Secretary of State launches new plan to cut down on wait times at the DMV
CHICAGO - Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced new actions Friday aimed at reducing wait times and heavy volume at DMV facilities across the state.
The two-pronged plan will make more driver service facilities appointment-only and will expand remote license renewal.
Starting in September, customers will be required to make an appointment at the following Chicago facilities:
- Chicago North, 5401 N. Elston Ave.
- Chicago South, 9901 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive
- Chicago West, 5301 W. Lexington St.
Some metro Chicago facilities will also be appointment only beginning Sept. 7. Those include Schaumburg, Bridgeview, Lombard, Des Plaines, Waukegan, Naperville, Aurora, Plano and Joliet.
From September through February 2022, driver's license and ID card holders will be required to renew online, by phone or by mail. The Secretary of State's office predicts 1 million less people will be visiting facilities in person.
"During the pandemic, my office has continued to serve the public, including face-to-face transactions, in a safe and responsible manner," White said in a statement. "Throughout this time, we also greatly expanded online services. This next step will allow many more people to renew their driver’s licenses or ID cards remotely instead of visiting a Driver Services facility."