New Temporary DMV Opening In Orland Park: Village

ORLAND PARK, IL — With the closing of the Secretary of State facility in the Orland Township building, Village officials on Friday announced that a temporary Secretary of State facility will open on Monday, Sept. 29. The new facility will be located at CTF Illinois, 18230 Orland Parkway in Orland Park, and will open at 10:30 a.m. Monday.

The new location will open just days after the one at the Township building closed.

"Following the decision by the recently elected majority of the Orland Township Board to abruptly cancel the Drivers Facility lease agreement, the Secretary of State’s Office had to scramble to quickly find a temporary location to ensure uninterrupted access to essential services for residents," the Village said in a release Friday.

The Orland Township board faced scrutiny over the vote in July to close the Secretary of State office in the space on Ravinia Avenue. Citing safety concerns, parking issues, security issues and cost, Trustee Ken Duffy launched the discussion, laying out more than a dozen issues he had encountered at the facility since the start of his term in May. Ultimately, too, he worried the agency had outgrown its space there.

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As residents worried about losing access to the services locally, a local nonprofit "immediately contacted" Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias to offer them office space, the Village said. Giannoulias' office said it signed a one-year, zero-cost lease with the non-profit Communities Transform Futures (CTF) to open the temporary location.

CTF Illinois is an organization that creates pathways toward independence, a higher quality of life, and economic prosperity for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Plans are also underway for a new, permanent Drivers Facility, the Village said, reflecting the collaborative efforts and commitment to keeping services accessible and convenient for residents nearby. The new temporary and eventual permanent facilities will provide a full range of services, including driver’s license renewals, driving tests, and vehicle registration.

The agency had been leasing 1,100 square feet of space in the building at 14807 S. Ravinia Ave. since 2020, when it was relocated there from Village Hall. Supervisor Paul O'Grady worked with then-State Sen. Bill Cunningham to find space for the agency within Orland Township. The Secretary of State, Supervisor Paul O'Grady said, has since been leasing the space for $1 annually as part of an intergovernmental agreement.

The new location, officials said, will keep the services in the area with the temporary location in Orland Park, followed by an eventual permanent one.

Officials said that "this plan not only preserves convenience, but also protects the local economy, as the former township location served more than 60,000 people each year.

"Keeping the Drivers Facility in Orland Park ensures these visitors return to local businesses, including restaurants, gas stations and retail shops, supporting the local economy and helping sustain jobs," according to the release.

The offices at the Township building were to vacate by Oct. 31. It closed ahead of time, on Friday, Sept. 26.

“We know how important it is for our residents to have essential services close to home,” said Mayor Jim Dodge. “When it became clear the Orland Township site would be closing, we worked quickly with our partners to make sure the Drivers Facility stayed right here in our Village. I want to thank Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, CTF Illinois, Supervisor Paul O’Grady, and Senator Michael Hastings for their teamwork in ensuring residents continue to have reliable, local access to these vital services.”