To obtain your Illinois driving record, order a certified abstract from the Secretary of State online, by mail, or in person at any Driver Services facility. The fee is $21 total ($20 plus a $1 payment processor fee), and online requests let you download the record immediately.
What to Gather Before You Request
Every request, regardless of channel, asks for your full legal name, date of birth, Illinois driver’s license number, and current mailing address. Online requests add verification questions: the last four digits of your Social Security number, your license issue and expiration dates, the license class, and the weight listed on your license.
Payment can be made by credit card, debit card, check, or money order. If you plan to mail your request or bring it to a facility, download the Driving Record Abstract Request Form (DSD DC 164) from the Secretary of State’s website and fill it out ahead of time. Every detail has to match your license exactly. Mismatches slow the request down.
Public Abstract or Court Purposes Abstract
The Secretary of State issues two versions. The public abstract lists traffic convictions, license suspensions or revocations, and accident history. The court purposes abstract contains all of that plus court supervision dispositions, which do not appear on the public version. If you need the record for a court case, ask for the court purposes version specifically. Ordering the wrong one means paying and requesting again.
Request Online
This is the fastest option. Go to the Illinois Secretary of State’s Driving Record Abstract page, confirm you are requesting your own record, and enter your personal and license information. Select the public or court purposes abstract, then pay by credit or debit card. Once the payment clears, you can download and print the certified record right away. The site lets you reprint it for five days after purchase.
Request by Mail
Send your completed DSD DC 164 form and payment to:
Secretary of State
Driver Analysis Section
2701 S. Dirksen Pkwy.
Springfield, IL 62723
Mail processing typically runs one to three weeks before the record is mailed back. Certified mail gives you confirmation that your request arrived.
Request in Person
Bring your completed request form, a valid photo ID, and payment to any Illinois Driver Services facility. You will get the record on the spot. This is a useful option when you need the record the same day but would rather not answer the online verification questions. Facility locations are listed on the Secretary of State’s website.
Someone Else Requesting Your Record
You can always order your own record. Beyond that, access is limited. Authorized third parties like employers and insurance companies can obtain your record with proper consent. A parent, spouse, or child can request it with a notarized letter of authorization.
Federal law sets the outer boundary. Under the Driver’s Privacy Protection Act, state motor vehicle agencies cannot release your personal information without consent except in specific circumstances, including use by government agencies or courts, insurance underwriting and claims investigation, employer verification for commercial driver’s license holders, and legitimate business needs related to fraud prevention or debt recovery. A member of the public cannot simply look up your record.
If Something on the Record Is Wrong
Review the abstract carefully once you have it. An incorrect conviction or a suspension that should have been cleared can cause real problems with insurance and employment. If something looks wrong, call the Secretary of State’s Driving Record Unit at 217-782-2720, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Have your license number and the specific error ready.
If the mistake traces back to a court disposition that was never properly reported, you may need to contact the court that handled the original case and ask them to forward a corrected record to the Secretary of State. This comes up more often than people expect with court supervision dispositions that should have kept a violation off the public record but were never updated.