Rockford Sun

Changes came to Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles offices on Sept. 1. Senator Dave Syverson warned his constituents of these changes in an Aug. 29 Facebook post, as well as his feelings about these changes.

"The Secretary of State has said they introduced this new program in an attempt to minimize wait times for Illinoisans and streamline the process for accessing essential Driver Services," Syverson said. "I am not convinced that this approach will offer all residents an improved experience.”

The Skip the Line Program was announced in a July 27 news release. The program includes appointment scheduling for REAL ID, driver’s license and ID card services and other services are offered as well. Online services are simplified, and more than a dozen offices will also be open on Saturdays from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. 

“Customers will save time by skipping the line," Alexi Giannoulias, Illinois Secretary of State, said. "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. Extending hours at all DMVs and requiring appointments at our 44 highest volume facilities is the most efficient way to get the services you need quickly and without the headache of unpredictable wait times."

In his Facebook post, Syverson shared a link to a news release that expanded on these changes. The first and perhaps clearest change is that all Illinois Secretary of State facilities will be open from Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Syverson’s release stated that there are area facilities in Rockford and surrounding areas that do require appointments for service, but others don’t. 

For vehicle titles and registration or renewal of license stickers, no appointments are required. Syverson said in the news release: “My sense is that these changes could become a source of even more frustration and a backlog for those seeking driver services. Government is supposed to be a service industry. By limiting hours at most Secretary of State facilities to weekdays, it will become a hardship for those who work, and now need to take time off to conduct their driver services business.”

Appointments can be scheduled up to 15 days in advance and can be modified at the same website where the appointment was made. The website also gives information on what is considered acceptable forms of identification for these services. Illinois residents who want to make an appointment can do so at this website.