permits, non-driver ID cards and boat licenses for everyone residing in New Jersey. The new ID verification program and photo requirement do not just apply to non-citizens, but to U.S. citizens as well.
Because most of the inquiries I, as Public Advocate Designate, have received about the program come from legal non-citizens, this article will focus on the unique ID requirements for that category.

Identity theft and document fraud have become serious problems in New Jersey and elsewhere in the United States. Since driver licenses are among the most common ways used to establish identities, everyone is safer when the state is very careful about proof of identities.

If you are a non-citizen, to qualify for a driver license or renewal, you must possess and show at least:

a digitized photo;
one primary document;
one secondary document; and
provide a minimum total of six points worth of documents

The documents detailed below, either originals or certified copies, must be produced by non-citizens at MVC offices when they apply for licenses, to establish identity.

How to Satisfy the Required Six Points

1. Primary Documents for Non-Citizens - Applicants must show at least one of these

4-Point Documents

Foreign passport with INS or BCIS verification, and valid record of arrival/departure (Form I-94)
Foreign passport with INS or BCIS verification, and valid Form I-551 stamp
Current alien registration card (new Form I-551) with expiration date and verification form INS or BCIS
Refugee travel document (Form I-571)
U.S. re-entry permit (Form I-327)
Valid I-94 stamped Refugee, Parolee, Asylee or Notice of Action (Form I-797 approved petition) by INS or BCIS
Valid I-94 with attached photo stamped Processed for I-551... by INS or BCIS
3-Point Documents
Current photo employment authorization card (Form-I-688B or I-766). Must be presented with valid Social Security card. (See special note on Social Security).
2-Point Documents
Current alien registration card (old Form I-551) without expiration date, and INS or BCIS verification
Photo temporary resident card (Form I-688)
2. Secondary Documents for Non-Citizens - Citizens and non-citizens must show at least one of these

3-Point Documents
Civil marriage certificate issued by the municipality in which you were married. [Please note: Photocopies are not accepted. Marriage certificates issued by religious entities are also not accepted].
Divorce decree (from a U.S. court)
Court order for a legal name change, signed by a judge or court clerk
Current U.S. military dependent card
U.S. military photo retiree card
NJ firearm purchaser card
2-Point Documents
U.S. school photo ID card with transcript or school records
U.S. college phone ID card with transcript
Valid federal, state or local government employee photo I D card
U.S. military discharge papers (DD214)
FAA pilot license
1-Point Documents
Current NJ photo driver license
Current photo driver license from any other state or the District of Columbia
Social Security card (See Special Note on Social Security)
Bank Statement or record
ATM card with preprinted name and applicant's signature. (Please note: an ATM card and bank statement cannot be submitted together.)
Current health insurance card, prescription card or employee ID card with printed pay stub
State professional license
NJ public assistance card with photo (also known as a NJ Social Services ID card)
High school diploma, GED or college diploma
Property tax statement, bill or receipt issued by a New Jersey municipality
For NJ high school students: a waiver certificate for the written portion of the driver's test
Veterans Affairs universal access photo ID card
3. Proof of Address for Citizens and Non-Citizens - all applicants, citizens and non-citizens, must present proofs of address, which may include, but are not limited to one of these:
Utility or credit card bill issued in the past 90 days that shows your name at your current address
Checking or savings account statement from a bank or credit union, issued within the past two years
High school or college report card or transcript containing your address, issued within the past two years
Original lease or rental agreement showing your name as the lessee or renter
Property tax bill, statement or receipt from the past year
Any letter or correspondence (including tax bills) received from the IRS or state tax office in the last year
First-class mail received from any federal, state or local government agency in the past six months
If the applicant is under 18 and doesn't otherwise have proof of address, the MVC will accept a Parent or Guardian Certification that verifies the applicant is living with a parent or guardian
Special Note on Social Security

To be eligible for a New Jersey driver's license or renewal, non-citizens who are legally in the country but not permitted to work and do not have a Social Security card should go to their nearest Social Security Office with the documents from the INS that establish their legal status in the United States.
The non-citizens should request a letter from Social Security confirming that they are not eligible for a social security card. This is a routine request, but must be made in person by the applicant seeking the motor vehicle license.
This Social Security letter will not have a point value toward the license.

Finally, if you do provide a Social Security number (SS#) when applying for a license, the MVC will access the Social Security Administration to verify that your name and date of birth match your SS#.
The documents submitted must total six points as defined in this article. Currently, only documents providing proof of address may differ from the information in this article.
Remember: Every ID document you show to prove your identity must be an original or a certified copy marked with a state or municipal seal.
Further details and more information on the Six-Point ID Verification Program, and the Motor Vehicle Commission, can be obtained on line at www.njmvc.gov, or toll free phone in New Jersey at 1-888-486-3339 or (Out of State) at 609-292-7500.
If for any reason you have questions this article does not answer about qualifying for a driver's license in New Jersey, please contact me at 973-648-7125 or eanta@rpa.state.nj.us, ask your question and provide contact numbers for a reply.
The Division of the Ratepayer Advocate is an independent state agency that represents the interests of utility consumers and serves as an active participant in every case where New Jersey utilities seek changes in their rates or services. The Ratepayer Advocate also gives consumers a voice in setting long-range energy, water, and telecommunications policy that will affect the delivery of utility services well into the future.
Additional information on this and other matters can be found at the Division of Ratepayer Advocate's website at http://www.rpa.state.nj.us

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