With the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) set to begin enforcing a new $45 penalty on February 1 for domestic air travelers without a REAL ID or valid U.S. passport, the Cook County Clerk’s Office announced Wednesday that it will offer special Saturday hours for birth and marriage records over the next three weekends to help residents complete the REAL ID process. At a joint press conference with Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias, Clerk Monica Gordon outlined the expanded hours as part of a coordinated effort to reduce barriers and ensure residents have timely access to the documents required to obtain a REAL ID. For the next three Saturdays — January 17, January 24, and January 31 — the Clerk’s downtown Vital Records office, located at 118 N. Clark Street, will be open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. to assist residents seeking certified birth certificates, marriage records, and name-change documents. The expanded Saturday hours are designed to support residents who may not be able to visit government offices during the workweek. For more information about obtaining birth or marriage records, visit cookcountyclerk.com/vitals.

Photo Credit: Cook County Clerk’s Office