How to get a driver's license in Illinois
This page explains, step by step, how to get your first Illinois driver's license for a regular car and which documents to bring. It is based on the website of the Illinois Secretary of State (SOS), which runs the driver's license offices (DMVs), and on the Illinois Rules of the Road 2026 manual.
Independent educational site · not affiliated with any government agency or DMV
Checked against the official sources on 2026-09-30. Requirements can change: always confirm with Illinois Secretary of State before you go.
How it works
The license for a regular car: Class D
To drive legally in Illinois, you must have a valid Illinois driver's license. The basic license for a car is a Class D license. You must be at least 16 to get an Illinois driver's license.
- Class D covers any motor vehicle with a gross vehicle weight rating (GVWR) of 16,000 pounds or less, except vehicles that need a Class A, B or C license or an L or M motorcycle license.
Source: [1]
What every applicant does
- Visit a DMV and show the required identification documents.
- Have your photo taken.
- Hand in (surrender) all your other Illinois driver's licenses, ID cards and instruction permits, and all valid out-of-state licenses, state ID cards, instruction permits and commercial driver's licenses.
- Pass the exams you need: vision screening, written exam and/or driving exam.
- Pay the fee.
Graduated licensing for young drivers
Illinois' Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) program has three stages for drivers aged 15 to 20. Young drivers get full driving privileges step by step. Most start at 15 with an instruction permit (learner's permit).
Source: [1]
Never give false information
Driver's license and ID card fraud, such as signing an application that includes false information or presenting false identification, can lead to arrest, possible imprisonment of up to five years, and a 12-month suspension or revocation of your driving privileges.
Source: [1]
If you are 15 to 17
Sign up for driver education
If you are 16 or 17, you can get your license after you complete a state-approved driver education course, complete 50 hours of practice driving, and pass the three parts of the driver's license exam. Approved courses include at least 30 hours of classroom study and 6 hours of behind-the-wheel training.
Source: [1]
Get an instruction permit
At 15 to 17, you can get an instruction permit with proof from your driver education provider. The document must say that you are enrolled in an approved driver education course, or that you will start one within the next 30 days.
- You must pass the vision and written exams. The results are valid until your permit expires.
- Bring proper identification documents and a Secretary of State application, and pay the fee.
- A parent or legal guardian must give consent.
- The application must have your certified driver education instructor's signature. Either you or your instructor may submit it, depending on your school.
- The permit is valid for 24 months.
- If you are 17 and 3 months or older, you may apply for an instruction permit without taking a driver education course.
Practice for at least 9 months
You must hold your permit for at least nine months in a row before you can get a license. Before you can get a license, you need at least 50 hours of supervised driving, including 10 hours at night, in addition to driver education.
- Your instruction permit allows you to drive with an adult instructor during the behind-the-wheel part of a driver education course.
- You may also drive with a parent, legal guardian or responsible adult who is 21 or older, has a valid license, and has at least one year of driving experience. This person must sit in the front passenger seat next to you.
- A parent or legal guardian must certify that you completed at least 50 hours of practice driving, including 10 hours at night. Use the 50-hour driving log (linked below).
Finish driver education
The Secretary of State's office must receive notice that you completed driver education, and it must be noted on your driving record, before a license is issued. You can check this with the Driver's Education Course Completion Check (linked below).
Source: [1]
Apply for your license at a DMV
A parent or legal guardian must give written consent for you to get a license. If a parent or guardian cannot come with you to the DMV, the Affidavit/Consent for Minor to Drive form is used. Bring these documents to the DMV:
- Your instruction permit
- Acceptable identification documents (see "Documents to bring" below)
- The Affidavit/Consent for Minor to Drive, if it applies to you
- Your Cooperative Driver Testing Certificate, if you have one
- Your 50-hour driving log, with the proper signature
The driving exam and the Cooperative Driver Testing Program
If you finish an accredited high school driver education course (classroom and behind-the-wheel) with a combined grade of A or B, you may not have to take the driving exam at the DMV. This is the Cooperative Driver Testing Program. The road exam is generally waived, but some students may still have to take it.
