As the time shortens for residents to get their REAL ID in Illinois, the lines at the supercenter in the Loop are growing longer.
The enforcement date is Wednesday, May 7.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said REAL IDs will still be issued after the deadline.
The line stretched from the supercenter at 191 N. Clark Street for nearly three blocks Monday morning. It wrapped around Clark Street, onto Lake, and then to Dearborn Street, eventually reaching Randolph Street.
One resident looking to get her ID said the line was not as long as she thought, but things were moving quickly.
“A two-hour wait has been worth it,” Chloe Barradon said.
One resident offers some good advice for those heading to the supercenter to get their Real ID.
“My tip is do not drink coffee, don’t drink water cause there’s no bathrooms open around here,” Gladys Solak said.
Another tip: be sure to have the required documents needed to obtain the ID. Otherwise, Residents will be turned away and will have to get back in line once they do.
During a press conference Monday afternoon via Zoom, Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said the REAL ID deadline is not an actual deadline.
“What we’ve seen are ridiculously long lines, today especially, and at the end of last week. For folks who think that we are going to stop issuing REAL IDs this Wednesday, May 7, that is not the case,” Giannoulias said.”People are waiting hours and hours, and they don’t have to.”
Back in March, the supercenter in the Loop was opened for Real IDs in addition to new Saturday hours and expanded capacity at DMV facilities across Illinois.
The ID will be required to board planes and to access certain federal buildings.
An Illinois driver’s license without the yellow star mark will still be valid for driving a vehicle after the deadline. Those without a REAL ID will need a valid passport for domestic air travel. State IDs can still be used as an acceptable form of identification.
Residents are advised that it may take two to three weeks to receive their physical ID in the mail.
