Benson Bill to Create Online Check-in Pilot Program at MVC Agencies Clears Assembly Panel

(TRENTON) – Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) offices have been swamped with patrons following the agency’s three-month closure this spring due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Even before coronavirus, lengthy wait times at MVC offices were commonplace in New Jersey.

To help the MVC clear its backlog and make visits more convenient, legislation (A-4487) to create a one-year online check-in pilot program for MVC agencies was approved Thursday by the Assembly Transportation and Independent Authorities Committee. The bill is sponsored by committee chair Assemblyman Daniel Benson (D-Mercer, Middlesex).

The check-in system would allow patrons to reserve a spot in the queue online, advance in the queue without physically being present, and check in remotely from the parking lot of the MVC office or in-person with an agency employee.

The MVC currently has a check-in program, but patrons must be physically present in front of the office to be added to the queue. The system developed under the pilot program would allow patrons to reserve their spot in line from home, which would help alleviate long lines at MVC offices.

At least six agencies would participate in the pilot program initially, and it would be expanded to include four more offices halfway through the program.

Assemblyman Benson released the following statement on the bill:

“The MVC has been working to clear its backlog from the spring closures, while also accommodating current customers with items coming due now. People are tired of waiting in long lines or visiting agencies multiple days in a row just to get a spot in the queue, and the coming colder temperatures will make this worse. 

          “An online check-in system would allow drivers to reserve a space in the MVC’s queue from the comfort of their homes and avoid spending hours waiting in front of the office. This will make visiting the MVC more convenient long after the backlog is cleared and modernize the way the agency serves drivers across New Jersey.”