Illinois Secretary of State facilities recently re-opened after being closed for several weeks last month due to COVID-19 protocols. Still, the Secretary of State team acknowledges a rush of people are in need of its services.
"There's a large volume who need to renew or need to obtain a driver license," said spokesperson Beth Kaufman.
If you choose to visit a Secretary of State location, you may need an appointment. Or you can visit one of the state’s walk-in SOS locations.
Kathleen Klaus moved to Illinois from Texas in December and said she needs an Illinois driver's license in order to apply for a property tax extension. But she said she has been unable to schedule an appointment with an SOS facility in advance.
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"I started looking late last week and there were no appointments. I put in a hundred miles from my zip code. Nothing, except Springfield. It just kept saying, 'try later,'" Klaus said.
Kaufman said the Secretary of State's office has recently only allowed people to schedule day-of appointments. But she said people will have the ability to schedule more advanced appointments beginning Wednesday.
According to the state, you must visit an SOS facility if you are a first-time driver, new to Illinois and in need of a license or ID card or applying for a first-time REAL ID.
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But you can go online to renew your driver’s license or ID card, replace a driver’s license or ID card, or renew a license plate.
Additionally, Secretary of State Jesse White has extended driver's license expiration dates to March 31.
A link to the Illinois Secretary of State can be found here: https://www.ilsos.gov/
