NJ Driver License Renewal Fees Waived For One Year, Effective Oct. 1

NEW JERSEY — Renewal fees for driver licenses and non-driver identifications will be waived for a year, effective Oct. 1, thanks to the 2022-2023 state budget and legislation signed into law by Gov. Phil Murphy.

"This bill is part of an ongoing effort to address the affordability of life in New Jersey," Assemblyman Paul Moriarty, primary sponsor of the bill, said in a statement. "I was proud to sponsor this legislation and help make renewing your ID at the (Motor Vehicle Commission) less of an inconvenience."

Assembly Bill 4401, which passed the Assembly and Senate unanimously, also reduces the fee of upgrading a standard driver license or ID card to a REAL ID license or card to $11; REAL ID is federally accepted identification. The bill will not, however, reduce the fee for initial issuance of a REAL ID.

"For those scheduled for a renewal, reducing fees for a REAL ID can help smooth the transition for people otherwise hesitant to embrace the change," Moriarty said.

From Oct. 1 to Sept. 30, 2023, renewal fees will be waived for driver licenses, non-driver ID cards, motorcycle licenses, and digitized photographs required for renewal or issuance of a license or card, the bill said.

The bill "effectuates the recommendation" of the governor to waive the renewal fees, as part of the fiscal year 2023 budget, a statement in the bill said.

Furthering a "commitment to affordability," the governor's budget, signed on June 30, supports a year of "fee holidays" for drivers renewing their licenses, a government website said.

"The one-year fee holiday is one of numerous initiatives proposed in the FY23 Budget to advance affordability & opportunity," the state Department of the Treasury tweeted in May.