Illinois Driver’s Permit: Eligibility, Testing, and Driving Rules

To meet Illinois driver’s permit requirements, you’ll visit a Secretary of State Driver Services facility in person, show documents proving your identity, Social Security number, and Illinois address, pass a written knowledge test and vision screening, and pay a $20 fee.¹ The rules split at age 18. If you’re a minor, you’ll need a parent’s written consent and your permit will come with curfews and passenger limits. If you’re an adult, the path is shorter and the permit itself carries fewer restrictions.

Who Can Apply

Under 18

You can apply starting at age 15. A minor’s permit falls under Illinois’ Graduated Driver Licensing program, and before the Secretary of State will issue it, a parent, legal guardian, or another responsible adult with custody has to sign a written consent.² The permit is valid for 24 months.³

18 and Older

No parental consent, no driver education requirement. Your permit is valid for 12 months and lets you drive any motor vehicle other than a motorcycle, so long as a qualified licensed driver is beside you.⁴

Who Can’t Get One

The Secretary of State cannot issue a permit to anyone whose license or permit is currently suspended or revoked in Illinois or another state.⁵ New residents who held a license in another state generally have 90 days from establishing Illinois residency to apply here.

The application also asks about health. If you have a condition that could cause loss of consciousness or otherwise affect safe driving, particularly seizures or blackouts, you may be asked to submit a physician’s medical report.⁶ Not disclosing a qualifying condition can get your permit canceled later.

Documents to Bring

You need original or certified documents. Photocopies aren’t accepted. Four things have to be proven: identity, signature, Social Security number, and Illinois address.⁷

Identity: a U.S. birth certificate or valid U.S. passport.
Signature: a credit card or canceled check bearing your signature.
Social Security number: your Social Security card or a W-2.
Illinois residency: two documents showing your name and Illinois address, such as utility bills, bank statements, or a lease.

If your current name differs from the name on your identity document, bring a linking document like a marriage certificate or a court order for the name change. For a REAL ID-compliant permit, you’ll also need proof of lawful U.S. status.⁸ Minors bring the signed parental consent form.

The Written Test and Vision Screening

The written knowledge test has 35 multiple-choice questions on Illinois traffic laws, road signs, and safe driving practices. You need 28 correct to pass. The Illinois Rules of the Road manual, free at any Driver Services facility and downloadable from the Secretary of State’s website, is the study material.

If you fail, you get up to three attempts within one year of your application date, usually with a waiting period of several days between tries, and your $20 fee covers all three.⁸

The vision screening happens at the facility too. To pass without restrictions, you need at least 20/40 visual acuity using both eyes and a peripheral field of at least 140 degrees. Acuity between 20/41 and 20/70 can still get you a permit, but restricted to daytime driving.⁹ Wear your glasses or contacts if you use them; the test measures your corrected vision.

What Happens at the Facility

You can schedule an appointment on the Secretary of State’s website, though walk-ins are generally accepted. Once you’re in, the visit runs in this order:

Staff review your identity, residency, and Social Security documents. Minors turn in the parental consent form here.
You take the vision screening.
You take the written test.
Once you’ve passed both, staff take your photo and collect the $20 fee.¹

You leave with a temporary paper permit. The official card arrives by mail at the Illinois address you provided.

Rules for Driving on the Permit

Who Has to Be With You

Every time you’re behind the wheel, a licensed driver must sit in the front passenger seat. That person must be at least 21, hold a valid license for the type of vehicle you’re driving, and have at least one year of driving experience.³ The requirement applies whether you’re a minor or an adult.⁴ For minors, the supervisor can be a parent, guardian, family member, or another adult standing in a parental role.

Nighttime Curfew for Minors

If you’re under 18, your permit is not valid during these hours:³

Sunday through Thursday: 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.
Friday and Saturday: 11:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.

Exceptions cover driving with a parent or guardian, going to and from work, emergencies, and certain school or religious activities. The parent-or-guardian exception is narrow: another adult supervisor doesn’t satisfy it during curfew hours.

Passenger Limits for Minors

Minors with a permit can have no more than one person in the front seat, and no more passengers in the back than there are working seat belts.² Tighter passenger rules apply later, in the first 12 months of the graduated license.

Phones If You’re Under 19

Illinois bars all cell phone use while driving for anyone under 19, hands-free included, except in an emergency.¹⁰ Texting is banned for all drivers regardless of age; the under-19 rule goes further and covers calls, including through a Bluetooth speaker.

Insurance

Every vehicle driven on public roads in Illinois has to be insured. Most permit holders are added to a parent’s existing auto policy, which tends to be the cheapest route.¹¹ Driving uninsured, even in someone else’s car, can bring fines and suspension of the vehicle’s registration plates. Confirm there’s a valid insurance card in the car before you drive.

Driver Education and Practice Hours

Driver education is not required to receive the permit itself, but any applicant under 18 must complete an approved course before advancing to a graduated driver’s license.² Most teens enroll around the time they get their permit because the course combines classroom time with behind-the-wheel training under a certified instructor. Many Illinois high schools run driver education, often charging a few hundred dollars for fuel, maintenance, and instructor pay. Private schools tend to cost more. Adults 18 and older aren’t required to take the course, though some insurers offer premium discounts to drivers who complete one.

Separate from any instructor time, a parent or guardian has to certify that a minor completed at least 50 hours of supervised practice driving before applying for a graduated license, with at least 10 of those hours at night.² The Secretary of State doesn’t hand out a log sheet, so families track dates, times, and conditions in a notebook or a printable template.

Moving From Permit to License

If you’re under 18, the checkpoints are clear. You hold the permit for at least nine months, complete driver education, log the 50 practice hours, and then apply for a graduated license at age 16 or older.² Passenger and nighttime restrictions carry into the graduated license for the first 12 months or until you turn 18, whichever comes first.

Adults can take the driving skills test at any point during the 12-month permit period. There’s no minimum holding time and no practice-hour requirement for applicants 18 and older.⁴

Replacing a Lost or Damaged Permit

Go to a Driver Services facility, complete a short application, sit for a new photo if needed, and pay the duplicate fee.¹² The replacement card will show “DUP.” The fee is waived when a law enforcement agency, a court, or the Secretary of State’s office lost the original, and for residents in a governor-declared disaster area within 30 days of the proclamation.

1
FindLaw. Illinois Code 625 ILCS 5/6-118 – Fees
2
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 625 ILCS 5/6-107 – Graduated License
3
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 625 ILCS 5/6-107.1 – Instruction Permit for a Minor
4
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 625 ILCS 5/6-105 – Instruction Permits for Persons 18 Years of Age or Older
5
FindLaw. Illinois Code 625 ILCS 5/6-103 – What Persons Shall Not Be Licensed as Drivers or Granted Permits
6
LII / Legal Information Institute. Illinois Admin Code Title 92 1030.16 – Physical and Mental Evaluation
7
LII / Legal Information Institute. Illinois Admin Code Title 92 1030.10 – Identification Requirements
8
FindLaw. Illinois Code 625 ILCS 5/6-106 – Application for License or Instruction Permit
9
LII / Legal Information Institute. Illinois Admin Code Title 92 1030.70 – Vision Screening
10
Illinois Secretary of State. Graduated Driver’s License
11
Illinois Department of Insurance. Teen Drivers – Auto Insurance Information
12
LII / Legal Information Institute. Illinois Admin Code Title 92 1030.94 – Duplicate or Corrected Instruction Permit