- Students whose birthdays fall on certain spot-check dates must pass a driving exam at a DMV, even if they already passed a road test with their driver education instructor.
- Your Cooperative Driver Testing Certificate expires on the same day as your instruction permit and will not be extended. You must show it at the DMV when you apply for your license.
Rules for young drivers
No driving late at night
With a permit, and during the first stage of your license (ages 16 and 17), you may not drive at these times (local curfews may differ):
- Sunday to Thursday: 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.
- If you are under 18 and break this rule, your driving privileges may be suspended.
Source: [1]
Passengers and seat belts
- With a permit: no more than one passenger in the front seat, and in the back seat no more passengers than there are safety belts.
- With a new license (ages 16 and 17): for the first 12 months, or until you turn 18 if that comes first, only one passenger under age 20, unless the passengers are your brothers or sisters, stepbrothers or stepsisters, children or stepchildren.
- With a permit or a new license, everyone in the car must wear a safety belt.
No phones under 19
If you are under 19, you may not use a wireless phone or cellphone at all while driving, even with a hands-free device. The only exception is an emergency, to contact the police, a health care provider or emergency services.
Source: [1]
Keep a clean driving record
- Keep a clean driving record during the nine-month permit stage. If you are convicted of a moving violation in this stage, you must wait 9 months before you can apply for a license.
- Anyone caught driving without a permit cannot get a driver's license until age 18.
- If you are under 18 and have unresolved traffic tickets, you will not get a driver's license.
- With a new license, you must keep a driving record with no convictions for six months before you turn 18. A traffic conviction in this stage may extend the restrictions past age 18.
- If you are under 21, two moving-violation convictions within 24 months lead to a suspension of your license.
Vehicles young drivers may not drive
- Under 18: any vehicle for hire that carries property (for example, delivery drivers), or any vehicle that needs a commercial driver's license.
- Under 21: any vehicle for hire carrying more than 10 passengers, a commuter van, a religious organization bus, a school bus, a vehicle carrying senior citizens, or a child care vehicle.
Source: [1]
For parents
- The parent or legal guardian who gave consent may cancel the teen's license at any time, for any reason, until the driver turns 18, by contacting the Secretary of State's office.
- If your teen is under 18 and has an instruction permit or a graduated license, you can see their driving record for free on ilsos.gov, with a PIN from the Secretary of State's office.
- The Parent-Teen Driving Guide (linked below) helps parents teach their teens the skills they need before driving alone.
Source: [1]
If you are 18, 19 or 20
Take the Adult Driver Education Course, if you need it
You must complete a six-hour Adult Driver Education Course before you get your license if all three of these are true:
- You are 18, 19 or 20.
- You are applying for an Illinois driver's license for the first time.
- You have never taken any driver education course in high school or at a commercial driving school.
About the course
- If you took driver education in high school, you do not need the course if you show proof, such as a certified transcript from your high school with a passing grade. A high school course taken in another state also counts, with proof.
- If you move to Illinois with an out-of-state driver's license, you do not need the course.
- Only providers certified by the Secretary of State's office may teach it. A course from a provider that is not certified is not accepted. See the list of certified providers (linked below).
- It is taught in a classroom or online. It has no behind-the-wheel training.
- The provider gives a written test at the end of the course.
- The provider sets the cost of the course.
Get your certificate
When you complete the course, the Secretary of State sends you an email, at the address you gave your course provider, with a link to download your Certificate of Completion. You need this certificate only when you apply for your driver's license, not for an instruction permit.
Practice with an instruction permit
To get an instruction permit, pay the fee and pass the vision screening and the written exam. Bring proper identification documents and a Secretary of State application. If you are 18 or older, the permit is valid for one year.
- You may practice driving with an adult who is at least 21, has a license for the type of vehicle you are driving, and has at least one year of driving experience.
- You are encouraged (not required) to practice at least 50 hours behind the wheel, including at least 10 hours at night, before you get your license.
Pass the tests at a DMV
The test at the end of the course does not replace the tests at the Secretary of State facility. There you must still pass a vision test, a written test and a behind-the-wheel road test.
If you are 21 or older
Consider a driving school
If you are 21 or older and driving for the first time, it is suggested (not required) that you enroll in a driving school for adults before you apply for a license.
