Get a REAL ID in Illinois

Get an Illinois REAL ID: bring your original documents to a DMV or the walk-in REAL ID Supercenter in Chicago, leave with a temporary paper license or ID, and get your card by mail.

Your situation

Does your Illinois driver's license or state ID already have a small gold star in the top right corner?

The gold star means the card is a REAL ID.

No, or I don't have an Illinois cardYes, it has the gold starYou already have a REAL ID

Is your current legal name different from the name on your identity documents, such as your birth certificate or passport?

No, it's the sameYesMarriage, adoption, civil union, divorce or a court order

Are you changing your address on the card?

NoYes

Update my plan

Your plan

1. Gather your documents

   • Proof of identity, date of birth and U.S. citizenship or lawful status
     Original or certified copy, valid and not expired, showing your date of birth and current full legal name (first, middle and last).
     Accepted documents (bring 1)

     • Certified copy of a birth certificate (filed with a state office of vital statistics or equivalent agency in your county of birth)
     • Valid U.S. passport or passport card
     • Certificate of Citizenship (N-560 or N-561)
     • Certificate of Naturalization (N-550 or N-570)
     • Consular Report of Birth Abroad (FS-240, DS-1350 or FS-545)
     • Employment Authorization Document (I-766 or I-688B)
     • Foreign passport with a valid U.S. visa (with an approved I-94 for your most recent admission)
     • Permanent Resident Card (I-551)
   • Proof of Social Security number
     Not needed if you bring a valid Illinois driver's license or state ID card (other than a TVDL) and your Social Security number was verified before: the Secretary of State re-verifies it with Social Security. Otherwise bring one document with your full number.
     Accepted documents (bring 1)

     • Social Security card
     • W-2 with your full number
     • Most recent pay stub or printed electronic deposit receipt (showing your name and full number)
     • SSA-1099 with your full number
     • Non-SSA-1099 with your full number
   • Two proofs of Illinois residency · 2 different documents
     Each must show your first and last name and your full residence address, matching your application. Account numbers must be visible. Printed electronic documents are accepted.
     Accepted documents (bring 2)

     • Utility bill (electric, water, refuse, phone, cable or gas) (issued within 90 days)
     • Illinois deed, title, mortgage, or rental or lease agreement
     • Pay stub or printed electronic deposit receipt
     • Bank statement (dated within 90 days)
     • Canceled check (dated within 90 days)
     • Credit card statement (dated within 90 days)
     • Credit report from Experian, Equifax or TransUnion (dated within 12 months)
     • Homeowner's or renter's insurance policy
     • Medical claim or statement of benefits (dated within 90 days)
     • Official government mail (for example a voter registration card, Social Security annual statement or jury duty notice (within 90 days))
     • Pension or retirement statement
     • Certified transcript from a grade school, high school, college or university
     • Report card from a grade school, high school, college or university
     • Letter on official school letterhead (dated within 90 days)
     • Tuition invoice or other official mail from a college or university (dated within 12 months)
   • Proof of your written signature
     Accepted documents (bring 1)

     • Illinois driver's license or ID card (current or expired less than 1 year)
     • Passport (U.S. or foreign)
     • Current out-of-state driver's license or ID card
     • Credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, American Express, Discover or Diners Club)
     • Canceled check (dated within 90 days)
     • Social Security card
     • Permanent Resident Card (I-551) or Employment Authorization Card (I-766)
     • U.S. military driver's license, ID card or service record (e.g. DD 214)
     • Medicare card with suffix A, J, H, M or T, a court order, or mortgage or installment loan documents

2. Check your documents

   Go through the REAL ID checklist. Bring original hard copies: no photocopies and no phone photos of documents.

   REAL ID checklist ↗

3. Choose where to go

   Walk in at the REAL ID Supercenter, 191 N. Clark St., Chicago (Monday to Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., through the end of 2026), or go to a full-service DMV. Some DMVs require appointments, so check ahead. Seniors can also walk in at the four seniors-only DMVs (Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.).

   Make an appointment ↗

4. At the DMV

   Apply for your REAL ID and get a temporary paper driver's license or state ID on site.

