Overview

The Illinois Secretary of State is a constitutional office that keeps official state records and the state seal, and it runs about 20 departments with roughly 4,000 employees. It maintains Capitol Complex buildings, oversees the state library network, preserves historic documents, and provides services like driver licensing, vehicle registration, and license plates. It differs from others by combining recordkeeping, branding (the state seal), licensing, libraries, archives, and public safety education in one statewide office. Its goal is to serve residents by keeping important records, issuing IDs and vehicle documents, supporting libraries and archives, and offering safety education and public services.