Politics & Government

3-Hour Waits, Lines As NJ's MVC Reopens; Will It Happen Again?

After being closed for four months, NJ reopened all MVC centers to mile-long lines, three-hour wait times and chaos. Will it happen again?

SOUTH BRUNSWICK, NJ — Did you need to go to the Motor Vehicle Commission (MVC) Tuesday? Let's hope you can wait until Wednesday – or later.

After being closed for more than four months, New Jersey reopened all MVC centers for in-person services on Tuesday to mile-long lines, three-hour wait times and overall chaos and confusion.

MVCs in Lakewood and Lodi shut down entirely to new customers. The Springfield and Eatontown MVCs showed long lines and NJ.com reported a fight broke out among people waiting in line at the Trenton MVC.

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

MVC Chief Administrator Sue Fulton said the commission had staff in place starting at 6 a.m. Tuesday, two hours before their regular opening time of 8 a.m., and she suggested that customers pay attention to advisories on the agency's website and text messages to prevent future issues.

"We ask everyone to check NJMVC.gov before you go to an agency, as some customers are in line for transactions that can be done online," she added.

Find out what's happening in South Brunswickwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

She also said the MVC's brand-new text messaging system is in place and working: Someone checks in and can then leave, with a text telling them when they can return. However, customers can only check in inside the physical MVC buildings; they cannot check in from their cars while waiting in line, said an MVC spokesman.

Below was the scene at the Motor Vehicle Commission on Route 130 in South Brunswick Tuesday morning. Hundreds of people began lining up there before 5 a.m., police said, and waited more than three hours to get into the building. Traffic was backed up onto Rt. 130 for half a mile. One woman tweeted she got there at 3:55 a.m. to beat the lines.

South Brunswick police were asking people to avoid the area and avoid going to the MVC altogether.

Here are more scenes around New Jersey:

The state was going to reopen the MVC on June 29, but delayed the opening to July 7 due to continuing COVID concerns. New Jersey's Motor Vehicle Commission has been closed since mid-March due to COVID-19. The state will keep all MVC centers closed on Mondays throughout July so they can do a deep cleaning of the buildings.

New Jersey Republicans used the morning's MVC chaos as a chance to slam Gov. Murphy.

"This is unacceptable. The department has had more than three months to prepare for this but has failed the people of New Jersey yet again," said Republican Assemblyman Jon Bramnick of Union, who said he visited the Motor Vehicle Commission agency in Springfield Tuesday morning and found hundreds of people waiting in line, with little communication from the front desk.

“This is why people are frustrated with government,” said Bramnick. “Total chaos could have been avoided if the MVC at least handed out numbers as people arrived. People cannot tell where the line begins and there is no communication."


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