Illinois · Written examWhat are the Illinois driving license requirements at each age?
You must be at least 16. Beyond that, the steps depend on your age:
- At 16 or 17: finish a state-approved driver education course, complete 50 hours of practice driving, pass the three parts of the exam and have a parent or guardian’s written consent
- At 18, 19 or 20, if you’ve never been licensed or finished an approved course: complete a six-hour Adult Driver Education Course with a Secretary of State (SOS) certified provider
- At 21 or older: the handbook sets no course, though it suggests driving school for adults
At any age, you prove your identity with documents, have your photo taken, surrender any other Illinois license, ID card or permit, pass the exams and pay the fee. Licenses for drivers under 21 are printed vertically.
Applying before 18
Bring these to the SOS facility:
- Your instruction permit
- Your identification documents
- An Affidavit/Consent for Minor to Drive, if a parent or guardian can’t come with you; a legal guardian or responsible adult over 21 signs it
- Your Cooperative Driver Testing Certificate, if you have one
- Your 50-hour driving log, properly signed
The SOS must have been told that you completed driver education, and the note must be on your driving record, before it issues a license.
The first years: limits at 16 to 20
The Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program’s Initial Licensing Phase, at 16 and 17, keeps these limits:
- The same night limits as the permit: 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Friday and Saturday
- For the first 12 months of licensing, or until 18 if that comes first, one passenger under 20, unless the passengers are your siblings, stepsiblings, children or stepchildren
- After that, one passenger in front and no more in the back than there are safety belts
- A record free of convictions for the six months before you turn 18, or the limits may last past 18
From 18 to 20, the Full Licensing Phase has no age-related limits, unless you didn’t move up from the Initial Licensing Phase. The permit page’s phone rule applies until you turn 19. Until you turn 18, the parent or guardian who gave consent may cancel your license at any time, for any reason.
Illinois driver’s license fees
The handbook’s fee table for licenses and permits:
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Instruction permit | $20 |
| License, ages 18 to 20 | $5 |
| License, ages 21 to 68 | $30 |
| License, ages 69 to 80 | $5 |
| License, ages 81 to 86 | $2 |
| License, ages 87 and older | Free |
| Duplicate or corrected license | $5 |
| Stolen license duplicate, under 60 | Free |
| Duplicate, lost or stolen, 60 and older | Free |
A duplicate is $2 at ages 81 to 86 and free from 87. Under 60, the free duplicate for a stolen license needs a full police report. The handbook says fees are subject to legislative change.
Renewing your license
A license is valid for four years and expires on your birthday, with three exceptions: under 21, it expires three months after your 21st birthday; from 81 to 86 it lasts two years; and from 87 you renew every year. You may renew up to a year before a two- or four-year license expires, or six months before a one-year license.
About 90 days ahead, the SOS should send a renewal notice that says which documents and tests you need, but renewing on time is your job even if no notice comes. If your notice has a personal identification number (PIN), you may renew online. Otherwise you visit a facility with your license, take any exams the notice lists (the overview explains the eight-year written exam rule), pay and have your photo taken again.
The state ID page explains the temporary paper card you leave with and when the permanent one comes.
Moving to Illinois, and who can drive without an Illinois license
If you move here with a valid license from another state or country, you get an Illinois license within 90 days or before your license expires, whichever comes first. You may drive on your home license if:
- You’re visiting or driving through Illinois
- You’re an out-of-state student at an Illinois college or university, and the same goes for your spouse and children
- You’re on active duty with the U.S. Armed Forces, with your spouse and dependent children who live with you
Temporary Visitors Driver’s Licenses (TVDLs) stopped being issued on July 1, 2024; anyone who was eligible for one can apply for a standard license.
Name, address and health changes
Apply for a corrected license within 30 days of a legal name change, and tell the SOS about a move within 10 days. If you develop a condition likely to cause a loss of consciousness or of the ability to drive safely, you must tell the SOS within 10 days of learning about it, or your license may be canceled.
Sources: Illinois Secretary of State. Checked November 2026.
Rules and fees can change, so check the official site before your test.
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