Why I’m Never Going To Illinois DMV Ever Again

There is no bigger waste of my time than a trip to an Illinois DMV location, except for perhaps work meetings.

Big Changes Coming to Illinois DMV

"take a number"

"your line starts over there"

"sorry for the wait"

"get in line first thing in the morning"

"bring snacks"

"bring something to read"

"make sure your phone is fully charged before getting in line"

Those are all things I've either heard from someone who works at the DMV or from friends when you ask them which DMV is the fastest or is the least busy.

The worst wait at an Illinois DMV is the one you'll endure with your 16-year-old on the day of their test to get a driver's license. And mine was ridiculously long because of a mistake I made. I brought a copy of my daughter's birth certificate, not an original. Just a tip:

Bring an original copy of the birth certificate

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Renew Your Driver's License Online

I got a letter in the mail from Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias telling me i could renew my soon-to-be-expired driver's license online. That privilege felt like a gift. Renewing my license online couldn't have been any quicker.

I did the same thing with renewing my vehicle registration, which if I'm being honest, is something I hadn't done since the COVID pandemic. If I hadn't bought a new car last year, I would've avoided that expense a while longer.

Today, I now have another reason I'm never setting foot in an Illinois DMV location:

Because Alexi Giannoulias told me to.

Ditch the DMV

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Those words come directly from the Illinois Secretary of State's office.

"I am asking Illinoisans to begin 2024 by making a New Year's resolution. Don't come to the DMV," Giannoulias said.

The Illinois SOS office has expanded eligibility for renewing your driver's license or state ID cards online.

ILSOS.gov has a new feature that will check if you can renew your driver's license or ID online just by entering your license or ID number, Social Security number, and date of birth.

If you find out that you can't do it online, the system will direct you to a link to schedule an appointment.

DO IT RIGHT NOW!

Ditch the DMV.

CBS News has more.

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