December has started with a perfect storm for Illinois drivers, and we don’t mean literally in terms of snow. If you’ve tried to visit a DMV office lately, you’ve probably noticed that it was closed or had endless lines of people trying to get their paperwork done. And it’s not just because of the holidays; this agency seems to think it’s a good time to start transforming the system for obtaining and renewing driver’s licenses. How convenient, right?
Not only did we have enough chaos with the severe winter storm we suffered after Thanksgiving, but the DMV is also implementing new technologies according to the state government. If you live in Illinois and have the misfortune of needing to do paperwork with the DMV this month, here’s a survival guide to navigating the new bureaucratic system without losing your nerves (or at least we hope so!).
Cancelled DMVappointments due to the storm
If—unfortunately—you already had an appointment scheduled, but the winter storm made it impossible to get to the office in early December, you should know that the system will not automatically reschedule it. In other words, you will not receive an email with a new date assigned. The responsibility for getting another slot at the DMW to be seen falls on you. Because it was closed for several days, you can expect a bottleneck, as demand for the rest of December has skyrocketed.
If you have been affected by this storm, it is best to check if your local office has resumed normal operations. The official number for direct assistance is 800-252-8980, although the phone lines may be busy.
Another way to see if it is available is to log into the online portal and treat the case as if it were a new application.
RealID and the new TSA tariff
Apart from the storm and snow accumulation, there is another bureaucratic reason why MV is almost at a standstill. This past May, it became mandatory to present a Real ID document for domestic flights (unless you show your passport), but an economic incentive has been added that is causing everyone to rush to renew their driver’s license so that it is up to date according to the documentation requirements of the United States government.
The TSA has announced plans to implement a manual processing fee of approximately $45. This means that any passenger who goes to an airport and tries to board a domestic flight without presenting the appropriate documentation will have to pay a fee to cover the cost of verifying at the security checkpoint that they are indeed a U.S. citizen. This fee will apply to all travelers arriving at airport security checkpoints if they have a Reality starting in February 2026.
Basically, if you don’t have a gold star on your driver’s license, it will cost you a lot more and you will spend a lot more time at airport security. This is why you will see a flood of applicants who, although they have not bothered with Real ID, do not want to pay $45 every time they take a plane.
How to get your RealID in Chicago
If you are one of those people who still don’t have a Real ID, it has been confirmed that a super specialized center will open to process this document at 191 N. Clark St. in downtown Chicago. If you live in the Chicago area or can travel to the Loop, this is your best option to avoid waiting at neighborhood offices.
Apart from all this administrative chaos, starting in 2025, mobile driver’s licenses will begin to be rolled out in the state of Illinois.
Starting that year, you will have the option to add your driver’s license—or state ID card—directly to your Apple Wallet on your iPhone or Apple Watch.
If you want to get an appointment (since they won’t let you into the office without one), you should know that the system releases new appointments at 7:00 a.m. sharp every morning. If you go to the website ilsos.gov at 7:05 a.m., it’s probably too late for the most popular offices. So remember, the early bird gets the worm!