People streamed into Springfield’s re-opened DMV facility May 7 with usual business but were welcomed by energized staff and state officials during a sort of grand re-opening as the state aims to shorten lines and create efficiency.

The facility, located at 2701 S. Dirksen Parkway, temporarily closed in 2023 for major renovations and recently reopened.

The revamped building, now labeled a "Flagship Center," expands services offered under one roof and adopts the “one stop-shop" model that cross trains employees.

Springfield's facility has served as DMV since 1975 is the second such center in the state to open, following one that opened in downtown Chicago.

Here's what you need to know.

What’s new about the facility?

The DMV now hosts SOS' Business, Index, Personnel and Administrative Hearings departments, as well as a Fast Lane Kiosk that can also be found at certain grocery stores.

The cross training of employees takes place in the drivers and vehicle services departments. 20 other facilities in the state are using this model.

Some facilities have expanded their services under one roof, but not to the extent of the Flagship Centers.

In Springfield, the reopening means two temporary DMV facilities have closed as well as a Vehicle Services Department that was located in the Howlett Building on the Capitol Complex Grounds.

More:Deadline to get a REAL ID looms for Illinois residents. Do you need one? What to know.

What did the Secretary of State say?

The unveiling comes in the wake of efforts by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias to encourage online services and cut down wait times for those who still prefer to go in-person.

He called waiting at the DMV more than frustrating; “it’s a tangible toll amounting to a time tax. The time tax is the extra time and effort everyday people spend navigating complex bureaucratic systems, especially when dealing with government services.”

Giannoulias said it has been his goal to modernize offices and embrace newer technologies, in addition to centralizing locations for services.

Why not just go online?

Many services can be achieved online, but not all. Some people also prefer visiting their local DMV facility, which has contributed to the creation a hybrid system.

“We have a lot of customers that don’t want to go online. They don’t even want to call. They literally come to a facility to ask questions,” Giannoulias said.

More:Who are Springfield's highest-paid city employees?

What do people think of the changes?

Rickey Brown, 58, of Springfield, came to apply for his REAL ID before he flies to a wedding in Texas.

Brown said he appreciated new conveniences at the DMV, such as the ability to visit less departments to get what he needed.

“The one thing [people] hate is being told you’re in the wrong place, you don’t have the right documentation, and you need to go back and get something. There’s nothing more frustrating than that."

When asked why he came to the DMV in person, rather than going online, Brown said that technology isn’t his strong suit.

“I’m an in-person kind of guy. I like the connection, the relationships,” he said, adding he had time free as he had taken some time off from work.

Brown’s only complaint, as a disabled veteran, is the long walk from the parking lot to the entrance.

“The building is still the same, but inside it’s improved and it’s more open, and it just seemed like a more free-flowing process for everybody,” he said.

Did Giannoulias talk about REAL ID?

He emphasized that May 7 is not a hard deadline.

“If you come tomorrow, you can still get a REAL ID…If you come to a facility next month, you can still get a REAL ID.”

Tom Ackerman covers breaking news and trending news along with general news for the Springfield State Journal-Register. He can be reached at [email protected].