Source: [1]
Practice with an instruction permit
To get an instruction permit, pay the fee and pass the vision screening and the written exam. Bring proper identification documents and a Secretary of State application. The permit is valid for one year.
- You may practice driving with an adult who is at least 21, has a license for the type of vehicle you are driving, and has at least one year of driving experience.
Source: [6]
Apply for your license
Bring your identification documents, including one document from each of Groups A, B, C and D (see "Documents to bring" below). All new drivers must take a driving exam.
Moving to Illinois or visiting
Deadline: 90 days
If you have moved to Illinois for good from another state or country and have a valid driver's license from there, you may drive with it, but you must get an Illinois license within 90 days, or before your license expires, whichever comes first.
Source: [1]
Getting your Illinois license
Bring acceptable identification to prove your name, date of birth, Illinois residency, Social Security number and signature. You must pass a vision screening and a written exam, and possibly a driving exam, and pay the fee.
- You must hand in all your out-of-state driver's licenses and ID cards before you get an Illinois license or state ID.
- If you have an out-of-state driver's license, you do not need to take the Adult Driver Education Course.
Who may drive with a license from elsewhere
- Out-of-state students at an Illinois college or university, and their spouses and children, with a valid license from their home state or country.
- Members of the U.S. Armed Forces on active duty, and their spouses and dependent children who live with them, with a valid license from their home state.
- People visiting or driving through Illinois, with a valid license from their home state or country.
Source: [1]
Documents to bring
What you must prove
To get an Illinois driver's license or ID card, you must show acceptable documents that prove your legal name, date of birth, Social Security number, residency and signature. Your signature is compared as part of the check. You must also give a valid mailing address when you apply.
Source: [1]
The four groups: A, B, C and D
The list of acceptable documents is split into four groups:
- Group A: your written signature
- Group B: your date of birth
- Group C: your Social Security number
- Group D: your residency (where you live)
- For a first-time standard license, bring one document for each of Groups A, B, C and D. For a first-time REAL ID, bring one each for Groups A, B and C, and two for Group D.
- One document may count for more than one group.
Details for each group
- Group A (signature): for example, a valid U.S. or foreign passport.
- Group B (date of birth): the document must show your full name and complete date of birth, and it must be possible to check it with the office that issued it. A birth certificate must be the original or a certified copy (with an embossed seal or an original stamp) from a Board of Health or Bureau of Vital Statistics in the U.S., the U.S. State Department, a U.S. territory or Canada. A foreign passport or birth certificate is accepted if you also bring another Group B document.
- Group C (Social Security number): the document must show your name and your full Social Security number.
- Group D (residency): the document must show your full name and your home address. A document from Group A, B or C with your full name and home address can also count for Group D. A utility bill counts if it was issued within 90 days of your application.
- For Group D, consular cards are accepted only from Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala and Mexico.
Paper documents only, no copies
- All documents must be valid (current and not expired), unless the list says otherwise, and within the time allowed.
- Photocopies are not accepted.
- Pictures on your phone are not accepted. You may print an electronic document (for example, a bank statement) and bring the printed copy. Account numbers must be visible.
Your Social Security number is checked
The Secretary of State's office checks your name, date of birth and Social Security number with the Social Security Administration before it issues or renews a license or ID card. If your records cannot be verified, you will not get the card.
Source: [2]
Documents that are not accepted
An International Driving Permit is on the list of documents that are not accepted. Secretary of State management may accept or refuse any document, and both lists (acceptable and not acceptable) can change. Both lists are on the Acceptable Identification Documents page (linked below).
Source: [4]
REAL ID
REAL ID or standard card?
Federal law now requires a REAL ID-compliant driver's license or ID card to board flights within the U.S. and to enter certain federal facilities. Not everyone needs a REAL ID. In Illinois, you can choose a REAL ID card or keep a standard card.
Source: [1]
What to bring for your first REAL ID
Even if you already have a standard Illinois driver's license or ID card, you must bring documents for your first REAL ID:
- Proof of identity, including U.S. citizenship or lawful status
- Proof of date of birth
- Proof of Social Security number
- Proof of signature
- Two documents that prove your Illinois residency. Both must show your first and last name and match the address on your application.
