Just because the state facilities that handle Illinois drivers’ licenses and emissions testing are closed, drivers are being told not worry if their license plate registration sticker is set to expire.
Once the Illinois Secretary of State’s Driver Services facilities do reopen, residents will have 90 days to renew their expired vehicle registrations. Also put on hold is the requirement for drivers in the Chicago and Metro East regions to get their vehicles’ emissions tested before they renew their registrations.
In March, Illinois Secretary of State Jesse White announced the closure of driver services facilities across the state, as the country braced for the COVID-19 pandemic. So far, it’s not known when driver services facilities will open again, a spokesman for the office said.
But any drivers who have already met the requirements can renew their registrations online.
“We encourage people who are not due [for an emissions test] to get the sticker online,” said Dave Druker, a secretary of state spokesman.
While vehicle emissions sites are closed through May 30 because of the pandemic, a few have found ways to remain busy. Two vehicle emissions sites — one in Waukegan and one in Markham — have been converted into COVID-19 drive-thru testing centers.
