Midwesterners' Guide -- DMV Phone Numbers

Division of Motor Vehicles Phone Numbers

New Jersey's Division of Motor Vehicles is widely viewed as something of a horror show here, the epitome of big bad government. Frustrating, dehumanizing, worse than being stuck in rush-hour traffic and road construction.

It's not unusual to go to a DMV office, stand in line for 20 minutes, be given a form by someone surly and told to fill it out and come back, stand in line 20 minutes, give someone surly the form, wait a half hour for someone surly to call your name, pay that person for whatever privilege you're negotiating, then wait another 10 minutes for the paperwork to be completed. (Don't believe me? New Jersey requires that new residents with out-of-state licenses buy a $5 permit to take the driver's exam. That process took me nearly two hours. Just to get the permit.)

Not surprisingly, all the DMV offices have unlisted phone numbers. Think about that -- a service agency that won't list its phone numbers. (There's a statewide number you can call ... if you like listening to recordings.) Last September, though, Star-Ledger columnist Paul Mulshine tracked down those numbers and published them. As he said, "This is a great moment in history. For what is apparently the first time since Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, you can yours up and call your local DMV office. The numbers are listed in this column."

As a public service, I'm reprinting the numbers that Mr. Mulshine published. These offices handle licenses, titles and registration. Here are those numbers; they should be good until the next election, at least:

Bakers Basin -- (609) 896-3448
Bayonne -- (201) 436-7047
Bridgeton -- (609) 453-3801
Burlington -- (609) 386-6689
Camden -- (609) 962-6957
Cardiff -- (609) 272-8504
Cherry Hill -- (609) 751-7827
Deptford -- (609) 853-4173
East Brunswick -- (732) 257-7993
East Orange -- (973) 266-1815
Eatontown -- (732) 935-5909
Edison -- (732) 549-0740
Elizabeth -- (908) 354-6157
Englewood -- (201) 568-0479
Flemington -- (908) 782-2676
Freehold -- (732) 294-7902
Haddon Heights -- (609) 546-4860
Irvington -- (973) 371-4561
Jersey City -- (201) 217-7125
Lakewood -- (732) 370-5313
Ledgewood -- (973) 927-8326
Lodi -- (973) 916-2603
Manahawkin -- (609) 597-8642
Matawan -- (732) 583-9682
Medford -- (609) 953-7910
Morristown -- (973) 631-6250
New Jersey Car Dealer Agency, Ewing -- (609) 530-2808
Newark -- (973) 648-2869
Newton -- (973) 383-7839
North Bergen -- (201) 861-7433
Oakland -- (201) 337-2320
Rahway -- (732) 574-0017
Rio Grande -- (609) 889-9522
Rutherford -- (201) 939-3969
Salem -- (609) 935-4508
Somerville -- (908) 704-3336
South Plainfield -- (908) 412-7759
Springfield -- (973) 467-8226
Toms River -- (732) 255-8073
Trenton -- (609) 984-7106
Vineland -- (609) 692-5736
Washington -- (908) 689-5088
Wayne -- (973) 256-0045
Wayne (regional service center) -- (973) 628-6520
Williamstown -- (609) 728-3085
Wyckoff -- (201) 891-2689

Regional service centers
These centers handle license suspensions and restoration.

Wayne Regional -- (973)628-6500
Deptford Regional -- (609) 853-4100
Trenton Regional -- (609) 633-8285
Eatontown Regional -- (732) 935-5953

If you'd like to call the statewide toll-free number, dial (888) 486-3339. My experience with all the statewide numbers I've called has been iffy -- lots of electronic choices, waiting for my call to be answered in the order in which it was received, and the like, but Mulshine says there are 60 operators standing by to take your call at that number.

If you're calling from out of state, call (609) 292-6500.

back to Other Traffic Issues

Oh, I suppose this material is ©1997, 1998 Shewi.
Most recently updated: 21 March 1998.

	Division of Motor Vehicles Phone Numbers
	New Jersey's Division of Motor Vehicles is widely viewed as something of a horror show here, the epitome of big bad government. Frustrating, dehumanizing, worse than being stuck in rush-hour traffic and road construction. It's not unusual to go to a DMV office, stand in line for 20 minutes, be given a form by someone surly and told to fill it out and come back, stand in line 20 minutes, give someone surly the form, wait a half hour for someone surly to call your name, pay that person for whatever privilege you're negotiating, then wait another 10 minutes for the paperwork to be completed. (Don't believe me? New Jersey requires that new residents with out-of-state licenses buy a $5 permit to take the driver's exam. That process took me nearly two hours. Just to get the permit.) Not surprisingly, all the DMV offices have unlisted phone numbers. Think about that -- a service agency that won't list its phone numbers. (There's a statewide number you can call ... if you like listening to recordings.) Last September, though, Star-Ledger columnist Paul Mulshine tracked down those numbers and published them. As he said, "This is a great moment in history. For what is apparently the first time since Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, you can yours up and call your local DMV office. The numbers are listed in this column." As a public service, I'm reprinting the numbers that Mr. Mulshine published. These offices handle licenses, titles and registration. Here are those numbers; they should be good until the next election, at least: Bakers Basin -- (609) 896-3448 Bayonne -- (201) 436-7047 Bridgeton -- (609) 453-3801 Burlington -- (609) 386-6689 Camden -- (609) 962-6957 Cardiff -- (609) 272-8504 Cherry Hill -- (609) 751-7827 Deptford -- (609) 853-4173 East Brunswick -- (732) 257-7993 East Orange -- (973) 266-1815 Eatontown -- (732) 935-5909 Edison -- (732) 549-0740 Elizabeth -- (908) 354-6157 Englewood -- (201) 568-0479 Flemington -- (908) 782-2676 Freehold -- (732) 294-7902 Haddon Heights -- (609) 546-4860 Irvington -- (973) 371-4561 Jersey City -- (201) 217-7125 Lakewood -- (732) 370-5313 Ledgewood -- (973) 927-8326 Lodi -- (973) 916-2603 Manahawkin -- (609) 597-8642 Matawan -- (732) 583-9682 Medford -- (609) 953-7910 Morristown -- (973) 631-6250 New Jersey Car Dealer Agency, Ewing -- (609) 530-2808 Newark -- (973) 648-2869 Newton -- (973) 383-7839 North Bergen -- (201) 861-7433 Oakland -- (201) 337-2320 Rahway -- (732) 574-0017 Rio Grande -- (609) 889-9522 Rutherford -- (201) 939-3969 Salem -- (609) 935-4508 Somerville -- (908) 704-3336 South Plainfield -- (908) 412-7759 Springfield -- (973) 467-8226 Toms River -- (732) 255-8073 Trenton -- (609) 984-7106 Vineland -- (609) 692-5736 Washington -- (908) 689-5088 Wayne -- (973) 256-0045 Wayne (regional service center) -- (973) 628-6520 Williamstown -- (609) 728-3085 Wyckoff -- (201) 891-2689 Regional service centers These centers handle license suspensions and restoration. Wayne Regional -- (973)628-6500 Deptford Regional -- (609) 853-4100 Trenton Regional -- (609) 633-8285 Eatontown Regional -- (732) 935-5953 If you'd like to call the statewide toll-free number, dial (888) 486-3339. My experience with all the statewide numbers I've called has been iffy -- lots of electronic choices, waiting for my call to be answered in the order in which it was received, and the like, but Mulshine says there are 60 operators standing by to take your call at that number. If you're calling from out of state, call (609) 292-6500.
	back to Other Traffic Issues
	Oh, I suppose this material is ©1997, 1998 Shewi. Most recently updated: 21 March 1998.