- If you have a valid Illinois driver's license or state ID card (but not a Temporary Visitor Driver's License), bring it. You do not need another Social Security document; your number is checked again with the Social Security Administration.
- On the Acceptable Identification Documents list, documents marked with a star (*) are accepted for REAL ID.
Rules for REAL ID documents
- Documents must be valid (current and not expired).
- Bring hard-copy (paper) documents only. Printed electronic documents are accepted. Phone photos and photocopies are not.
- If your legal name today is different from the name on your identity documents, such as your birth certificate or passport, you will need to connect your birth name to your current name. See the REAL ID Checklist (linked below).
Source: [13]
Getting your REAL ID
You cannot get a REAL ID by renewing online. You must visit a DMV.
Source: [14]
At the DMV
Find a DMV and make an appointment
Find a Driver Services facility (DMV) with the Facility Finder on ilsos.gov. Some DMVs require appointments, so check before you go. You can schedule a DMV appointment online.
- Seniors can use the seniors-only call center: call 800-252-8980 and choose option 2, Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Seniors can also visit a walk-in seniors-only DMV.
Interpreters and oral tests
- If you need an interpreter, ask before your visit: call 312-814-5683 or 888-261-5238 (TTY, NexTalk).
- If you have a language barrier or a reading or learning disability, you can ask for an oral version of the written test. Ask in person at any Secretary of State driver's license facility, Monday to Thursday.
Source: [1]
Show your documents and answer the health questions
Bring your documents (see "Documents to bring"). You will be asked about any physical or mental condition, and any medicine (prescribed or over-the-counter), drugs or alcohol, that may affect your driving. In some cases, you must bring a Medical Report completed by a licensed physician.
Photo, old cards and the fee
Your photo is taken, and you hand in your other driver's licenses, ID cards and instruction permits. You also pay the fee. Fees can change by law, so check the current fees on the Secretary of State's fees page (linked below).
The tests
Which tests you take
When you apply for your license, you may have to take a vision screening, a written exam and a driving exam. A vision screening and a written test are required for all permits.
- You have three tries to pass each exam, within one year from the day you paid your application fee.
- If you are caught cheating, you fail the exam and cannot take it again for 30 days.
Source: [1]
Vision screening
Take a vision screening at the DMV, or bring a Vision Specialist Report completed by a licensed optometrist, ophthalmologist or physician. The report must be dated within six months of your visit.
- You need a visual acuity of at least 20/40, with or without glasses or contact lenses. With 20/41 to 20/70, you may drive in daylight only.
- You need at least 140 degrees of side (peripheral) vision, with or without glasses or contact lenses.
- If you wear glasses or contact lenses, your license will show that you must wear them when you drive.
Written exam
In the basic written exam, you:
- Identify traffic signs by their shape, color or symbol.
- Identify signals and pavement markings.
- Answer multiple-choice and true-or-false questions about traffic laws, safety rules, crash prevention and vehicle equipment.
Source: [1]
Driving exam
All new drivers must take a driving exam (for an exception, see the Cooperative Driver Testing Program above). Only the examiner may be with you. Children and pets may not be in the car, and they cannot be left alone in the facility during the exam. You and the examiner must wear safety belts. If you commit any traffic violation or any dangerous action, you automatically fail the exam. Some of the tasks in the exam:
- Check the vehicle controls, including the parking brake and mirrors. Adjust your seat, safety belt, mirrors and other equipment before the car moves.
- Back up about 50 feet, slowly, straight and smoothly. Turn your head to the right and watch to the rear.
- Turn around using an alley on the left side of the street: signal left, turn into the alley, back out, and stay on your side of the street.
- Park uphill and downhill at the side of the road, and start from a parked position uphill and downhill.
- Obey all traffic signs, traffic control devices, right-of-way rules and lane markings, and use your turn signals correctly.
Source: [1]
The vehicle for the driving exam
The vehicle you use for the driving exam must:
- Be properly licensed and have the required equipment (listed in the Rules of the Road manual).
