Illinois · Handbook chapter 1 · 5 min read

The Illinois Class D license, who may drive without one, documents, the three license exams (vision, written and driving), what the written exam covers, retakes, renewal, fees and changes of name or address.

Why this chapter matters

Before you can drive in Illinois you need a valid Illinois driver's license, and before you get one you must pass the Secretary of State's exams. Knowing what the exams cover, what to bring and how often you can retry saves you wasted trips to a DMV facility.

The basic license

• A car driver gets a Class D license. It also lets you drive a rental vehicle of up to 26,000 pounds to move your own or your immediate family's belongings inside Illinois, not for business.
• You must be at least 16 to get a license. At 16 or 17 you need a state-approved driver education course, 50 hours of practice driving and a pass on all three parts of the license exam.
• First-time applicants aged 18, 19 or 20 who never took driver education must complete a six-hour Adult Driver Education Course from a provider certified by the Secretary of State.
• Under 18 you may not drive a for-hire vehicle carrying property or any vehicle that needs a commercial license. Under 21 you may not drive a school bus, a for-hire vehicle carrying more than 10 passengers, a commuter van or a child care vehicle.

Who may drive without an Illinois license

• New residents with a valid license from another state or country: get an Illinois license within 90 days or before the old license expires, whichever comes first.
• Visitors passing through with a valid home license, out-of-state college students and their families, and active-duty military with their families.
• Illinois residents returning from military service abroad who had a deferral may drive for the first 120 days after their return.

The three exams

When you apply you may need a vision screening, a written exam and a driving exam. A vision screening and a written test are required for every permit. You get three attempts to pass each exam within one year of paying the application fee. Anyone caught cheating fails and must wait 30 days to retake it, and taking any part of the exam for someone else is a crime with a mandatory minimum of seven days in jail.

Vision

• At least 20/40 in acuity, with or without glasses. Between 20/41 and 20/70 you are limited to daylight driving.
• At least 140 degrees of side (peripheral) vision.
• If you need glasses or contacts, your license will carry a restriction requiring them. Instead of the screening you may bring a Vision Specialist Report dated within six months.

The written exam

The basic written exam covers three things:

• traffic signs, which you must recognize from their shape, color or symbol;
• signals and pavement markings, which you must name;
• multiple-choice and true-or-false questions about the law, safe driving, avoiding crashes and the equipment a car needs.

The Rules of the Road and the Secretary of State pages we used do not state how many questions the exam has, the score needed to pass or a time limit. Signs are part of the same written exam, not a separately passed test. Oral written exams can be requested in person at any facility, Monday through Thursday, for applicants with a language barrier or a reading or learning disability. Every driver must retake the written exam every eight years unless they have no traffic convictions.

The driving exam

All new drivers take a driving exam, and so do drivers aged 87 and older at renewal. The car must be licensed, insured (bring proof), carry valid front and rear plates, have the required equipment and be driven to the facility by a licensed driver. Only the examiner rides with you, and any traffic violation or dangerous action is an automatic fail. You will be asked to back up about 50 feet, do a turnabout using an alley on the left, park and start on a hill both uphill and downhill, and obey signs, signals and lane markings throughout.

Renewal and changes

• A license normally lasts four years and expires on your birthday. Under 21 it expires three months after your 21st birthday; at 81 to 86 it lasts two years; from 87 it must be renewed every year.
• You may renew up to one year early (six months early for a one-year license). The renewal notice comes about 90 days before expiry, but renewing on time is your job even if no notice arrives.
• Report an address change within 10 days and get a corrected card within 30 days of a legal name change.
• If you develop a condition likely to cause loss of consciousness, tell the Secretary of State within 10 days.

Fees

If you get your license before your instruction permit expires, there is no extra fee for the license.