Nationwide Outage Disrupts Passport Verification at DMVs

A nationwide outage disrupted the U.S. Passport Verification Service on Wednesday, temporarily making passport verification unavailable at DMVs across the country, including Illinois. The outage, confirmed by Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and the American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA), originated from issues on the Department of Homeland Security's side, though the exact cause remains unclear. Residents were advised to call DMVs before visiting, as some services or hours could be affected, but Illinois DMVs reported no major delays due to contingency plans. The outage comes shortly after the enforcement of the REAL ID requirement at airports, which has increased DMV traffic. Alternative procedures are available at airports for those lacking REAL IDs or passport verification, though these may involve additional screening and delays. Authorities are working to restore service and will provide updates as the situation develops.