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To get a driver’s license in Illinois as a teen, you take driver education, get an instruction permit from 15, hold it for at least 9 months while logging 50 supervised hours (10 at night), then pass the road test at 16 or older. This guide is for Illinois learners and their parents and covers every step from permit to full license, with links to the detailed posts.
Key facts (Illinois Secretary of State)
- Agency: the Illinois Secretary of State (SOS), Driver Services. The handbook is the 2026 Illinois Rules of the Road.
- Earliest permit: 15, if you are enrolled in an approved driver education course (or within 30 days of starting one).
- Permit: valid 24 months; hold it at least 9 months if you are 15 to 17.
- Practice: 50 hours, including 10 at night, with a parent or licensed adult 21 or older.
- Driver education: at least 30 classroom hours and 6 behind-the-wheel hours.
- First license: 16 at the earliest, with passenger and nighttime limits until 18.
- Ages 18 to 20 with no driver ed: a 6-hour adult driver education course before the license.
How to get a driver’s license in Illinois: the three GDL phases
| Phase | Ages | Main rules |
|---|---|---|
| Permit phase | 15 to 17 | Drive only with a supervisor; hold 9 months; log 50 hours (10 at night); night limits apply |
| Initial licensing phase | 16 to 17 | One passenger under 20 for the first 12 months (family exempt), then one in front and no more in back than seat belts; night limits; no phone use |
| Full licensing phase | 18 to 20 | No age-related limits, unless they were extended for violations |
The full rules, including extensions for violations, are in Illinois GDL rules for teen drivers explained.
Step by step: Illinois permit to license for under 18s
- Enroll in driver education. High schools that teach grades 9 to 12 must offer it; licensed commercial driving schools also teach it. See Illinois driver education requirements.
- Apply for the instruction permit. Bring identity documents, a parent or guardian’s consent and the $20 fee (as of November 2026). Pass the vision screening and the written test. See getting an Illinois instruction permit at 15 and the Illinois permit test.
- Practice for at least 9 months. Log 50 hours, 10 at night, on top of driver ed lessons. Use the Illinois 50-hour driving log.
- Finish driver education. High schools report completion to the Secretary of State, and it must show on your driving record before a license is issued. You or a parent can check with your permit number on the SOS website.
- Take the road test at 16 or older. Bring an insured, registered vehicle, your permit, your signed 50-hour log and your documents. See the Illinois road test guide.
- Drive under initial licensing limits until 18, keeping your record conviction-free.
Getting a first Illinois license at 18, 19 or 20
If you are 18 to 20, applying for your first Illinois license, and have never taken driver education, you must complete a 6-hour Adult Driver Education Course from a Secretary of State certified provider. You still pass the vision, written and road tests. Details: Illinois 6-hour adult driver education course.
Illinois driver’s license fees (as of November 2026)
| Item | Fee |
|---|---|
| Class D instruction permit (original) | $20 |
| Driver’s license, ages 18 to 20 | $5 |
| Driver’s license, ages 21 to 68 | $30 |
The 2026 Rules of the Road says there is no additional fee if you get your license before your permit expires. Its fee table has no separate line for ages 16 and 17, so if your permit has run out, ask the SOS what you owe. Fees can change by law. More: Illinois license fees and test booking.
Documents and REAL ID
First-time applicants must visit a Secretary of State DMV facility in person with the identity and residency documents on the Secretary of State’s checklist. You can choose a standard license or a REAL ID. A standard card still lets you drive, but after May 7, 2025 it does not get you onto a domestic flight, a military base or a secure federal facility; a valid US passport or passport card can do that instead. What to bring: Illinois permit documents checklist and REAL ID and your first US driver’s license.
Moving to Illinois or coming from abroad
New residents can drive on a valid out-of-state license for 90 days, or until it expires if that comes first, then must swap it at a full-service DMV facility. Illinois stopped issuing the Temporary Visitor Driver’s License (TVDL) on July 1, 2024. Former TVDL applicants can apply for a standard license marked “Federal Limits Apply.” See Illinois TVDL and moving from abroad.
Illinois rules of the road, in separate guides
Once you hold a permit, the Illinois Rules of the Road is what the knowledge test and the road test draw on. We split it into short guides so you can read the part you need:
- Illinois speed limits, work zones and school zones
- Illinois right of way, passing and signaling rules
- Illinois parking, school bus and railroad crossing rules
- Illinois Seat Belt, Child Restraint and Other Traffic Laws
- Sharing the Road in Illinois and What to Do After a Crash
- Illinois Traffic Signals, Pavement Markings and Road Signs
- Illinois safe driving rules, emergencies and required car equipment
- Owning a car, keeping and losing your license in Illinois
For teen phone rules, Scott’s Law and tickets, see the teen phone ban, Scott’s Law and traffic tickets and suspension.
Common questions
Can I get my license at 16 in Illinois?
Yes, if you are 16, have held your permit for 9 months, finished driver education and the 50 practice hours, and pass the road test.
Do I need driver’s ed in Illinois?
Under 18, yes: you must complete an approved course to get a license. At 18 to 20 with no driver ed, you need the 6-hour adult course instead.
How many passengers can a new Illinois driver carry?
For the first 12 months, or until 18 if that comes sooner, one passenger under 20. Siblings, stepsiblings, children and stepchildren don’t count toward the limit.
What time do Illinois teen drivers have to be off the road?
Sunday to Thursday, 10 p.m. to 6 a.m.; Friday and Saturday, 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. These limits apply in the permit and initial licensing phases. Local curfews may differ.
Can I practice driving in another state with my Illinois permit?
That depends on the other state’s rules. See driving with a learner’s permit in another state.
Where can I compare Illinois with other states?
Use learning to drive in the USA, GDL laws compared, supervised hours by state, permit tests by state and road tests by state.
Sources
- Illinois Secretary of State, “2026 Illinois Rules of the Road” (DSD A 112, July 2026), Chapters 1 to 13 (ilsos.gov)
- Illinois Secretary of State, “Graduated Driver’s License” (ilsos.gov)
- Illinois Secretary of State, “Instruction Permit Requirements” (ilsos.gov)
- Illinois Secretary of State, “Fees” (ilsos.gov)
- Illinois Secretary of State, “Adult Driver Education FAQs” (ilsos.gov)
- Illinois Secretary of State, “Temporary Visitor Driver’s License” and July 1, 2024 news release (ilsos.gov)
- Illinois Secretary of State, “New Residents: How Do I?” (ilsos.gov)
- Illinois State Board of Education, “Driver Education Frequently Asked Questions” (isbe.net)
- Illinois State Police, news release on school bus enforcement, August 14, 2023 (isp.illinois.gov)