   REAL ID on ilsos.gov ↗

5. Watch your mail

   Your permanent card should arrive within 15 business days. If it hasn't, check the mailing status online.

   Mailing status ↗

Common reasons people get turned away

• Photocopies or phone photos of documents: only original hard copies are accepted (printed electronic documents are fine for residency).
• Expired documents, or bills and statements older than 90 days.
• A marriage certificate certified by a church instead of the county clerk.
• Flying with only the temporary paper: TSA accepts only the permanent card, so apply at least one month before you travel.

Offices that issue REAL ID

The Secretary of State says to get your REAL ID at a full-service DMV or the walk-in REAL ID Supercenter in Chicago; its seniors-only DMVs also list REAL ID among their services. Agency source.

121 offices in Illinois

• Addison Addison ✓ Office type issues it
• Anna Anna ✓ Office type issues it
• Aurora DMV+ Aurora ✓ Office type issues it
• Beardstown Beardstown ✓ Office type issues it
• Belleville Belleville ✓ Office type issues it
• Belvidere Belvidere ✓ Office type issues it
• Benton Benton ✓ Office type issues it
• Bloomington Bloomington ✓ Office type issues it
• Bradley Bradley ✓ Office type issues it
• Bridgeview Bridgeview ✓ Office type issues it
• Bridgeview Community Center Bridgeview ✓ Office type issues it
• Cairo Cairo ✓ Office type issues it
• Calumet Township Calumet Park ✓ Office type issues it
• Canton Canton ✓ Office type issues it
• Carbondale Carbondale ✓ Office type issues it
• Carlinville Carlinville ✓ Office type issues it
• Carmi Carmi ✓ Office type issues it
• Carthage Carthage ✓ Office type issues it
• Centralia Centralia ✓ Office type issues it
• Chadwick Chadwick ✓ Office type issues it
• Champaign DMV+ Champaign ✓ Office type issues it
• Charleston Charleston ✓ Office type issues it
• Chicago Flagship Center Chicago ✓ Office type issues it
• Chicago North Chicago ✓ Office type issues it
• Chicago South Chicago ✓ Office type issues it
• Chicago West Chicago ✓ Office type issues it
• Chinatown Chicago ✓ Office type issues it
• REAL ID Supercenter Chicago ✓ Office type issues it
• Chicago Heights Chicago Heights ✓ Office type issues it
• Clinton Clinton ✓ Office type issues it
• Decatur Decatur ✓ Office type issues it
• Deerfield Deerfield ✓ Office type issues it
• Deerfield Express Deerfield ✓ Office type issues it
• Dekalb Dekalb ✓ Office type issues it
• Des Plaines Des Plaines ✓ Office type issues it
• Dixon Dixon ✓ Office type issues it
• Bethalto East Alton ✓ Office type issues it
• East St. Louis East St. Louis ✓ Office type issues it
• Edwardsville Edwardsville ✓ Office type issues it
• Effingham Effingham ✓ Office type issues it
• Elgin Elgin ✓ Office type issues it
• Elk Grove Village Elk Grove Village ✓ Office type issues it
• Evanston Evanston ✓ Office type issues it
• Fairfield Fairfield ✓ Office type issues it
• Flora Flora ✓ Office type issues it
• Freeport Freeport ✓ Office type issues it
• Galena Galena ✓ Office type issues it
• Galesburg Galesburg ✓ Office type issues it
• Gibson City Gibson City ✓ Office type issues it
• Granite City Granite City ✓ Office type issues it
• Greenville Greenville ✓ Office type issues it
• Harrisburg Harrisburg ✓ Office type issues it
• Havana Havana ✓ Office type issues it
• Hillsboro Hillsboro ✓ Office type issues it
• Hoopeston Hoopeston ✓ Office type issues it
• Jacksonville Jacksonville ✓ Office type issues it
• Jerseyville Jerseyville ✓ Office type issues it
• Joliet Joliet ✓ Office type issues it
• Kewanee Kewanee ✓ Office type issues it
• LaSalle LaSalle ✓ Office type issues it
• Lacon Lacon ✓ Office type issues it
