Do You Have to Take a Driving Test at 75 in Illinois?

No — turning 75 in Illinois does not mean taking a driving test. The state raised the road-test age to 79 and then, effective July 1, 2026, raised it again to 87 under Public Act 104-169. If you hold a standard (non-commercial) Illinois license, you will not be asked to demonstrate your driving to an examiner based on age alone until you reach 87.¹

There is one age-based exception. Drivers 75 and older who hold a commercial driver’s license still face a road test at every renewal. The new 87-and-older threshold applies to standard licenses only.¹

What Renewal Actually Looks Like at 75

Renewal at 75 is an in-person visit to a Driver Services facility, but it is a paperwork-and-vision visit, not a driving one. Two things are checked:

Vision Screening

Every renewing driver in Illinois has to pass a vision screening. The standard is 20/40 acuity using both eyes together. If you need glasses or contacts to meet that, your license carries a corrective-lens restriction. You can take the screening at the facility or bring a form completed by your eye doctor.²

Written Test

The written knowledge test is not automatic at senior renewals. It is triggered by traffic violations on your record. A clean record means you skip it.¹

Road Test

Not required for standard-license drivers between 75 and 86 based on age. If you have a clean record and a standard license, you show up, pass the vision screening, complete the paperwork, and leave with a renewed license.¹

How Often You’ll Renew After 75

Illinois shortens the renewal cycle as drivers age, so trips to Driver Services get more frequent later on:

Ages 69 to 80: every four years, in person once you reach 75.¹
Ages 81 to 86: every two years, in person.
Ages 87 and older: every year, in person, with a road test each time.

What Happens When You Reach 87

Starting at 87, the road test enters the picture. Under 625 ILCS 5/6-109, applicants at that age must “prove, by an actual demonstration” that they can safely operate a vehicle. You bring your own car with valid registration and proof of insurance. The examiner grades the fundamentals rather than advanced maneuvers.³

According to the Illinois Rules of the Road, the test covers:

Starting and controlling the vehicle: smooth acceleration, braking, and steering.
Backing up in a reasonably straight line for a short distance.
Turning about to safely reverse direction.
Parking and starting on a hill, both uphill and downhill.
Proper speed for conditions and staying in your lane.

The test uses local roads near the facility, not highways. The examiner is looking for safe, competent driving.³

If You Fail

Failing does not immediately cost you your license. Your renewal fee covers up to three attempts within one year of the first try. After failing your first attempt, you can try again the same day if the facility has time and staff — unless the examiner determined you posed a danger to public safety during the test, in which case a same-day retry is not allowed. A third attempt cannot happen on the same day as a failed second.⁴

If all three attempts are used without passing, you wait until the one-year window from your first attempt expires, then reapply and pay a new fee. After six total failures across multiple application periods, another road-test attempt requires a favorable medical report submitted to the Secretary of State’s office.⁵ While preparing to retake, you can apply for a temporary instruction permit that lets you practice with a licensed adult 21 or older in the passenger seat.

You Can Still Be Called In for a Road Test Before 87

The 87-and-older rule sets when a road test is automatic, not when one is possible. The Secretary of State can require any driver, at any age, to take a road test if there is reason to question their fitness to drive. Family members, physicians, law enforcement officers, and other concerned parties can file a report asking for a review.

Illinois does not require doctors to report patients they believe are medically unfit to drive, but the law protects those who do. Physician reports are confidential except when disclosed in court proceedings, and the reporting doctor is immune from liability. Conditions that commonly trigger reviews include seizure disorders, significant vision loss, cognitive impairment such as dementia, and uncontrolled diabetes. Certain medications also affect driving; the FDA lists opioids, benzodiazepines, sleep aids, muscle relaxants, some antidepressants, and even over-the-counter antihistamines and cold medicines among those that can cause drowsiness, blurred vision, or slowed reaction times.⁶

What the Renewal Costs

Renewal fees drop with age:

Ages 69 to 80: $5
Ages 81 to 86: $2
Ages 87 and older: free

The waived fee for the 87-and-older group is a small offset for the annual renewal and road test at that stage.⁷

1
Illinois General Assembly. 625 ILCS 5/6-109
2
Cornell Law School. Illinois Admin Code tit. 92, 1030.70 – Driver’s License Testing/Vision Screening
3
Illinois Secretary of State. Illinois Rules of the Road
4
Cornell Law School. Illinois Admin Code tit. 92, 1030.86 – Multiple Attempts – Written and/or Road Tests
5
Illinois General Assembly. 92 Illinois Admin Code 1030.86 – Multiple Attempts – Written and/or Road Tests
6
U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Some Medicines and Driving Don’t Mix
7
Illinois General Assembly. 625 ILCS 5/6-118 – Fees