Long Lines For Driver's Licenses; No In-Person Renewals Starting Tuesday Due To COVID-19 Pandemic
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Starting Tuesday no one will be able to go to the Secretary of State's Office for a new license. They are closing under COVID-19 restrictions.
Drivers who wanted to beat that deadline were stuck in huge lines Saturday. Some waited in line for three hours to get inside.
Offices will close from Nov. 17 to Dec. 7, but some licenses and IDs can be renewed online.
Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White said expiration dates for driver's licenses and ID cards will be extended until June 1, 2021. This June 1, 2021 extension also includes those who have February, March, April and May 2021 expiration dates.
Expired driver's licenses and ID cards will stay valid until June 1.
White encouraged people to use the state's website site for services that could be done online. Those items include:
- Renewing a license plate sticker;
- Renewing a valid driver's license for qualifying drivers;
- Renewing a valid ID card for those age 22-64 (seniors 65 and older have free, non-expiring IDs);
- Obtaining a driver record abstract;
- Filing Business Services documents, such as incorporations and annual reports; and
- Customers with issues involving administrative hearings may contact adminhearings@ilsos.gov.
White added that seven facilities will be offering drive-through services for license plate sticker transactions only.
*Chicago North, 5401 N. Elston Ave.;
*Chicago West, 5301 W. Lexington St.;
*Rockford-Central, 3720 E. State St.;
*Macomb, 466 Deer Rd.;
*Springfield, Dirksen 2701 S. Dirksen Parkway;
*Tilton, #5 Southgate Dr.
*Chicago South (opens Nov. 19), 9901 S. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
Those with CDLs (Commercial Driver Licenses) are excluded from the exemption because of the federal requirements needed. There will be CDL facilities open for CDL written and road exams. The ones in the Chicago area include:
*Elk Grove Village, 650 Roppolo Dr.;
*South Holland, 41 W. 162nd St.;
*West Chicago, 1280 Powis Rd.
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