REAL ID portal launched, more Saturday openings added at Illinois DMVs

ILLINOIS (WCIA) — The Illinois Secretary of State is hoping to help answer some questions with a new software on his website ahead of the federal government enforcing REAL ID requirements.

The new portal Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias launched Thursday on his website provides guidance on two common inquiries his office has been asked frequently this year: 1. if a REAL ID is needed before May 7 and 2. how to find a walk-in location or schedule an appointment for one.

REAL IDs are needed for all U.S. adults 18 years or older to fly on domestic flights or enter federal facilities after May 7, due to a 2005 U.S. law ensuring “set standards for the issuance of sources of identification”. Passports or military IDs can also be used instead of REAL IDs.

Giannoulias spoke Thursday to alleviate fears and address “a ton of misinformation,” as he said most people will not need to scramble to get one in the next two months.

“You’ll notice that I’ve specifically stopped referring to the May 7 deadline as a deadline, because it is not a deadline,” he said. “After May 7, you will still be able to get a REAL ID.”

He recommends Illinoisans to be strategic in their plans of acquiring one instead of creating headaches by waiting in long lines.

“If you’re planning a trip, and you don’t plan on travelling until the summer or fall, it’s best to hold off so you don’t have any problems getting an appointment,” Giannoulias said.

He also noted his office has seen a dramatic surge of appointments to get one, telling reporters “the demand is showing no signs of slowing down.”

Giannoulias is opening 12 locations in Chicago and its suburbs on Saturdays just to handle REAL ID appointments on Saturdays, starting March 1 through May 10.

He’s also expanding Saturday hours at six appointment-only DMVs to be open from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., including the Springfield facility on Wabash Avenue. Nine other facilities across the state including the Champaign, Bloomington and Peoria locations are still open for appointments on Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to noon.

Documents needed to get a REAL ID include a birth certificate or passport and an official statement with a full social security number. The full checklist of valid documents needed to get a REAL ID can be found on the Secretary of State’s website.

Residents can also book an appointment on the same website.