SPRINGFIELD — Illinois residents will be required to make appointments to renew driver’s licenses or deal with state ID business at more than 40 of the busiest drivers’ services facilities starting Sept. 1 under a “skip-the-line” program aimed at cutting wait times.
Customers seeking title and registration services, including license plate sticker renewals, will not be required to make appointments.
The “skip the line” program requiring appointments was among campaign promises made by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias in his successful bid for the office in last year’s election and part of the transition plan he issued after taking over the office in January from Jesse White, who retired after holding the post for 24 years.
In addition to driver’s licenses, REAL IDs and other state ID services, appointments will be required for in-car driving tests at the busiest facilities, which include all but one of those in Chicago and the suburbs, Giannoulias’ office said. The facility at 160 N. LaSalle St. in the Loop will continue to accept walk-in business.
“I promised to modernize the office and this is the first major step to doing it,” Giannoulias said Wednesday. “Without making these steps, or skip-the-line, we won’t be able to do the things that we want to do later on, like the creation of an app, the potential for a digital ID, digital driver’s license, so we’re going to continue to make the customer experience better.”
In another shift that starts Sept. 1, many driver’s services facilities will also change their days of operation from Tuesday through Saturday to Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Sixteen facilities will be open from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays:
Chicago North, 5401 N. Elston Ave.
Chicago South, 9901 S. King Drive
Deerfield, 405 Lake Cook Road
Lombard, 837 S. Westmore Ave. B27.
Naperville, 931 W. 75th St., Suite 161
Schaumburg, 1227 E. Golf Road
Midlothian, 14434 S. Pulaski Ave.
Champaign, 2012 Round Barn Road
Granite City, 1810 Edison Ave.
Marion, 1905 Rendelman St.
Moline/Silvis, 2001 Fifth St., Suite 10, in Silvis.
Peoria, 3311 N. Sterling Ave.
Rockford Central, 3720 E. State St. in Rockford.
Springfield Wabash, 1650 Wabash Ave. in Springfield.
Bloomington, 1510 W. Market St.
West Chicago, at 721 Kress Road, which is only for customers needing services for commercial driver’s licenses (CDLs).
Complaints about long lines at driver’s services facilities are nothing new, and Giannoulias said he’s heard plenty of them while campaigning and since taking office.
“On certain days, Deerfield might be an hour wait. On certain days, at certain times, Elston might have an hour and fifteen-minute wait. Lombard might have a forty-five-minute wait,” Giannoulias said, referring to specific driver’s service facilities.
The secretary of state’s office continues to encourage people to use its website, ilsos.gov., whenever possible. Appointments will be made online or by calling 844-817-4649.
jgorner@chicagotribune.com
