A new Illinois secretary of state program will offer special hours for teenage drivers’ needs Saturday mornings this summer.
Courtesy of Joyce’s Driving School
Teen drivers will get priority treatment every Saturday this summer at select DMVs across Illinois, including the suburbs.
The Teen Summer DMV initiative runs from 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. through Aug. 31 and is intended to help teenagers obtain driver’s licenses and permits expeditiously.
“Teen-only DMVs provide working parents, who can’t take time off work during the week to shuttle their child to a DMV, a convenient weekend option where they can make an appointment without waiting,” Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in a statement.
“Getting your first driver’s license is an exciting milestone, and we want to ensure the experience is as easy as possible for Illinois teens and their parents.”
Suburban locations comprise Addison, Aurora, Bridgeview, Des Plaines, Elgin, Joliet, Lake Zurich and St. Charles.
Services for teens include dispensing licenses, behind-the-wheel tests and written tests. Teen Summer DMV is appointment-only, which can be scheduled at (800) 252-8980.
Offices will have a selfie station for new drivers and provide tips on identity protection.
Teens must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.
Illinois DMVs typically see a surge over the summer in young drivers who are upgrading from an instruction permit to a driver’s license, officials said. Nearly 9,000 instruction permit holders are expected to be eligible for a license this summer.
Officials selected DMVs with heavy customer volumes and a high percentage of teenage drivers. Opening up the 12 locations on weekends should provide an extra 1,000 appointments a week.
Other participating DMVs are in Bathalto, Belvidere, Chicago West, and Plano.
Young drivers should bring: a birth certificate; Social Security card; two proofs of address such as school transcripts or a parent’s license; and when applicable — their instructional permit logbook, and high school blue and white road test waiver.