Illinois DMV Road Test Requirements: Scoring, Fails, and Fees

To pass the Illinois road test requirements, you need a valid instruction permit, the right paperwork, a properly registered and safe vehicle, and a clean run through the examiner’s route without committing any traffic violation. The Secretary of State’s office runs the exam, and the grading rule is strict: any traffic violation or dangerous action during the drive is an automatic failure.¹

Who Has To Take the Road Test

You’ll take the driving exam if you’ve never held a license anywhere, or if your Illinois license has been expired for more than one year. Drivers 79 and older take it at every renewal.¹

One exemption matters: high school students who finish an accredited driver education course with a combined classroom and behind-the-wheel grade of A or B can skip the Secretary of State road test when they apply. A grade of C or lower means you test like everyone else.¹

What You Need Before You Can Test

Teens Under 18

Three things have to be in place. Under 625 ILCS 5/6-107, you must be at least 16, and you must have held a valid instruction permit for at least nine months. The permit itself is good for 24 months from issuance and must still be active on test day.²

You also need to complete an approved driver education course: 30 clock hours of classroom instruction and six clock hours of behind-the-wheel training.³ On top of that, a parent or guardian must certify 50 hours of supervised practice driving, at least 10 of them at night.² Start logging those hours early; families who wait find themselves scrambling as the permit runs down.

Adults 18 to 20

If you’re 18, 19, or 20 and have never been licensed or completed an approved driver education course, you must finish a six-hour adult driver education course before you’re eligible to test.⁴

Adults 21 and Older

There is no formal driver education requirement. You still have to pass the written knowledge test on traffic laws, signs, and safe driving practices, and you have to clear the vision screening at 20/40 binocular acuity before the state will put you behind the wheel with an examiner.

What To Bring on Test Day

Bring your valid, unexpired Illinois instruction permit. If you’re applying for a REAL ID-compliant license, you’ll also need proof of identity, your Social Security number, and two proofs of Illinois residency dated within the past 90 days, such as utility bills or bank statements.⁵

You supply the car. It must have valid front and rear Illinois plates, a current registration sticker, and proof of liability insurance. Someone with a valid license or permit has to drive it to the facility for you.¹ The examiner will check the vehicle before getting in. Working headlights, brake lights, turn signals, mirrors, tires with adequate tread, and a horn audible from 200 feet are all required.⁶ A safety problem stops the test before it starts. Bad weather or unsafe road conditions can also cause the exam to be denied or cut short.

Only you and the examiner are allowed in the vehicle. Children and pets cannot ride along, and you cannot leave them unattended in the facility. Bring someone to watch them.¹

Scheduling the Appointment

Book online through the Secretary of State’s appointment portal at apps.ilsos.gov/dlexamcheck, or call the Driver Services Facility directly.⁷ Slots at busy facilities fill weeks out. Walking in without a reservation at a high-volume location often means you won’t test that day. Arrive early enough to check in and process your documents before your scheduled slot.

What the Examiner Grades

The examiner follows a set route and will not try to trick you. If an instruction isn’t clear, ask. Before the car moves, adjust your seat, buckle your safety belt, and check your mirrors.¹

You’ll be scored on these maneuvers and skills:¹

Backing about 50 feet at a slow, steady pace, looking over your right shoulder and keeping the car straight.
A turnabout: turning left into an alley, roadway, or driveway and backing out, signaling before the turn, stopping before the sidewalk or street when backing out, and yielding to pedestrians and traffic.
Hill parking and starting, both uphill and downhill. Wheels toward the curb when facing downhill, away from it when facing uphill, parking brake set, transmission in park.
Vehicle control: obeying signs, signals, lane markings, and right-of-way rules, and signaling every turn and lane change.
Speed management: staying with posted limits. Driving noticeably below the limit with no reason will hurt you too.
Lane usage: staying centered, not drifting across the center line, and turning into the correct lane.

Parallel parking is not part of the standard Illinois exam. The backing, turnabout, and hill maneuvers above are what’s tested.

What Fails You Instantly

The rule is a bright line. Any traffic violation or any dangerous action during the exam is an automatic failure.¹ There’s no cushion of minor errors. One rolling stop, one missed red light, one failure to yield to a pedestrian, and the test ends.

Rolling stops are specifically called out as automatic failures and are the single most common reason people fail.⁶ Come to a complete stop behind the white line or crosswalk at every stop sign and red light. If neither exists, stop before entering the intersection.

Fees and Your New License

There’s no separate fee for the road test. You pay for the license after passing, and the amount depends on your age:⁸

Ages 18 to 20: $5
Ages 21 to 68: $30
Ages 69 to 80: $5
Ages 81 to 86: $2
Age 87 and older: free

Once you pay, you leave with a temporary secure paper license that’s valid for driving. The permanent plastic card arrives by mail in about 15 business days.⁹

If You Fail

Illinois allows a second attempt the same day if the facility has staff and time. If the examiner decided you posed a danger to public safety on the first attempt, a same-day retry won’t be permitted. A third attempt on the same day is not allowed.¹⁰

The examiner will explain what went wrong. Focus practice on whatever cost you the pass. You can retake as many times as needed, but after six failed attempts you must submit a favorable medical report from your doctor before the state will let you try a seventh time.⁶

What Passing Doesn’t Give a Teen Driver

A 16- or 17-year-old who passes doesn’t get the same privileges as an adult driver. Graduated restrictions apply for the first 12 months of licensing or until you turn 18, whichever comes first.¹¹

Only one passenger under age 20, unless that person is a sibling, stepsibling, or your child. After the first 12 months, the front seat is limited to one passenger and rear-seat passengers to the number of available seat belts.
No driving between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Sunday through Thursday, or between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. Friday and Saturday. Local curfews may be stricter.
No cellphone or wireless device use while driving for anyone under 19, including hands-free, except to call 911 or another emergency service.

Breaking the nighttime rule can trigger a license suspension. A moving violation conviction during the first year of licensing extends the passenger limitation by six months.¹¹

1
Illinois Secretary of State. Illinois Rules of the Road
2
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 625 ILCS 5/6-107 – Graduated Driver’s License
3
Illinois State Board of Education. Driver Education Administrative Code
4
Illinois Secretary of State. Adult Driver Education
5
Illinois Secretary of State. REAL ID Document Checklist
6
Illinois Secretary of State. Illinois Rules of the Road Workbook
7
Illinois Secretary of State. Appointments
8
Illinois Secretary of State. Driver’s License/State ID Card Fees
9
Illinois Secretary of State. Central Issuance FAQ
10
Cornell Law Institute. Illinois Admin Code Title 92 Section 1030.86 – Written and/or Road Tests
11
Illinois Secretary of State. Illinois GDL Parent-Teen Driving Guide