Illinois Driver Services Facility In Thompson Center Reopens After COVID Shutdown
CHICAGO (CBS) -- More than a year after it closed due to the pandemic, the Illinois Driver Services facility in the basement of the Thompson Center reopened on Monday.
The Illinois Secretary of State's office said the Thompson Center facility had been closed since March 2020, but is now open again on Mondays through Fridays, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Temperature checks are required for anyone entering the Thompson Center, and masks and social distancing are required inside.
The entrance to the Chicago Central Driver Services facility in the Thompson Center is located at Randolph and Clark streets. The facility is on the concourse level in the basement.
"I am pleased that in working with Gov. Pritzker, we are able to safely reopen the Thompson Center facility allowing customers downtown to access necessary driver and vehicle services," Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White said in a statement.
White's office reminded Illinois residents that expiration dates for driver's licenses and ID cards has been extended to Aug. 1, so people don't need to rush to a Driver Services center to get their licenses or ID cards renewed. The federal government also has extended the deadline for a REAL ID to May 3, 2023.
Many other transactions conducted through Driver Services facilities can be completed online, including the purchase of license plate stickers, obtaining a duplicate driver's license or ID card, or renewing a standard driver's license or ID card if you are eligible.
If you are eligible for the online renewal process, you should receive a letter with the required PIN approximately 90 days before your driver's license or ID card expires. If you haven't received a letter, you can check your eligibility online.
The Chicago Loop Express Driver Services center at 69 W. Washington St. remains closed to the public, but all other Driver Services facilities across the state have reopened.
