The biggest change this year is that we now offer two types of Working Press Vehicle Identification: Reflective visor/dashboard cards and Working Press license plate frames.
If you often drive your vehicle to breaking news stories or to municipal meetings, we recommend that you get both the license plate frames and the laminated visor card. That’s because police officers look at your plates before they begin writing a ticket, but then check to see your visor card, which has your name and media affiliation on it.
To renew or apply for your 2023 NJ Press ID Card, you must first renew SPJ/NJ-SPJ membership, for legal and insurance purposes. Right now, there is a flash sale!
Half the people who obtained NJ Press ID Cards last year chose an Associate Membership in the national Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ), while getting the required full membership in NJ-SPJ. That’s the cheapest option and it is still available. But it is not the best value right now.
For a limited time, you can get a full SPJ membership at a reduced rate. It pays for itself, with many worthwhile benefits that Associate Members do not receive. We particularly recommend the discounted Lexis/Nexis subscription, which truly elevates your work. In addition, full SPJ members receive professional training and career support, while helping to defend journalists everywhere.
We do not know how long this Flash Sale will last. That is up to national SPJ. But we do know that a postal rate increase is coming in January. You should place your order today.
Here Are Your Options…
(Please read them all. We are trying to save you money.)
All options will re-set your membership to coincide with the calendar year.
Important: These links are for product bundles that include membership renewal at the flash sale price AND the Press ID Card. The membership prices shown do not include the cost of the Press ID Card, visor card, license plate frames, or reflective lanyard. If you only want to renew your membership but do not want to purchase Press ID Cards, scroll down. Please understand that the flash sale membership price is ONLY available with the purchase of a new 2023 Press ID Card.
- Flash Sale for Full Membership: You will be a full member in both SPJ and NJ-SPJ. You will get full benefits. $60 (This is a savings of $25 off regular prices.) IMPORTANT: $60 is the discounted price for full membership renewal. You will still need to purchase the Press ID Card ($35) and optional visor card ($8.75) and optional license plate frames ($19.15 per set). The $60 membership does NOT include the cost of these other items. Click here.
- Flash Sale for Students/Retirees: You will be a full member in both SPJ and NJ-SPJ. You will get full benefits. $30. You will still need to purchase the Press ID Card ($35) and optional visor card ($8.75) and optional license plate frames ($19.15 per set). The $35 student/retiree membership does NOT include the cost of these other items. Click here. (This is a savings of $17.50 off regular prices. A student is anyone with a valid student ID card from an accredited institution OR anyone who has graduated in the past three years. A retiree is a person over 62 who no longer works fulltime as a professional journalist.)
- Associate SPJ Membership. You get associate membership in national SPJ and full NJ-SPJ membership. You are entitled to purchase a NJ-SPJ Press ID Card, but you will NOT receive most national benefits. $30. You will still need to purchase the Press ID Card ($35) and optional visor card ($8.75) and optional license plate frames ($19.15 per set). The $30 associate membership does NOT include the cost of these other items. Click here.
- News Directors/Editors: If you wish to submit multiple applications for members of your newsroom, click here to download a spreadsheet and instructions.
- New Jersey Broadcasters Association: If you are a member of the NJ Broadcasters Association, the NJBA is paying for your press credentials and a full SPJ membership, while the flash sale continues. This is an upgrade from last year. You can get your discount code by writing to debbie@njba.com.
If your order includes any additional items, including a second visor card, a lanyard or license plate frames — or all three — shipping and processing is $14.25 for two or three day priority mail. The US Postal Service charges a lot more once the parcel is not a flat envelope. You will, however, receive your order more quickly and there will be a tracking number. Most of our orders go out around the holidays and just after, so postal delivery times have been slow.
Membership Renewals Without Press ID Cards
If you wish to renew your membership, but do not wish to purchase Press ID Card products, please use these links. We can only offer the flash sale membership prices if you are purchasing Press ID Card products. See above.
Important: These links do not include any option to purchase Press ID Cards, visor cards, or license plate frames. If you want to buy those items along with your membership renewal, scroll back up to the first set of links in this section.
- Full Membership: You will be a full member in both SPJ and NJ-SPJ. You will get full benefits. $85 Click here.
- Students/Retirees: You will be a full member in both SPJ and NJ-SPJ, for $47.50. Click here. (A student is anyone with a valid student ID card from an accredited institution OR anyone who has graduated in the past three years. A retiree is a person over 62 who no longer works fulltime as a professional journalist.)
There is no shipping charge for membership renewal purchases.
If you want further information, please click here.