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Appointments now required at several Illinois driver facilities. Here's how to make one

Appointments will now be required for many tasks completed at dozens of driver facilities in illinois as the secretary of state's office looks to shorten lines and wait times, by matt stefanski and nbc chicago staff • published september 1, 2023 • updated on september 1, 2023 at 12:55 pm.

Need to renew your driver's license? You may need an appointment now for that in Illinois.

Appointments will now be required for many tasks completed at dozens of driver facilities in Illinois as the Secretary of State's office looks to shorten lines and wait times.

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"Customers will save time by skipping the line,” Giannoulias said in a previous news release. “Our goal is to eliminate the Time Tax that has plagued Illinoisans for years, forcing them to stand in long lines wasting time – just to conduct basic services.

The Skip-the-Line program took effect on Friday at 44 DMV locations in the state.

Here's what to know:

What will you need an appointment for at Illinois driver facilities?

The change applies to the state's busiest DMVs for those seeking certain services, such as taking an in-car driving test or obtaining a REAL ID or driver's license.

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However, those seeking vehicle-related services, such as title, registration and license plate sticker renewal do not need to make an appointment.

Where will you need an appointment?

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Only one Chicago-area facility, the location at State and Randolph in the Loop, will continue to permit walk-ins.

The following DMVs will be appointment-only, with their days of operation visible in the right-hand column:

Facility                                    Address                                                          Days of Operation      

Chicago North                         5401 N. Elston Ave.                                         Mon-Sat

Chicago South                         9901 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Drive         Mon-Sat

Chicago West                          5301 W. Lexington St.                                     Mon-Fri

Diversey Express                    4642 W. Diversey Ave.                                    Mon-Fri

Aurora                                     339 E. Indian Trail                                           Mon-Fri

Bridgeview                              7358 W. 87th St.                                              Mon-Fri

Chicago Heights                      570 W. 209th St.                                             Mon-Fri

Deerfield                                  405 Lake Cook Road                                      Mon-Sat

Des Plaines                             1470 Lee St.                                                    Mon-Fri

Elgin                                        595 S. State                                                     Mon-Fri

Joliet                                        201 S. Joyce Road                                          Mon-Fri

Lake Zurich                             951 S. Rand Road                                            Mon-Fri

Lockport                                  1029 - 31 East 9th St.                                       Mon-Fri

Lombard                                  837 S. Westmore B27                                      Mon-Sat

Melrose Park                           1903 N. Mannheim Road                                 Mon-Fri

Midlothian                                14434 S. Pulaski                                              Mon-Sat

Naperville                                931 W. 75th St., Ste. 161                                 Mon-Sat

Orland Township                     14807 S. Ravinia Ave.                                      Mon-Fri (4:30p close)

Plano                                       236 Mitchell Drive                                            Mon-Fri

Schaumburg                            1227 E. Golf Road                                           Mon-Sat

St. Charles                              3851 E. Main St.                                               Mon-Fri

Waukegan                               617 S. Green Bay Road                                   Mon-Fri

*West Chicago (CDL only)       721 Kress Road                                               Mon-Sat

Woodstock                              428 S. Eastwood Drive                                     Mon-Fri

Central/Downstate:

Belleville                                  400 W. Main St.                                               Mon-Fri

Belvidere                                 425 W. Southtowne Drive                                Mon-Fri

Bethalto                                   20 Terminal Drive, Ste. 103, East Alton           Mon-Fri

Bloomington                            1510 W. Market St.                                          Mon-Sat

*Bradley                                   111 Village Square Shopping Plaza                Mon-Fri

Champaign                              2012 Round Barn Road                                  Mon-Sat

Decatur                                   3149 N. Woodford St.                                      Mon-Fri

DeKalb                                    1360 Oakwood St.                                           Mon-Fri

Edwardsville                            1502A Troy Road                                            Mon-Fri

Galesburg                               1066 E. Losey St.                                            Mon-Fri

Granite City                             1810 Edison Ave.                                            Mon-Sat

*Marion                                    1905 Rendleman St.                                       Mon-Sat

*Moline/Silvis                           2001 Fifth St., Ste. 10                                     Mon-Sat

Morris                                      425 E. Route 6                                                Mon-Fri

Pekin                                       200 S. Second St.                                           Mon-Fri

*Peoria                                    3311 N. Sterling Ave.                                       Mon-Sat

*Quincy                                    2512 Locust St.                                               Mon-Fri

Rockford Central                      3720 E. State St.                                            Mon-Sat

*Springfield Wabash                1650 Wabash Ave.                                          Mon-Sat

Tilton                                       #5 Southgate Drive                                          Mon-Fri

What don't you need an appointment for?

While you'll be able to complete certain tasks in-person if you make an appointment, many actually can be performed without going anywhere at all.

Drivers are urged to take advantage of the Secretary of State's office's online services, which include renewing your driver's license or ID card and your license plate sticker without leaving home. It's important to note, though, that if you're trying to obtain a REAL ID, you won't be able to complete the process online and will have to schedule an appointment.

How can you schedule an appointment?

