If you've had the need to visit the Secretary of State within the past year, you are aware that appointments are required to visit a branch in person. This is going to become a permanent operation. 

Gone are the days of walking into the Secretary of State and waiting in line and taking a number. Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson called the old way an "antiquated, inefficient, take-a-number system that nobody liked.” She added most activity is online anyway.

Benson told Fox 17,

"The entire model of going to one of the 131 branch offices across the state, taking the number and waiting in line may have worked in the 1970s and 1980s, but it's not going to work today for our citizens. We only want branches to be used ultimately to the very limited circumstances where you need that one on one experience."

Benson took office in 2019 and online activity has doubled since. She stated that 50% of visitors to the Secretary of State branches don't need to visit in person. Benson wants written driving tests to move online, and another of her proposals would let veterans with military CDLs skip civilian retraining and retesting.

With a wait time around 20 minutes, 1 million people went through the doors at local branches this past year. If you need assistance call the SOS hotline at 888-767-6424.

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