Illinois driver services centers to reopen for some next week

CHICAGO - The Illinois driver services centers will reopen with limited services next week, the Secretary of State’s office has announced.

They will open Monday and Tuesday for new drivers, people with expired licenses and IDs and people making vehicle transactions, the office said. They will be open with expanded hours through July 31.

Centers in Chicago will open Monday and in the rest of the state on Tuesday. However, the Chicago offices at the James R. Thompson Center and the Chicago Loop Express will not reopen until July 1 because those buildings are still shut down.

The centers closed March 16 to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

Customers and employees at the centers must wear face masks unless a medical condition prohibits safe use, the office said. Additionally, work stations will have plexiglass dividers, and 6-foot spaces have been taped out for social distancing.

During driving tests, employees will wear face masks and shields, and customers must wear face masks. Seats will be covered in disposable plastic.

Expiration dates for driver’s licenses, IDs and vehicle registrations have been extended to at least 90 days after the statewide disaster proclamation ends, the office said. The federal deadline to get a REAL ID has been pushed back to Oct. 1, 2021.

Illinoisans can find information on the centers using the Secretary of State’s Facility Finder and use cyberdriveillinois.com to replace and renew registrations, driver’s licenses and IDs.