Roscoe Driver Services Facility will be closed Jan. 3-17 as COVID cases increase

Due to an increase in COVID-19 cases statewide, all Secretary of State departments  - including the Roscoe Express drivers license facility at the Village Hall - will not conduct in-person transactions from Jan. 3 through Jan. 17, 2022.  They will be closed to avoid face-to-face transmission of the COVID virus and will reopen on Tuesday, Jan. 18.

While the facility is closed, renewals of drivers licenses and vehicle registrations can still be done online. The Roscoe location doesn't handle new licenses or registrations even when it's open.

Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White is encouraging the public to visit ilsos.gov online for the following services which are usually available at the Roscoe location:

• Renewing a license plate sticker.
• Renewing a driver’s license or ID card for those who qualify (call 217-785-1424 to confirm their eligibility or to obtain their PIN).
• Obtaining a duplicate driver’s license or ID card.
• Obtaining a driver record abstract.
• Filing Business Services documents, such as incorporations and annual reports (not available at the Roscoe location).

In addition, the Drivers and Vehicles Services hotline phone number will remain open at 800-252-8980. Customers with issues involving administrative hearings may email adminhearings@ilsos.gov or call 312-793-3722 or 217-782-7065. The Roscoe Express location doesn't handle administrative hearings.

For most drivers, there's no rush anyway. White has extended all driver’s license and ID card expiration dates to March 31, 2022. This extension does not apply to commercial driver’s licenses (CDL) and CDL learner’s permits.

“After careful consideration and out of an abundance of caution, we have decided to close all Driver Services facilities beginning Jan. 3, 2022, through Jan. 17, 2022, due to the spike in COVID-19 cases,” said White. “The health and safety of employees and the public remains paramount, and face-to-face transactions potentially increase the further spread of the virus. Our goal is to safely reopen all offices and Driver Services facilities on January 18 for face-to-face transactions.”

In addition, White greatly expanded remote renewal for driver’s license and ID card holders. Since this fall, White’s office mailed letters to eligible customers with expired driver’s licenses and ID cards requiring them to renew online, by phone or by mail. The office estimates that this helps to eliminate the need for approximately 1 million people to visit a facility.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has extended the federal REAL ID deadline to May 3, 2023. A gold star in the upper right corner of your drivers license indicates it is a REAL ID. If you don't have a passport, a REAL ID  will be required to fly on domestic flights or visit secure federal facilities. REAL IDs are not offered at Roscoe, Diversey, Lockport, Orland Township, or Rockford Auburn Street.

This article was based on a news release from Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White.  The popular White, whose name appears on each of his facilities, has served as Secretary of State longer than anyone else. He announced in 2018 that he would not run for a seventh term in 2022, when he would be almost 89 years old. He is the first African-American to hold the position.