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S3936 • 2026

Requires hotels, motels, rooming, and boarding houses, and similar lodging businesses, to check valid government-issued identification at check-in.

Requires hotels, motels, rooming, and boarding houses, and similar lodging businesses, to check valid government-issued identification at check-in.

Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Bucco, Anthony M.
Last action
2026-03-12
Official status
Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee
Effective date
Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Requires hotels, motels, rooming, and boarding houses, and similar lodging businesses, to check valid government-issued identification at check-in.

Requires hotels, motels, rooming, and boarding houses, and similar lodging businesses, to check valid government-issued identification at check-in.

What This Bill Does

  • Requires hotels, motels, rooming, and boarding houses, and similar lodging businesses, to check valid government-issued identification at check-in.
  • Topic: Law and Public Safety Fiscal note: This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2026-03-12 New Jersey Legislature

    Introduced in the Senate, Referred to Senate Law and Public Safety Committee

Official Summary Text

Requires hotels, motels, rooming, and boarding houses, and similar lodging businesses, to check valid government-issued identification at check-in.
Topic:
Law and Public Safety
Fiscal note:
This bill has not been certified by OLS for a fiscal note.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text
S3936

SENATE, No. 3936

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

222nd LEGISLATURE

�

INTRODUCED MARCH 12, 2026

Sponsored by:

Senator� ANTHONY M. BUCCO

District 25 (Morris and Passaic)

Senator� CARMEN F. AMATO, JR.

District 9 (Ocean)

SYNOPSIS

���� Requires hotels, motels, rooming and boarding houses,
and similar lodging businesses, to check valid government-issued identification
at check-in.

CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT

���� As introduced.

��

An Act

requiring hotels, motels, and similar lodging
businesses to check valid government-issued identification card from guests at
check-in and supplementing P.L.1967, c.76 (C.55:13A-1 et seq.) and P.L.1979,
c.496 (C.55:13B-1 et al.)
.

����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:

���� 1.��� a.� An officer, agent,
or employee of a hotel, or retreat lodging facility shall verify a guest�s
valid government-issued identification upon the guest�s check-in, for the
purpose of verifying the identity of the guest, by physically checking or
scanning the guest�s government-issued identification card.� Valid
government-issued identification shall include, but is not limited to, a valid
driver�s license, passport, identification card, or REAL ID, or similar
identification issued by a governmental entity.

���� b.� A hotel or retreat lodging
facility shall maintain a register in which the names and residences, the date
of arrival and departure of the guests, and the room or rooms occupied by the
guests shall be entered.� A record contained in the register shall be
maintained, and shall not be disposed of for at least one year following the
guest�s departure.

����

���� 2.� a.� An officer, agent, or
employee of a rooming or boarding house shall verify a resident�s valid
government-issued identification upon the resident�s check-in, for the purpose
of verifying the identity of the resident, by physically checking or scanning
the resident�s government-issued identification card.� Valid government-issued
identification shall include, but is not limited to, a valid driver�s license,
passport, identification card, or REAL ID, or similar identification issued by
a governmental entity.

���� b.� A rooming or boarding
house shall maintain a register in which the names and residences, the date of
arrival and departure of the residents, and the room or rooms occupied by the
residents shall be entered.� A record contained in the register shall be
maintained, and shall not be disposed of for at least one year following the
resident�s departure.

���� 3. �This act shall take effect

on the first day of the second month next following
enactment.

STATEMENT

���� This bill requires hotels,
rooming and boarding houses, and retreat lodging facilities, to check a guest�s
or resident�s valid government-issued identification at check-in.� The term "hotel,"
as defined in the "Hotel and Multiple Dwelling Law," P.L.1967, c.76
(C.55:13A-1 et seq.), which is supplemented by this bill, includes motels under
current law.

���� The bill requires an officer,
agent, or employee of a hotel, rooming and boarding house, or retreat lodging
facility, to verify a guest�s or resident�s identity by physically checking or
scanning the identification card.� Valid identification is to include, but is
not limited to, a valid driver�s license, passport, identification card, or
REAL ID.

���� Upon verification of the
identification card, the hotel, rooming and boarding house, or retreat lodging
facility is required to maintain a register of guests.� This list is to include
the names and addresses, the date of arrival and departure of the guests, and
the room or rooms occupied.� This bill ensures the verification of the guest�s
identity upon hotel or lodging check-in and reduces anonymous check-ins in an
effort to prevent human trafficking.� The bill requires a record contained in
the register to be maintained, and not disposed of, for at least one year
following the guest or resident�s departure.�

���� The bill is to take effect on
the first day of the second month following enactment.