CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) -- Long lines are once again forming outside of Illinois Secretary of State driver services facilities across Illinois. In Des Plaines, the line outside the facility on Lee Street snaked out the door, around the building, and along the fence that lined the parking lot.
Jack Anderson, of Glenview, had been waiting in line for 90 minutes to renew his driver's license. He said he spent the time catching up on TV shows on his phone. He added that the line at the Secretary of State office in Deerfield was worse.
"I actually already went to Deerfield and I thought this line was shorter, so I came here," Anderson. "Pretty much just looking at my phone for some shows I guess."
Illinois Secretary of State spokesman Dave Drucker said the office is working to address long wait times. He said more services will be available online, and added that licenses that expired during the pandemic will have their expiration dates extended beyond Aug. 1.
Drucker said the best way to avoid the wait is by going online.
"We encourage people to go to our website, cyberdriveillinois.com, and that will give them a list of some of the options they have for doing things online," Drucker said.
He added that long lines outside can be deceptive, because the Secretary of State's office is adhering to pandemic related rules regarding social distancing. He also said that the office is also concerned about people waiting too long in the heat or stormy weather.
"Our customers and our employees' health is the most important thing. We're doing our best to try to serve people as expeditiously as possible, but the priority is their health," Drucker said.
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