Governments are increasingly exploring how to modernize the DMV experience, and kiosks can improve both efficiency and accessibility. Other states, such as Colorado, have implemented similar technology for constituents.
The Illinois Secretary of State’s office (SOS) is deploying 15 kiosks this fall as part of a pilot program. The kiosks will be located in grocery stores in Chicago, its suburbs, and downstate.
The devices enable Illinois residents to renew their driver’s licenses and state IDs, and purchase vehicle stickers in an average transaction time of about two minutes. During the pilot, the kiosks will offer services in English and Spanish.
The plan is for SOS to explore adding other services when the pilot program is expanded. Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias also plans to increase the number of languages available for services at that time.
“Fast-Lane kiosks offer added convenience for Illinois drivers who now have the ability to renew their driver’s license or purchase a vehicle sticker while they’re running errands or buying their groceries,” Giannoulias said in a statement.
The pilot offers an alternate access point to DMV services for people without Internet access, or with limited time to visit a DMV office in person. According to the announcement, renewals at kiosks are more affordable than at most emission testing sites or currency exchanges.
License renewal is a service most Illinois drivers must complete every four years, and vehicle registration renewals must be completed annually. Now, Illinois drivers and motorists will receive information on using the kiosk when receiving their renewal notice by mail.
Notably, the kiosk pilot is being done without state funding or any supplemental cost to taxpayers. Instead, Intellectual Technology Inc. (ITI), the company that designed the kiosk technology, will charge $4.95 per transaction, and a credit card processing fee if applicable. ITI was selected to design the technology in a competitive bid process. The company operates self-service kiosks in 17 states.
