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In Illinois, a standard Class D license lasts four years and expires on your birthday, and you must keep your name and address current with the Secretary of State (SOS). Owning a car adds its own duties: title and registration, plates and at least $25,000/$50,000/$20,000 in liability insurance. You can lose your license through a revocation, suspension, cancellation or denial, and driving while suspended or revoked makes things worse. Here is what the SOS says about all three.
Key facts (Illinois Secretary of State)
- Title application, signed title and fees must reach the SOS within 20 days of buying a car.
- Passenger car registration is $151 a year, with a $20 late fee after more than a month.
- Minimum insurance: $25,000 for one person hurt or killed, $50,000 for more than one, and $20,000 for property damage.
- License expiry is four years, on your birthday; under-21 licenses expire three months after your 21st birthday.
- Apply for a corrected card within 30 days of a legal name change. Notify the SOS of a move within 10 days.
Owning a car in Illinois
- Buying: the SOS must get the title application, signed title and fees within 20 days, whether the seller is a dealer or a private owner. Private buyers also pay Vehicle Use Tax, filed on Form RUT-50 with the Illinois Department of Revenue.
- Registration: $151 a year for a passenger car, with a $20 late fee after more than a month. Keep the registration ID card in the car or on you.
- Plates: cars need one in front and one in back, with no covers and no frames hiding information. Plates stay with you when you sell the car. A Temporary Registration Permit lasts 90 days. Put a renewal sticker on straight away; an online purchase receipt works as proof for up to 30 days after the old sticker expires.
- Special plates: allow at least 45 days for personalized or vanity plates. Seniors and persons with disabilities in the Benefit Access Program can get reduced plate fees.
- Insurance: at least $25,000 for one person hurt or killed, $50,000 for more than one, and $20,000 for property damage. Carry proof on paper or your phone.
- Emissions: required for renewal in Cook, DuPage and Lake counties and parts of Kane, Kendall, McHenry, Will, Madison, Monroe and St. Clair.
- Disability plates and placards: the holder must be present. Only the meter-exempt placard waives meter fees and time limits.
Keeping your Illinois license
- Who can drive what: a Class D license covers a car and other vehicles up to 16,000 pounds, plus rentals up to 26,000 pounds to move your own or close family’s belongings within Illinois. Under 18, you may not drive for hire carrying property, such as deliveries. Under 21, you may not drive a for-hire vehicle with more than 10 passengers, a commuter van, a school or religious organization bus, or a senior or child care vehicle.
- Changes: after a legal name change, you must apply for a corrected card within 30 days, bringing documents that link your old and new names. Report a move within 10 days; obtaining a card showing the new address requires a DMV visit with proof and the applicable fee.
- Expiry: four years, on your birthday. Under-21 licenses expire three months after your 21st birthday; ages 81 to 86 get two years; 87 and older renew every year and take a driving exam.
- Renewal: a notice usually comes about 90 days ahead, but renewing on time is your job even if it never arrives. You can renew online at ilsos.gov if you get a PIN renewal notice; otherwise visit a DMV. You leave a DMV with a temporary paper license valid for 90 days, and the permanent card is mailed, usually within 15 business days.
- Retesting: drivers take a written exam every eight years unless they have no traffic convictions. A crash or moving violation on your record can mean a written or driving exam.
- Medical conditions: you will be asked about conditions and medications that can affect your driving, and some applicants need a physician’s Medical Report, presented within 90 days of signing. If you develop a condition likely to cause loss of consciousness or safe control, tell the SOS within 10 days. See driving with a medical condition or disability.
- Fraud: false applications or fake, altered or borrowed IDs can mean arrest, up to five years in prison and a 12-month suspension or revocation.
- Your record: the SOS records violations and crashes, including convictions in other states. Buy a copy online or at select DMVs. A parent of a permit or GDL holder under 18 can see the teen’s record free with a PIN.
Losing your Illinois license
The Rules of the Road’s Chapter 8 covers revocation, suspension, cancellation and denial, and the special permits some drivers can get. A revocation is an indefinite withdrawal of your driving privileges; you may be able to reapply after at least a year unless stated otherwise. A suspension is temporary: when the period ends you pay a reinstatement fee, and some cases have other requirements. A cancellation ends a license that has an error or defect, or that you are no longer entitled to. A denial temporarily stops someone under 18 from applying. Driving while suspended or revoked extends the period and can mean jail. Offense lists and permits: Illinois traffic tickets, court supervision and suspension.
Common questions
How much car insurance is required in Illinois?
At least $25,000 for one person hurt or killed, $50,000 for more than one, and $20,000 for property damage. Carry proof on paper or your phone.
How long does an Illinois driver’s license last?
Four years, expiring on your birthday. Under-21 licenses expire three months after your 21st birthday, ages 81 to 86 get two years, and drivers 87 and older renew every year and take a driving exam.
What is the difference between a suspension and a revocation?
A suspension is temporary, and when it ends you pay a reinstatement fee. A revocation is an indefinite withdrawal; you may be able to reapply after at least a year unless stated otherwise.
How soon must I report a move or name change?
Report a move within 10 days. After a legal name change, apply for a corrected card within 30 days; simply notifying the SOS is not the whole requirement.
Can I renew my Illinois license online?
Yes, at ilsos.gov if you receive a PIN renewal notice. Otherwise visit a DMV.
Back to the full licensing path in Learning to drive in Illinois: complete guide. Related reading: Illinois traffic tickets, court supervision and suspension, first car: title, registration and inspection in the US, car insurance for new drivers in the US and Illinois license fees and test booking.
Sources
- Illinois Secretary of State, “2026 Illinois Rules of the Road” (DSD A 112, July 2026), Chapters 1 (your license), 8 (revocation, suspension, cancellation and denial) and 13 (owning a vehicle)