Illinois law updating requirements for drivers age 75 & up goes into effect soon
An update to Illinois state law going into effect Wednesday, July 1 will change the requirements for residents age 75 and older to renew their driver’s licenses.
The piece of legislation, the “Road Safety and Fairness Act,” raises the age an Illinois resident must go in-person to a DMV to renew their driver’s license from 75 to 79 years and increases the age requirement for taking a behind-the-wheel driving test to renew from 79 to 87.
Drivers ages 79 to 86 are required to take a vision test to renew, and drivers in that age group must also take a written test if they have a traffic violation on record.
Additionally, drivers aged 87 and older with a regular driver’s license and drivers 75 and older with a commercial driver’s license must pass a road test to renew their license.
Reporting a family member’s unsafe driving
Another portion of the updated Illinois Vehicle Code allows immediate family members to submit information to the Secretary of State’s office if they are concerned a family member is unsafe to drive due to a medical condition, including “suspected chronic alcoholism or habitual use of narcotics or dangerous drugs.”
Reports cannot be submitted anonymously, and the reporting provision for immediate family members also goes into effect July 1.
Previously, the vehicle code only specified medical practitioners, police officers, state’s attorneys or members of the judiciary could report drivers they believed to be unsafe.
“Any report is independently reviewed by the Secretary of State’s office and a driver’s license is not automatically affected simply because a report is submitted,” a June 17 press release from the Illinois Secretary of State’s office said.
Renewal requirements by age
Under the new law:
- Drivers ages 79 and 80 must renew their driver’s license every four years and are no longer required to take a driver’s test to renew.
- Drivers ages 81 to 86 must renew every two years, more frequently than most drivers, but are also no longer required to take an on-road driver’s test based on their age to renew.
- Drivers aged 87 and older in Illinois must renew their driver’s license every year and are still required to take vision and driving tests.
- Drivers younger than 79 can renew their driver’s licenses online, and residents ages 79 and older must renew in-person.
“The Road Safety & Fairness Act is about replacing outdated assumptions with facts,” Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias said in the press release. “Illinois seniors have consistently proven they are among the safest drivers on our roads. This law removes an unnecessary burden for older drivers while preserving strong safeguards to protect everyone who travels on our streets.”
There are approximately 350,000 Illinois drivers between the ages of 79 and 86, officials said, and about 55,000 of the demographic takes an annual driving test.
The Illinois Department of Transportation reports drivers age 75 and older had a lower crash rate in 2024 than any age group between 16 and 74.
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