MVC, Driver's License Services Reopen In NJ After Shutting Down

NEW JERSEY – The state reopened Motor Vehicle Commission services on Monday after a statewide shutdown caused by a network outage that lasted more than four hours, officials say. The outage caused lines so long that one person even collapsed.

"The network outage that prevented the MVC from processing in-agency transactions this morning has been resolved," said William Connolly, a spokesman for the MVC.

"All MVC locations (except Edison) are now fully operational. We are still investigating the root cause of the outage."

Read more: Man Collapses Waiting In Line At Eatontown MVC

Online transactions at NJMVC.gov were not affected by the outage, he said

Customers on line at Edison will be given priority on Tuesday morning, Connolly said.

A vendor software issue caused interruption of network connections at all MVC agencies, preventing the processing of transactions, Connolly said.

The MVC IT team worked with the vendor to fix the problem, restoring service around 1 p.m., he said.

When the outage hit, Connolly told Patch that it was making "every effort" to restore connections as soon as possible.

"Please check back here for updates before heading to the facility or click here for alternative locations. The MVC apologizes for any inconvenience," the MVC said.

The outage was reported at 9 a.m. People who were waiting in line for hours were not pleased.

The shutdown came as New Jersey has issued new updates on driver's license and Motor Vehicle Commission services, and customers and lawmakers continue to complain about hours-long delays amid the coronavirus crisis.

Gov. Phil Murphy also signed two bills to help get more driver's out of the MVC lines. Read more: Gov. Murphy Signs 2 Laws To Get NJ Drivers Out Of Long MVC Lines

Murphy said he hasn't ruled out more granting extensions on driver's services as a way to reduce the size of lines waiting outside the MVC agencies.

"We haven't said no to really anything at this point. They're chopping through a tsunami of a backlog," Murphy said.

Connolly also addressed some issues – and potential myths – that the MVC has been dealing with as it's worked through months of backlog since the MVC reopened in July.

"We are constantly re-evaluating our procedures to see how we can serve the most customers with the least inconvenience during this unique time," he said.

Here is how the MVC is dealing with its issues of long lines and backlog:

• Demand is starting to slow across the state, though it continues to be higher than last year at this time, Connolly said.
• The MVC has caught up on road tests; commercial driver's license testing; driver knowledge testing; and inspections.
• Almost all registration renewals, and a majority of license renewals, are now available online, along with other services such as address changes and duplicates for lost documents.
• Despite a difficult indoor working environment, safety measures so far have proven effective, Connolly said.
• Among the MVC's 1,200-plus employees, the agency has had four COVID-19 positives – two of which were in the same location at roughly the same time – in the nearly 60 days since reopening.
• The MVC continues to expand our online services; for example, the agency recently added the Discover card to its payment options, and will soon allow those with temporary visas to replace a lost license online, he said.