How the state’s new drivers license rules will affect you

After Renee Ertel of Belleville had her photo taken, about 30 seconds later, a sheet of paper with a printed card that looks like an identification card was ready. She didn’t need to wait a few minutes for her name to be called again after a permanent plastic card with holograms was printed.

Bob Schlegel, manager at the Secretary of State’s Belleville Driver Services facility, explained to Ertel that she should expect to receive her new permanent card in 5 to 15 business days. He told her who to call if it didn’t arrive in the mail.

“If I don’t get it in five days, there is a phone number, that you can call and find out where it is,” Ertel said.

Ertel knew she wouldn’t receive a traditional card right away, and to expect a temporary paper license. She received a letter in the mail telling her there would be a wait.

When the new license arrives, she’s been instructed to shred the old license, which has a hole punched in it, and shred the temporary identification card.

“You could still use your old one, and you could fly,” Ertel said. “You just have to show them the paperwork.”

The new procedure is part of the state’s rollout of a plan to centrally issue driver’s licenses and state ID cards.

In the driver services facility, where motorists previously received a new license printed at the facility after any necessary vision, written or road tests, drivers instead receive a piece of paper that serves as a temporary license until a new one comes in the mail.

All of the metro-east driver services offices went to the central-issue process early in the state rollout, as the Secretary of State’s office started the rollout in the southern part of the state and worked its way north.

On Friday, the state was scheduled to complete its transition to centrally-issued driver’s licenses.

By going to central issuance, the state is able to provide better fraud and identity theft prevention by allowing the Secretary of State’s office to investigate possible fraud before applicants receive their driver’s license or state ID card in the mail within 15 days.

“These necessary changes to the process bring Illinois closer to compliance with the federal REAL ID mandate, and they better protect the public from fraud and identity theft,” said Henry Haupt, spokesman for Secretary of State Jesse White’s office.

Haupt said a lot of planning went into the transition to central issuance.

Seven technical teams would be dispatched each day to seven driver services facilities to convert the facilities from over-the-counter issuance to central issuance. About 120 facilities were converted in a month, Haupt said.

There also are new design features of the driver’s license and identification cards that couldn’t be produced at the local offices.

“The centralized, secure facility uses high-tech manufacturing equipment capable of printing cards incorporating state-of-the-art security features,” Haupt said. “These types of anti-counterfeiting security features help prevent and deter fraud.”

Since the state started its central issuance process earlier this month, 130,000 cards have been mailed. By the end of the week, 15,000 to 20,000 cards will be mailed out per day, Haupt said.

“We’ve talked with a lot of facilities and directors of driver services. Customers have been aware of the change ... they accepted it,” Haupt said. “Most customers know this change benefits them, protects them against ID theft and fraud.”

More changes are coming at driver services facilities.

As part of the REAL ID law, the federal government wants pictures taken of every customer, Haupt said.

Usually, getting the photo taken is the last thing a customer does while going through the process. Eventually, the state plans to change the process and have the photo taken first.

That could be challenging, depending on the size and layout of each facility.

“We have to remodel some facilities and reconfigures some facilities,” Haupt said.

Gov. Bruce Rauner earlier this year signed a law to further comply with the REAL ID act. Among other things, the new law requires applicants for driver’s licenses to provide proof of lawful presence in the country.

Compliance with Real ID is needed in order to go through TSA security to fly on airplanes and to enter federal buildings without going through additional screening. People also could bring their passport to board planes or enter federal facilities.

When Amber Brown, of Mascoutah, went to the Belleville driver facility, she knew there was a change in the way the state issued ID cards, so there was no surprise when she came to obtain a new license after she lost her previous card.

She said she likes the look of the temporary ID cards and is OK with the process.

“It’s fine, honestly,” Brown said. “It’s not like a paper that doesn’t have your photo on it. To me, it’s not that big of a deal, as long as I get it within the next few weeks. It’s a different process though.”

This story was originally published July 31, 2016 at 7:25 AM with the headline "How the state’s new drivers license rules will affect you."