- Be in the same weight class as stated on your application.
- Be properly insured. You must show proof of liability insurance at the exam.
- Have valid front and rear Illinois license plates and a valid registration sticker. A vehicle registered in another state must meet that state's registration rules.
- Be driven to the facility by a driver with a valid driver's license or permit.
After you pass
Your temporary license and your card
When you complete all the requirements, you get a temporary, secure paper driver's license, valid for 90 days. It serves as your driver's license for driving until your permanent card arrives.
- After your documents are checked, your card is printed at a central location and mailed to the address you gave at the DMV, usually within 15 business days.
- The post office will not deliver your card if there is a forwarding order or any mail hold for that address.
- If your card has not arrived 15 business days after your visit, check its status on ilsos.gov or call 217-782-7044.
- The temporary paper license is not accepted as proof of identity for a replacement Social Security card.
- If you are under 21, your license is printed vertically (upright).
How long your license is valid
- A license is generally valid for 4 years and expires on your birthday.
- If you are under 21, your license expires three months after your 21st birthday.
- Drivers 87 and older must renew every year. Since July 1, 2026, they must also take a driving exam.
Renewing your license
The Secretary of State's office mails you a renewal notice before your license expires. But it is your responsibility to renew on time, even if you do not get the notice.
- You can renew up to one year before your license expires, or up to 6 months before if you have a one-year license.
- You can renew online if your renewal letter has a PIN or a Renewal Authorization Number.
- You must renew in person if you need to take a written exam or road test, or send an updated medical or vision report.
- Everyone who renews at a facility takes a vision screening.
- Every driver takes a written exam every eight years, unless the driver has no traffic convictions.
Keep your information up to date
- If you move, tell the Secretary of State's office your new address within 10 days.
- If you legally change your name, you must apply for a corrected driver's license.
- If you develop a medical condition that is likely to make you lose consciousness, or to affect your ability to drive safely, tell the Secretary of State's office within 10 days of learning about it.
Official links
- Driver's license and state ID card information (ilsos.gov)
- Instruction permit requirements (ilsos.gov)
- Graduated Driver's License (GDL) rules (ilsos.gov)
- 50-hour practice driving log (PDF) (ilsos.gov)
- Affidavit/Consent for Minor to Drive (PDF) (ilsos.gov)
- Driver's Education Course Completion Check (apps.ilsos.gov)
- Parent-Teen Driving Guide (PDF) (ilsos.gov)
- Adult Driver Education (ilsos.gov)
- Certified Adult Driver Education providers (apps.ilsos.gov)
- Acceptable Identification Documents (ilsos.gov)
- First-time driver's license/ID card checklist (ilsos.gov)
- REAL ID (realid.ilsos.gov)
- REAL ID Checklist (realid.ilsos.gov)
- DMV appointments (ilsos.gov)
- Facility Finder (find a DMV) (apps.ilsos.gov)
- Driver's license fees (ilsos.gov)
- Vision Specialist Report (PDF) (ilsos.gov)
- Illinois Rules of the Road 2026 (PDF) (ilsos.gov)
- Check the mailing status of your card (apps.ilsos.gov)
- Renew your license (ilsos.gov)
- Update your address (apps.ilsos.gov)
Practice-hours log · A free log for supervised driving practice: add each session, see your total and night hours, and print it. Saved only on your device.
Ready for the knowledge test?
Practice free with questions from the Illinois driver's manual.
Sources
- Illinois Rules of the Road 2026 (ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- Driver's License and State ID Card Information (ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- Document Requirements to Obtain a Driver's License or State ID Card (ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- Acceptable Identification Documents (ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- New/First-time Issuance Driver's License/ID Card Checklist (ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- Instruction Permit Requirements (ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- Graduated Driver's License (ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- Adult Driver Education (ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- Adult Driver Education FAQs (ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- Driver's License and State ID FAQ (ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- Appointments (ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- REAL ID (realid.ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- REAL ID Checklist (realid.ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- Driver's License and State ID Card Renewal (ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- Central Issuance (ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- Medical and Vision Conditions (ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State
- Driver Education: Cooperative Driver Testing Program (ilsos.gov) — Illinois Secretary of State