CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Residents of Chicago’s Chinatown neighborhood will now be able to renew their driver's licenses, register to vote, apply for a state ID and more at a brand-new Drivers and Motor Vehicles location that’s much closer to home.
Celebrations were underway Monday at Canal Street and Archer Avenue for Chinatown's first-ever DMV. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said it's been a long time coming.
“For too long, customers on Chicago's bustling South Side have had to travel to other areas of the city and suburbs to obtain services that our office provides, and for too long, customers were forced to follow an illogical and inefficient path to our state's DMV facilities,” he said.
Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said the facility will be a “one-stop shop.”
“This beautiful, express DMV is strictly a walk-in facility, which means you don't need to schedule an appointment,” Giannoulias said. “The employees here reflect the neighborhoods they serve, with Mandarin, Cantonese, and Spanish speakers ready to assist customers.”
He said at the facility, customers will be able to obtain services at a singular counter.
State Sen. Selena Villanueva said the facility comes after recent mobile DMV events, where appointments filled up in less than 24 hours.
“When you have services in the community that meet the need, in language, it is very, very important to celebrate but also to uphold the commitments made … that we, as state government, should be meeting people where they're at,” she said.
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