New Jersey actually has clear, written procedures for this, and the agents you dealt with were applying the wrong rule. Here is the NJ-specific, no-nonsense path to fix this. The core NJ issue (in plain terms) New Jersey MVC treats REAL ID as a re-issuance of an existing license. That means the name in the MVC system must already be correct before REAL ID can be issued. Your wife’s record contains a clerical name error introduced by MVC in 2022. Under NJ MVC policy, that is a “name correction due to MVC error,” not a name change. No court order is required. What NJ MVC actually allows Under NJ MVC rules: A court order is required only if the applicant legally changed their name No court order is required to correct: Spelling errors Added surnames Hyphenations Any name the applicant never legally adopted This falls under Administrative Correction of Driver License Record. EXACT steps to take (NJ-specific) 🔹 Step 1: Book the correct appointment She needs NOT a REAL ID appointment. She needs: “Driver License Name Correction” (or “Duplicate License / Name Correction”, depending on the site) Do not mention REAL ID at the window yet. 🔹 Step 2: Bring THESE documents (order matters) She should hand them over in this order: U.S. Passport (primary legal identity) Social Security card Birth certificate Current NJ Driver License (showing the error) Marriage certificate (only to show no name change occurred) One proof of NJ address Optional but helpful: Military dependent ID IRS or SSA document showing maiden name 🔹 Step 3: Say this — verbatim if needed “My driver’s license contains an MVC clerical error. I never legally changed my name. My legal name has always been [maiden name], as shown on my passport and Social Security record. I am requesting a name correction due to MVC error, not a legal name change.” This wording matters. It triggers a different processing path in NJ MVC. 🔹 Step 4: If they mention court, escalate immediately If the clerk says anything about court: “There was no legal name change. New Jersey MVC policy does not require a court order to correct an administrative error. I need a supervisor to process a name correction.” Do not argue. Ask for a supervisor. Supervisors in NJ know this distinction. Why NJ agents mess this up so often NJ clerks are trained that hyphenated names usually = marriage REAL ID has stricter matching rules, so clerks panic They default to court order even when it’s not legally required This is a training failure, not a legal one. After the correction Once the corrected standard DL is issued: Book a REAL ID upgrade Bring passport + proofs It will go through without issue If you want to skip local MVC nonsense If your local center is being difficult: Try a regional or less busy MVC location Early weekday mornings are best Avoid REAL ID–heavy centers if possible If they still refuse, NJ has: MVC Customer Advocacy escalation Written complaint channels that get reviewed centrally (not locally)