A law taking effect July 1 will raise the age at which older drivers must take a driving test to renew their license. The 2025 law, titled the Road Safety and Fairness Act, also creates a process for immediate family members to report cognitive or physical health declines to the state for review.
The minimum age for a driving test will be raised from 79 to 87, although drivers 79 and older will still be required to take a vision test, and if they have a driving violation, a written test.
Drivers between the ages of 81 and 86 must renew in-person every two years. The law for drivers aged 87 and older — annual license renewal with both a vision and driving test — will not change.
In 2022, the General Assembly and the secretary of state worked to adjust license requirements through emergency rulemaking power and a later trailer bill, amid a pandemic-driven backlog of license renewals.
Illinois still has one of the strictest renewal requirements for older drivers. But a 2023 report from Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias shows drivers aged 75 and older are involved in the least number of crashes compared to any other age group.
