OCEAN COUNTY – After months of being closed due to the state’s quarantine lockdown thanks to the COVID-19 pandemic, the State’s Motor Vehicles Commission offices are now reopened.
Lines to get in however are around the building in locations like Toms River and if you were interested in getting a real ID driver’ license or other items, you will have a long wait.
Toms River, Lakewood and Stafford offices of the MVC opened their doors on July 7 and the lines were long at both locations for those seeking to get their licensed renewed, register their car and other vehicle business.
Similar crowd lines were noted around MVC offices across the state. Those who waited to enter the Toms River MVC office which was wrapped around the building weren’t happy to be standing in line in the heat. Similar crowds came out to the MVC Lakewood office, according to Lakewood Police.
Those who did make it into the offices weren’t happy to hear from MVC representatives that some have been designated only for driver’s license transactions while others are handling only vehicle documentation.
The only licensing center in Ocean County is Toms River while the Lakewood office was shut down to additional customers around 10 a.m. and limited to handling only vehicle transactions.
For details on those transactions available to customers visit the state’s MVC website at njmvc.gov.
MVC Chief Administrator Sue Fulton stated that her agency is attempting “to take care of the people who don’t have other options.”
Fulton acknowledged that there had been angry and frustrated responses by residents. Customers provided numerous complaints on social media criticizing the MVC’s handling of their operations and the confusion they experienced.