To schedule an appointment, residents may visit ilsos.gov or call 844-817-4649.

What other changes should you know?

The Skip-the-Line program also extends hours of operation at all DMVs. Starting Sept. 1, facilities will be open from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. A total of 16 DMVs will also serve drivers from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Saturdays.

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As online DMV services plagued by no-shows, secretary of state launches changes

Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias launched an online appointment system in September for Illinois drivers needing to come to a driver’s services facility, ostensibly to reduce wait times.

The “Skip-The-Line" program introduced upgrades to the secretary of state’s website as well as a shift in policy, requiring appointments to be made for more than 40 of the state’s highest-traffic driver's services locations.

Walk-in services are now only available in lower-traffic locations, at the downtown Chicago office and at four “Seniors Only” facilities in Bridgeview, Calumet Park, Evanston and Westchester.

But the system’s first few months have not gone as Giannoulias had planned.

“The amount of no-shows has been devastating,” he said Thursday.

Giannoulias, who has made modernization a key priority in his first year in office, said that since rolling out the online appointment system, there have been periods when people skipped “upwards of 40 percent” of appointments made.

“If that number is 20 percent, it’s devastating,” he added.

The issue was exacerbated by several factors, he said, including driving schools which booked multiple slots every day without necessarily needing them.

On Thursday, Giannoulias announced a suite of reforms to his office’s “Skip-The-Line” program, including text message reminders sent to those with an appointment. He said it has already helped decrease skipped appointments since it launched last week.

He also noted that his office is working with driving schools to allow them to offer driving tests to their students, similar to how driver’s education instructors in high schools can administer driving tests for their students.

In addition to the text message reminders, Giannoulias announced his office launched a new appointment portal on its website this week, established a phone line to help those with difficulty accessing online services, and expanded eligibility for online license renewals to include those aged 75 to 78 and people who had previously changed their address online.

Giannoulias also launched four “Road Testing Centers” for behind-the-wheel tests in Addison, Lockport, Naperville and Chicago last year as part of the program.

“I’m asking Illinoisans to start 2024 by making a New Year’s resolution: don’t come to the DMV,” Giannoulias said. “I’m serious. Don’t come unless you are 100 percent certain that you need to visit one of our facilities.”

In-person visits are unnecessary for several common services, including license plate stickers and many driver’s license renewals. Driver’s license renewals are available online for those with clean driving records and without a moving violation.

According to Giannoulias’ office, roughly 2.25 million Illinoisans will need to renew their license in 2024 and a little more than 1 million are eligible to renew online. Drivers eligible to renew online should receive a letter in the mail, although they can also check their eligibility on the secretary of state website at apps.ilsos.gov/dlexamcheck .

Capitol News Illinois  is a nonprofit, nonpartisan news service covering state government. It is distributed to hundreds of newspapers, radio and TV stations statewide. It is funded primarily by the Illinois Press Foundation and the Robert R. McCormick Foundation, along with major contributions from the Illinois Broadcasters Foundation and Southern Illinois Editorial Association.

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Illinois Secretary of State | Business Entity Search

The Illinois Secretary of State operates a business entity search tool and has made it available for public use. Individuals may use this tool to look up an Illinois business’s official public information and means of contact. This will include registered agent information for the Illinois entity being discussed. BUSINESS NAME REGISTRATION

Business Entity Search

1. Visit The Illinois Secretary of State Business Entity Search Page

2. Confirm The Type Of Query

This page provides the option of running one of three types of queries. Select the appropriate one from the list and click on the “Submit” button.

3. Define The Criteria

Choose the correct radio button to define the phrase as the name of the business or appears in the name by choosing the best radio button.

• Partial Word

Produce the phrase that you wish to search for in the text box beneath the label “Search” and select the “Continue” button.

4. Review The Matching Illinois Business Entities

A list of matches will return on the next web page. The first two columns discuss the entity’s status and the third will list the names of all Illinois businesses that match the search criteria. Select the name of the business being discussed using your mouse.

• Entity Type
• File Number
• Corporation/LLC

5. View The File Detail Report Page

Details of the Illinois entity are divided into three topics. The first section displays the entity’s status information.

The “Entity Information” section documents some basics about the Illinois business including the principal office address and jurisdiction.

• Principal Office
• Type Of (LLC or Corp)
• Organization Admission Date
• Jurisdiction

The “Agent Information” section presents the contact information of the registered agent.

• Change Date

Review the fourth section for the Illinois entity’s annual report filing history and the fifth section for the managers or officers of the concerned Illinois entity.

• Filing Date

The final area of the details page shall present any stocks available from this entity.

Illinois Secretary Of State 213 State Capitol Springfield, IL 62756

8:00 A.M. to 5:30 P.M. Monday thru Friday 7:30 A.M. to 12:30 P.M. Saturdays

Illinois Secretary Of State Department Or Recipient 213 State Capitol Springfield, IL 62756

• Business Entity Renewal
• Drivers License Renewal
• License Plate Renewal
• Professional License Renewal
• Corporate Bylaws
• LLC Operating Agreement
• Partnership Agreement

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