Bob Stadlman of Mundelein knew he needed to renew his driver’s license by the end of August, and making a trip to a Secretary of State Department of Motor Vehicles’ facility would mean a trip to Lake Zurich or Waukegan.
However, he ultimately was able to go to Mundelein Village Hall, where he had the opportunity to renew his license and obtain his Real ID, which will be needed for air travel in the U.S. after May 7.
Stadlman was one of 50 people who renewed their licenses, received Real IDs, filed changes of address or got vehicle stickers during a Mobile DMV event on Aug. 13 at the Village Hall.
“I needed to renew my driver’s incense by the end of the month,” he said. “I found out about this, and it is very convenient. I didn’t want to go to Lake Zurich. I am taking care of my Real ID, too.”
Regina Mele, another Mundelein resident, said she liked the convenience of coming to her local Village Hall rather than driving for a half-hour or more. She too came for a Real ID.
“This is just right around the corner,” she said.
Created by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulis, state Sen. Dan McConchie, R-Hawthorn Woods, organized the Mundelein event to make it easier for his constituents and others to take care of necessary business with the state.
McConchie said that in the past, he has arranged local events to bring state services to people in his district, like the state treasurer‘s effort to let people know about money they may not have known they had. The Mobile DMV in Mundelein seemed like a good idea, too, he said.
“The secretary of state doesn’t have a lot of offices in our area,” McConchie said. “Lake Zurich is the closest, and it’s going to be temporarily closed for renovations. This makes services more accessible.”
John Picchiotti, a district operations staffer for McConchie, said appointments were required for people to take care of business during a four-hour period at the Mobile DMV.
“The 50 slots filled up in a matter of hours,” Picchiotti said. “The people seemed happy to be here. Most of them were here for the Real ID.”
John Prostran was one of four people from the Mobile DMV unit helping people get what they needed. Making it clear the Real ID is a federal mandate from the UI.S. Department of Homeland Security, he said anyone who wants to get on a commercial airliner to travel after May 7 will need a Real ID or a valid passport.
Prostran said to obtain a Real ID, people must come with either a certified copy of their birth certificate or their valid United States Passport. They also need either their Social Security Card, a W2 used to file their federal income tax, a pay stub, a 1099 form for independent contractors or a Social Security 1099.
Along with proof of citizenship and possession of a Social Security number, he said proof of residency like a bank statement no more than 90 days old or some other official form of mail is needed to show proof of a person’s current address.
If an individual has changed their name making it different from their birth certificate or passport, Prostran said proof of the current name is also needed.
For those who want to spend less time renewing their driver’s license, McConchie said Gov J.B. Pritzker recently signed a bill McConchie originally introduced allowing a person to renew their license for eight years rather than four. The fee is double.
