Less than a month after taking effect, Chicago-area residents are reporting problems with the system used to make appointments at Secretary of State offices in Illinois, NBC Chicago’s Mary Ann Ahern reports.
Have business you need to take care of at an Illinois driver services facility?
Keep in mind that appointments are required at for the majority of tasks at most Chicago-area locations.
The Skip-the-Line program instituted by the Illinois Secretary of State's office last year removed walk-in accommodations for most services at driver's facilities in densely-populated areas.
The change, which took effect on Sept. 1, was an effort to shorten wait times at dozens of the agency's busiest facilities. Appointments are required for certain services, including for obtaining a REAL ID, driver's license or ID card as well as in-car driving tests.
If you're looking to make an appointment, you can schedule one at the Secretary of State's website here or call 844-817-4649.
Just weeks after the Skip-the-Line program began on Sept. 1, the Secretary of State's office announced an expansion, explaining that 150,000 appointments had been booked in a three-week span.
"The Skip-the-Line program has been functioning at a high level in the few weeks since its official launch,” Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in a news release at the time. “But we can still make improvements with targeted adjustments, and I am focused on implementing these to benefit all of our customers, especially our seniors.”
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Giannoulias' office opened two "senior only" centers in the Chicago area - at the Evanston Civic Center, located at 2100 Ridge Road in Evanston, and Seat Geek Stadium, located at 7000 South Harlem Avenue in Bridgeview. Appointments are not required at those facilities for residents age 65 and older.
Call centers are also available for residents age 70 and older who need a road exam. Those residents can call 800-252-8980. Walk-ins for drivers of all ages are only permitted at one Chicago-area facility, the location at State and Randolph in the Loop.
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Since the program began, residents have complained over difficulties with the system to schedule appointments. Some have said they were redirected to locations hundreds of miles away.
While certain tasks can be completed 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 a driver's license or ID card and license plate sticker without leaving home. It's important to note, though, that if motorists are trying to obtain a REAL ID, they won't be able to complete the process online and will have to schedule an appointment.
