NEW JERSEY — If you’re driving in New Jersey, you now have the option to show or use electronic proof of car registration when stopped by law enforcement, on your way to court, or with any other entity that requires the presentation of a valid vehicle registration.
This was announced by the State Motor Vehicle Commission (NJMVC) on Monday, as part of legislation signed into law by Governor Phil Murphy in November 2021. A separate provision in the law also allows for the direct renewal of records of rental vehicles in New Jersey.
“The NJMVC is pleased to offer electronic proof of vehicle registration that can be viewed on a smartphone or other electronic device,” said Latrecia Littles-Floyd, NJMVC Acting Senior Administrator. “Paper registrations will continue to be issued and recognized as valid, but they are no longer the only option for drivers when required to provide proof of registration.”
Effective March 24, 2023, when customers complete a renewal or duplicate registration transaction with the Commission, the vehicle registration is now emailed to the customer as a PDF file.
This document is a legally valid record that can be printed, saved, or downloaded for viewing as an electronic image on devices such as a smartphone, tablet, or computer.
In addition to the electronic proof sent via email, the NJMVC will continue to send a hard copy of the vehicle registration card to the driver’s address after the transaction is complete.
Direct renewal of leased vehicle registrations
A separate provision of the law implemented by the NJMVC requires that registration renewal requests be sent directly to lessees of rental vehicles, rather than to the lessor or owner of the vehicle. Additionally, renters are no longer required to submit a Lessor Power of Attorney (POA) to renew a rental vehicle registration, allowing for direct renewal by the renter, either online, by mail or by appointment. you with the NJMVC.
These changes will greatly help New Jersey’s more than 820,000 leased vehicle operators, who have often struggled to obtain the proper documentation from lessors to ensure smooth and timely registration renewals each year.
NJMVC predicts that more than 60% of affected customers will now renew their registration online, saving them time, reducing paperwork, reducing paper and waste, and eliminating the need for in-person visits.
The leased vehicle registration renewal changes are effective from registrations expiring in April 2023. Requirements are limited to vehicles with passenger car registration codes 7, 8 and 15.
Registration renewal notification requests have already been mailed to the first group of affected customers.
Ongoing Service Improvements
The NJMVC also announced that it had transferred four additional locations – Cardiff, Newton, Salem and Washington – to hybrid agencies capable of handling in-person vehicle and license transactions.
“Demand for NJMVC services varies widely across New Jersey,” Acting Chief Administrator Littles-Floyd said. “Making four more branches hybrid allows us to better serve all of our customers and address some operational concerns related to customer demand and differences in population density. These hybrid agencies were strategically chosen. As always, we will continue to monitor our operations and introduce additional changes, if necessary, at the appropriate time.”
Approximately 80% of all NJMVC transactions can be conducted online at the NJMVC.gov website, including the vast majority of license and registration renewals. Meanwhile, drive-thru testing and nearly all in-person services are available by appointment at NJMVC facilities across the state.
For motor vehicle services, appointment scheduling, and more NJMVC news and information, go here.