Illinois secretary of state wants you to skip the DMV and register online, really
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The Illinois Secretary of State wants Illinoisans to leave visits to driver and motor vehicle facilities in 2023.
Democrat Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced expanded online services Thursday, aimed at eliminating unnecessary trips to DMV facilities and cutting down wait times for those who still go.
"I'm serious. Don’t come unless you are 100% certain that you need to visit one of our facilities," Giannoulias said at a Chicago news conference "The reason is obvious. Most people do not need to go to a DMV facility to get what they need."
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The announcement is an expansion of the Skip-the-Line program and includes a range of services. Launching in September, the program has accommodated more than 800,000 Illinoisans by appointment, Giannoulias said.
Of 2.25 million drivers needing to renew licenses this year, 1 million can do it online, through the mail, or by phone, and the same is true for 10 million vehicle registration renewals.
Last year, more than half of the 1 million people eligible for remote license renewal still dropped by a state facility, and 3 million made special trips to get an annual license plate sticker.
What services can I do online?
Design changes to the SOS website, www.ilsos.gov, will show customers essential services and whether they need to schedule an appointment. Typical online services include renewals or replacements of driver's licenses, license plates, or state IDs.
If an appointment is required, customers will receive text notifications to remind them of the upcoming appointment. The message will go out 24 hours before the appointment.
Giannoulias hopes the change will cut down on the high number of drivers who schedule appointments but fail to keep them.
“So what we've seen is people schedule an appointment, they just grab whatever they can and they never show up,” he said. “And it puts us in a bind. This texting system is an enormously important step to help make sure people are confirming their appointments.”
Anyone having difficulty accessing the services can call a dedicated phone line, (800) 252-8980. Teen and senior drivers will have designated options for their questions.
Am I eligible?
Motorists can check their eligibility for online services by submitting their driver’s license or state ID number, Social Security number, and date of birth on the SOS website.
The online effort also expanded eligibility to drivers ages 75 to 78.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Contact Patrick M. Keck: 312-549-9340, pkeck@gannett.com, twitter.com/@pkeckreporter.
This article originally appeared on State Journal-Register: Illinois secretary of state says skip the DMV, register online
