Cook County Clerk Adds Saturday Hours to Help Residents Meet REAL ID Deadline (Cook County, IL) – Cook County residents who still need vital records to apply for a REAL ID will have extra chances to get help before a new federal travel penalty takes effect.
With the Transportation Security Administration set to begin enforcing a $45 penalty on Feb. 1 for domestic air travelers who do not have a REAL ID or a valid U.S. passport, Cook County Clerk Monica Gordon announced expanded Saturday hours for birth and marriage records over the next three weekends.
Speaking at a joint press conference with Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Gordon said the move is part of a coordinated effort to make it easier for residents to complete the REAL ID process before the deadline.
For the next three Saturdays — Jan. 17, Jan. 24 and Jan. 31 — the Clerk’s downtown Vital Records office at 118 N. Clark St. will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The office will provide certified birth certificates, marriage records and name-change documents, all of which may be required to obtain a REAL ID.
“With the TSA deadline just weeks away, Cook County residents need clear and convenient options to update their identification in order to avoid this looming federal penalty,” Gordon said. “Our shared focus is on service and accessibility, and we are proud to work with the Secretary of State’s Office to help streamline access to vital records so residents can obtain their REAL ID as quickly and efficiently as possible.”
The special Saturday hours are aimed at residents who cannot visit government offices during regular weekday business hours. The schedule also allows people to complete multiple steps of the process in one day — first obtaining vital records from the Clerk’s Office, then applying for a REAL ID at the Secretary of State’s downtown Supercenter nearby.
Officials said the effort builds on an ongoing partnership between the Cook County Clerk’s Office and the Secretary of State’s Office to improve coordination, cut down on wait times and remove unnecessary barriers as the federal enforcement date approaches.
Residents are encouraged to review the list of required documents ahead of time and take advantage of the weekend hours before the Feb. 1 deadline.
More information about obtaining birth and marriage records is available at cookcountyclerk.com/vitals.
Cook County Clerk Adds Saturday Hours to Help Residents Meet REAL ID Deadline
