Secretary of state plans requiring appointments at driver service facilities begin

Illinois drivers seeking new licenses, renewed plate stickers and more will find a revamped secretary of state’s office online and in-person.

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias championed the “Skip-the-Line” program launched Friday in his successful bid for office. He announced the new changes in July.

The overhaul promises to “reduce lines and headaches” at the state’s busiest facilities, Giannoulias’ office wrote in a news release.

“By modernizing the office’s approach to service, the Skip-the-Line program gives customers more control over their visit,” Giannoulias wrote in the release. “We are here when you want us.”

The change will require people making in-person visits to 44 of the state’s busiest license facilities — including all Chicago and suburban locations — to schedule appointments in order to get licenses and ID cards or take an in-car driving test, according to the news release.

The facility at 160 N. LaSalle St. in the Loop will continue to accept walk-in business, a spokesperson for Giannoulias’ office said Friday.

Walk-in service will still be available for people seeking title and registration services or hoping to renew license plate stickers in person, the release said. The secretary of state’s office is also pushing customers to go online for many driver services, including renewals of licenses and plate stickers. The office will also send more alerts to drivers advising them they can renew licenses and get other drivers services online.

The broad changes also include extended hours for facilities across the state. The facilities will now operate Monday through Friday, from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., with some open Saturday mornings, the release said. Most facilities had previously operated Tuesday to Saturday.

The call centers will also now operate on Monday with expanded hours and Spanish language services, Giannoulias’ spokesperson said.

“Offering appointments at high-volume DMV facilities, expanding hours of operation and broadening available services online makes sense and will result in improved customer experiences,” Giannoulias said.

Giannoulias told the Tribune in July the overhaul was a first step toward more innovations.

“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,” he said.