REAL ID-only supercenter opening for walk-ins in downtown Chicago
Need a REAL ID? A new supercenter in downtown Chicago will be taking walk-in appointments starting tomorrow.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias announced Tuesday morning that the state is opening a REAL ID Supercenter in the Loop, on top of new Saturday hours and expanded capacity at DMV facilities across the state.
The Supercenter at 191 N. Clark Street is a REAL ID-only facility, and will take walk-ins from anyone looking to get the new form of identification before it becomes mandatory on May 7. It opens Wednesday and will operate from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
"It's a first-of-its-kind facility not only in Illinois, but nationally, with 30 individual stations to accommodate REAL ID applicants<" said Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias. "If you bring the proper documents you need, the entire process from start to finish will take about 10 minutes, and you're out the door."
As of February, only about 30% of people had a REAL ID in Illinois. The original deadline for switching over to the REAL ID format was in October 2020, at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, but it was pushed back first to October 2021, then May 3, 2023 and now May 7, 2025.
The REAL ID Act was passed by Congress in 2005, part of a recommendation by the 9/11 Commission to prevent future attacks like the terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001.
REAL IDs will be required for to get on a plane, enter a nuclear power plant or to access certain federal facilities. Your regular Illinois driver's license will still be valid for driving a vehicle after the May 7 deadline. Anyone who does not have a REAL ID after May 7 will need a valid passport for domestic air travel.
If you aren't sure if you need a REAL ID or what forms of identification you must provide in order to obtain one, the Illinois Secretary of State website has all requirements and steps outlined.
