How Long Do You Have to Have Your Permit in Illinois?

In Illinois, how long you have to have your permit depends on your age. Drivers under 18 must hold an instruction permit for at least nine consecutive months before applying for a graduated driver’s license. Drivers who are 18 or older face no mandatory holding period and can take the driving test as soon as they’re ready.¹²

The Nine-Month Rule for Drivers Under 18

You can apply for an instruction permit at age 15 with a parent or guardian’s consent. From the date it’s issued, you must hold that permit for nine consecutive months before you’re eligible for a graduated driver’s license. You also have to be at least 16 and have met every other requirement in the state’s Graduated Driver Licensing program.¹

Those nine months have to stay conviction-free. If you pick up a traffic violation during the permit phase, the waiting period can reset, pushing your license eligibility back.³

The permit itself is valid for 24 months. That gives you a cushion beyond the nine-month minimum, but if you let the full two years lapse without upgrading, you’ll have to start over with a new permit.⁴

No Holding Period If You’re 18 or Older

Adult applicants don’t wait. There is no minimum holding period on the permit, and you can schedule the driving skills test whenever you feel confident. The permit is valid for 12 months from its issue date, and while you’re driving on it you must be accompanied by a licensed driver at least 21 years old who has held a valid license for at least one year and is seated beside you.²

One requirement catches many first-time adult applicants off guard. If you’re 18, 19, or 20, applying for an Illinois license for the first time, and you never completed any driver education course in high school or through a commercial driving school, you have to finish a six-hour Adult Driver Education course before you can be licensed. All three conditions have to be true for the rule to apply, and prior driver education completed in another state or through a commercial course exempts you.⁵ Applicants 21 or older don’t need any driver education course regardless of their driving history.

What Has to Happen During the Nine Months

For under-18 drivers, the nine months aren’t just a waiting period. Before you can get your license, a parent or guardian has to certify that you’ve logged at least 50 hours of supervised behind-the-wheel practice, with at least 10 of those hours driven at night. You also need to complete a state-approved driver education course.¹

The Secretary of State’s office publishes a printable driving log for recording each practice session. Keep it current as you go rather than trying to piece it together at the end. Your parent or guardian signs the finished log, and you bring it with you when you apply for the license.³

Restrictions That Can Affect the Clock

Because a conviction can reset the nine months, the permit-phase rules matter for timing, not just safety. Under-18 permit holders can only drive with a supervising adult in the seat beside them: a parent, legal guardian, family member, or another adult at least 21 who has held a valid license for the type of vehicle for at least one year. Driving under a driver education instructor during a course also counts.⁴

A nighttime curfew applies to under-18 permit holders, running 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Narrow exceptions cover driving with a parent or guardian, traveling to or from work without detours, emergencies, and interstate travel. Local ordinances may be stricter.⁴³

You’re limited to one passenger in the front seat and no more rear passengers than there are seat belts, and everyone must be buckled. Illinois also bans all cell phone use while driving for anyone under 19 who holds a permit or graduated license, including hands-free devices; the only exception is a genuine emergency call to police, fire, or medical services.³⁶

These GDL-specific restrictions don’t apply to adult permit holders. If you’re 18 or older, none of the curfew, passenger, or phone rules above apply to you during the permit phase.

1
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 625 ILCS 5/6-107 – Graduated Driver’s License
2
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 625 ILCS 5/6-105 – Instruction Permits and Temporary Licenses for Persons 18 Years of Age or Older
3
Illinois Secretary of State. Graduated Driver’s License
4
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 625 ILCS 5/6-107.1 – Instruction Permits for Minors
5
Illinois Secretary of State. Adult Driver Education FAQs
6
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 625 ILCS 5/12-610.1 – Electronic Communication Devices