New Jersey Address & Name Change
When a New Jersey driver moves, marries, divorces, or formally changes their name, the change has to be reflected on the driver's license, vehicle registration, and any vehicle title in the driver's name. NJ MVC requires the address change to be reported within 1 week of the move and the name change at the time the legal name change occurs.
Address change
Updating the address with NJ MVC is free. The change can be completed:
- Online through the MVC portal — instant update; no document upload required.
- By mail using form SC-2 with the change written in.
- In person at any NJ MVC vehicle agency — useful when combined with a license renewal or REAL ID upgrade.
The address change covers the license and the registration in one transaction. New license cards or registration cards are not issued; instead the change is recorded in the MVC system. Drivers can write the new address on the back of the license card or print a confirmation.
When a new license card is needed
NJ does not issue a new license card for a routine address change. A new card is required when:
- The driver upgrades to REAL ID at the same time.
- The driver also has a name change.
- The license is at the photo-update cycle (every 8 years).
- The current card is lost or destroyed (a $11 duplicate fee applies).
Name change
NJ MVC updates a driver's name when the change has been completed legally. Acceptable proof:
- Marriage: certified marriage certificate.
- Divorce: certified divorce decree showing the legal name return.
- Court-ordered name change: certified order from the Superior Court of New Jersey or out-of-state court.
- Adoption: certified adoption order.
- Naturalization: certificate of naturalization showing the new legal name.
The name change must be made in person at a NJ MVC vehicle agency. Online and by-mail name changes are not accepted because of identity verification requirements.
Six-point ID review for name change
A NJ name change requires the driver to re-establish identity under the 6-point matrix using documents that match the new name. Common bundles:
- U.S. passport (4 points) reissued in the new name + one secondary document in the new name + address proof.
- Original birth certificate (4 points) + certified marriage certificate as the link document + Social Security card in the new name + address proof.
The Social Security Administration must be updated before NJ MVC will accept a new Social Security card; the SSA processes name changes free of charge.
License fee at name change
If a name change is processed alone without a renewal, NJ MVC charges $11 for the duplicate license card with the new name. The license expiration date does not change — the original 4-year cycle continues. If the change happens at renewal, the standard $24 renewal fee applies.
Registration name change
The vehicle registration is updated at the same agency visit using form OS/SS-7 with the new name. There is no fee to update the name on the registration card. The new card is mailed within 4-6 weeks. If the registration is in joint names and only one person changed names, only the affected name is updated.
Title name change
A NJ vehicle title cannot be updated in place — a new title must be issued. The driver brings the original title, certified marriage certificate or divorce decree, and form OS/SS-2 to NJ MVC and pays the $60 title fee. The new title is issued within 6-8 weeks. Sales tax is not charged on a name change because there is no change in ownership; the change is administrative only.
Address change for vehicle owners with liens
An address change does not automatically notify the lien holder. NJ drivers should also notify their lender directly so that registration renewal notices and any title-related correspondence reach the new address. Lien holders typically have their own address-change forms or web portals.
Out-of-state moves
If the move is from New Jersey to another state, the driver does not "change the address" with NJ MVC — instead, the new state's DMV equivalent issues a new license under the surrender-and-replace process. NJ plates should be surrendered to NJ MVC to formally close the registration; surrender prevents future insurance-lapse penalties on the abandoned NJ plate.
Moves into New Jersey require a full first-time NJ license application and vehicle registration within 60 days, not an address change.
Most NJ residents complete address changes online in under five minutes. Plan an in-person visit only when the change is paired with a name change, REAL ID upgrade, or the photo-update renewal.