Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias’ office opened a new 10,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art DMV+ housed at the former Carson Pirie Scott building in downtown Aurora.
The Secretary of State’s office closed the city’s former DMV, at 339 E. Indian Trail, Friday, April 11 which was half the size of the new facility and opened in 1994, when Aurora’s population was just more than 110,000. Since then, Aurora has grown to become the second largest city in the State.
The new facility, 970 N. Lake Street, is a DMV+, which offers Secretary of State services that have never been accessible at traditional Illinois DMV locations. These include specialized services from the office’s Business, Index, Administrative Hearings and Personnel Departments that would otherwise require an in-person visit to a Secretary of State’s office in downtown Chicago or Springfield.
“A new DMV+ in Aurora had been a top priority for our administration since taking office,” Giannoulias said. “The previous DMV had been at the same location for more than 30 years and had not modernized or grown with its population. This DMV+ not only offers more services, but also noticeable efficiencies that will reduce wait times.”
“This is great news that will benefit our growing Aurora community,” said State representative Barbara Hernandez (50th District – Aurora). “This new state-of-the-art DMV+ has the capacity to serve more people more efficiently – reducing wait times and allowing them to access additional services without having to travel to downtown Chicago.”
The new location will include eight additional service stations, for a total of 31. But unlike the old DMV model, each employee is crossed-trained to handle more tasks.
The DMV+ utilizes a “One-Stop-Shop” design that involves cross-training employees to accommodate customers seeking driver services – such as license and ID renewals, REAL IDs and driving tests – and vehicle services, including registration renewals, sticker and plate purchases and title work. It allows customers to access services at a single customer service station and reduces the number of steps to create a more intuitive flow. It frees up space for additional service stations and appointments to accommodate more customers.
The new facility is an appointment-only DMV and is open 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. It will open on Saturdays from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. as part of the office’s ‘REAL ID Saturdays’ program until May 31.
— Illinois Secretary of State