(Photo credit Andrew Adams)
By ANDREW ADAMS
Capitol News Illinois
Drivers who need to renew their license at a secretary of state facility will likely have to make an appointment starting this fall.
Starting Sept. 1, 44 driver services facilities in medium- to large-sized cities around the state will require appointments for driver services – things like renewing a license, updating a license to meet Real ID requirements or taking a driving test. Vehicle services, like title registration, will still be offered on a walk-in basis.
The facilities impacted by the move to appointment-based service are in some of the state’s most high-traffic locations. These include all but one of the locations in Chicago as well as locations in Aurora, Deerfield, Naperville, Waukegan, Champaign, Decatur, Bloomington, Peoria and more.
- Aurora Appointments Offered
339 E. Indian Trail, Aurora, IL 60505 - Bridgeview Appointments Offered
7358 W. 87th St., Bridgeview, IL 60455 - Chicago Central
160 N. LaSalle, Chicago, IL 60601 - Chicago Diversey Express Appointments Offered
4642 W. Diversey St., Chicago, IL 60641 - Chicago Heights Appointments Offered
570 W. 209th St., Chicago Heights, IL 60411 - Chicago North Appointments Offered
5401 N. Elston Ave., Chicago, IL 60630 - Chicago Public Service
17 N. State St., Ste. 1000, Chicago, IL 60602 - Chicago South Appointments Offered
9901 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., Chicago, IL 60628 - Chicago West Appointments Offered
5301 W. Lexington St., Chicago, IL 60644 - Deerfield Appointments Offered
Deerfield Park Plaza, 405 Lake Cook Rd., A6-9, Deerfield, IL 60015 - Deerfield Express Appointments Offered
Annex, 405 Lake Cook Rd., Deerfield, IL 60015 - Des Plaines Appointments Offered
1470 Lee St., Des Plaines, IL 60018 - Elgin Appointments Offered
595 S. State, Elgin, IL 60123 - Elk Grove Village
650 Roppolo Dr., Elk Grove Village, IL 60007 - Joliet Appointments Offered
201 S. Joyce Rd., Joliet, Il 60435
- Lake Zurich Appointments Offered
951 S. Rand Road, Lake Zurich, IL 60047 - Lockport Appointments Offered
1029 – 31 E. 9th St., Lockport, IL 60441 - Lombard Appointments Offered
837 S. Westmore B27, Lombard, IL 60148 - Melrose Park Appointments Offered
1903 N. Mannheim Rd., Melrose Park, IL 60160 - Midlothian Appointments Offered
14434 S. Pulaski, Midlothian, IL 60445 - Naperville Appointments Offered
931 W. 75th St., Ste. 161, Naperville, IL 60565 - Orland Township Appointments Offered
14807 S Ravinia Ave, Orland Park, IL 60462 - Plano Appointments Offered
236 Mitchell Dr., Plano, IL 60545 - Schaumburg Appointments Offered
1227 E. Golf Rd., Schaumburg, IL 60173 - South Holland
41 W. 162nd St., South Holland, IL 60473 - St. Charles Appointments Offered
3851 E. Main St., St. Charles, IL 60174 - Waukegan Appointments Offered
617 S. Green Bay Rd., Waukegan, IL 60085 - West Chicago
721 Kress Rd.,West Chicago, IL 60185 - Woodstock Appointments Offered
428 S. Eastwood Dr., Woodstock, IL 60098
The change in policy is accompanied by a standardization of hours at driver services facilities. All driver services facilities will operate from 8am to 5:30pm, Monday through Friday. Sixteen locations will offer Saturday morning hours from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“Our goal is to change the stereotype of dealing with government offices,” Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said on Thursday, noting that he hopes customers have a “positive experience.”
Appointments can be made by visiting the secretary of state’s website at ilsos.gov or by calling 844-817-4649.
Giannoulias said that the cost of implementing the changes falls within the existing secretary of state’s budget.
“This is sort of the first major step in implementing the rest of our modernization goals,” Giannoulias said.
Giannoulias also encouraged Illinoisans to make use of online services when possible, including driver’s license renewal and ordering license plate stickers. The secretary of state’s office also received more than $75 million in this year’s budget for its IT modernization efforts, which have already resulted in an overhaul of the office’s website, ilsos.gov.
“The revamped website is more intuitive and prioritizes our most popular programs and services so customers can find the information they want and need faster and more conveniently,” Giannoulias said in a July 12 news release.
It’s a continuation of several pandemic-driven shifts toward modernization for the secretary of state’s office. That process began under former secretary Jesse White, who held the office for more than two decades before Giannoulias took office in January.
These pandemic-era modernizations included piloting appointment-based service and offering expanded online services for drivers.