• Lake Zurich DMV+ Lake Zurich ✓ Office type issues it
• Lawrenceville Lawrenceville ✓ Office type issues it
• Lincoln Lincoln ✓ Office type issues it
• Lombard Lombard ✓ Office type issues it
• Macomb Macomb ✓ Office type issues it
• Marion Marion ✓ Office type issues it
• Mascoutah Mascoutah ✓ Office type issues it
• Mattoon Mattoon ✓ Office type issues it
• McLeansboro McLeansboro ✓ Office type issues it
• Melrose Park DMV+ Melrose Park ✓ Office type issues it
• Mendota Mendota ✓ Office type issues it
• Metropolis Metropolis ✓ Office type issues it
• Midlothian Midlothian ✓ Office type issues it
• Monmouth Monmouth ✓ Office type issues it
• Monticello Monticello ✓ Office type issues it
• Morris Morris ✓ Office type issues it
• Mt. Vernon Mt. Vernon ✓ Office type issues it
• Naperville Naperville ✓ Office type issues it
• Nashville Nashville ✓ Office type issues it
• Olney Olney ✓ Office type issues it
• Oregon Oregon ✓ Office type issues it
• Orland Park Orland Park ✓ Office type issues it
• Ottawa Ottawa ✓ Office type issues it
• Paris Paris ✓ Office type issues it
• Pekin Pekin ✓ Office type issues it
• Peoria Peoria ✓ Office type issues it
• Pinckneyville Pinckneyville ✓ Office type issues it
• Pittsfield Pittsfield ✓ Office type issues it
• Plano Plano ✓ Office type issues it
• Pontiac Pontiac ✓ Office type issues it
• Princeton Princeton ✓ Office type issues it
• Quincy Quincy ✓ Office type issues it
• Rantoul Rantoul ✓ Office type issues it
• Roanoke Roanoke ✓ Office type issues it
• Robinson Robinson ✓ Office type issues it
• Rockford CDL Rockford ✓ Office type issues it
• Rockford Central Rockford ✓ Office type issues it
• Rockford Express Rockford ✓ Office type issues it
• Roscoe Roscoe ✓ Office type issues it
• Salem Salem ✓ Office type issues it
• Schaumburg Schaumburg ✓ Office type issues it
• Shelbyville Shelbyville ✓ Office type issues it
• Moline/Silvis Silvis ✓ Office type issues it
• South Holland South Holland ✓ Office type issues it
• Sparta Sparta ✓ Office type issues it
• Springfield Flagship Center Springfield ✓ Office type issues it
• St. Charles St. Charles ✓ Office type issues it
• Sterling Sterling ✓ Office type issues it
• Streator Streator ✓ Office type issues it
• Taylorville Taylorville ✓ Office type issues it
• Tilton Tilton ✓ Office type issues it
• Tuscola Tuscola ✓ Office type issues it
• Vandalia Vandalia ✓ Office type issues it
• Vienna Vienna ✓ Office type issues it
• Waterloo Waterloo ✓ Office type issues it
• Watseka Watseka ✓ Office type issues it
• Waukegan Waukegan ✓ Office type issues it
• West Chicago West Chicago ✓ Office type issues it
• Westchester Westchester ✓ Office type issues it
• Woodstock Woodstock ✓ Office type issues it

Find a nearby office by city or ZIP

Search

Results show offices that issue REAL ID or may, nearest first, each labelled.

Read more

• Illinois driver license and ID card: first license, renewal, replacement and REAL ID
• REAL ID explained: what changed and which ID you need to fly

Sources · checked October 30, 2026

• REAL ID (Illinois Secretary of State)
• REAL ID Checklist (Illinois Secretary of State)
• Document Requirements to Obtain a Driver's License or State ID Card (Illinois Secretary of State)
• Acceptable Identification Documents (Illinois Secretary of State)
• Driver's License and State ID Card Renewal (Illinois Secretary of State)
• Appointments (Illinois Secretary of State)
• Senior Services (Illinois Secretary of State)

We wrote this plan ourselves from the official pages above on the date shown. Agencies change rules without notice: the official page always wins. DMVorganization.org is independent and not a government agency; we don't book appointments or take payments.