Illinois Adult Drivers Ed and Your First License

First, does the course apply to you?

625 ILCS 5/6-103 says the Secretary of State will not license anyone aged 18 through 20 who has not finished an adult driver education course under 625 ILCS 5/6-107.5, on top of the usual requirements. That catches young adults who never completed teen drivers ed before 18.

Turn 21 and the requirement disappears. You apply for a permit, practice and take the tests.

What the course teaches

The Secretary of State writes the curriculum by rule. The statute requires at least 6 hours and lists the topics: traffic laws; signs, signals and markings; what causes crashes, such as poor choices, risk taking, impairment, distraction, speed, skipping the seat belt, night driving, failing to yield and phone use or texting; alcohol and drug awareness; and handling a traffic stop.

There is no driving in it. You build skill separately on the permit, with a qualified supervisor or a licensed driving school.

Taking it online

Online is allowed if the provider has been approved for it. 625 ILCS 5/6-107.5 lets the Secretary of State allow online delivery once it is satisfied the provider verifies who the student is and that the whole course is completed.

Use the Secretary of State's list of approved providers, which must by law show fees and contact details. Every certified provider has passed a fingerprint-based background check.

What it costs, and getting the certificate

Providers set their own tuition, which the statute says must bear a reasonable relationship to the course's cost. On top of tuition the provider collects $5 for the Secretary of State's program costs.

Compare prices on the official list, and check that the provider reports completions electronically.

When you finish, watch your inbox: the Secretary of State sends a link to your certificate to the email you gave the provider. Print it and take it along with your ID when you go for the license (the permit does not need it). Courses from schools that are not on the certified list do not count at all.

Before you drive: the adult permit

625 ILCS 5/6-105 gives anyone 18 or older a one year permit after the exam. It lets you drive anything but a motorcycle, as long as the person next to you is at least 21 and has been licensed for that class of vehicle for a year or more.

As of October 2026 the first permit costs $20 if you have never held an Illinois permit or license, and $10 if you are under 69 and held one before but do not now.

Before you go: documents and REAL ID

The Secretary of State sorts ID into four lettered groups, and you need an original from each: A shows your signature, B your birth date, C your Social Security number, D where you live in Illinois. A single document may tick two boxes. Copies are not accepted.

TSA has required REAL ID for domestic flights since enforcement began May 7, 2025. If you want one, bring two address documents and pick items the Secretary of State marks as REAL ID acceptable. For most people a U.S. passport is the easiest Group B proof.

• Group A, for example: U.S. passport, Social Security card, or a canceled check dated in the last 90 days
• Group B, for example: naturalization certificate, U.S. passport, or certified birth certificate
• Group C, for example: W-2, SSA-1099, Social Security card, or a pay stub with the full number
• Group D, for example: lease, insurance policy, or a utility bill or bank statement from the last 90 days

On test day: exams and license fees

Plan on a written exam before the permit and a drive exam before the license, both at a Secretary of State Driver Services facility. The State Board of Education points to the Illinois Rules of the Road manual as the place to find all the driving laws you need.

Fees come from 625 ILCS 5/6-118. A first license costs only $5 if you are 18, 19 or 20; most other adults pay $30 for four years, and drivers from 69 to 80 also pay $5.

Worked example: a 19 year old who skipped high school drivers ed

A 19 year old in Peoria never took drivers ed. She takes a certified online adult course (tuition plus the $5 state fee), passes the written exam and buys the $20 permit.

After a few months of practice with her older brother, who is 24 and has driven for years, she passes the road test with her printed Certificate of Completion in hand and pays $5 for the license.

If you are new to Illinois, or here temporarily

Moving in with a license? You can use it for three months. Then trade it in at a facility, take the eye and written tests, and drive for an examiner if asked. The Secretary of State's FAQ is clear that an 18 to 20 year old who already holds another state's license skips the adult course.

Ask your insurer whether finishing the adult course or a driving school program earns a discount; no Illinois rule requires one.

If you are in Illinois temporarily, are not a citizen and cannot get a Social Security number, you apply for a Temporary Visitor Driver's License. At 18 to 20 with no valid license, that route also requires the adult course, plus the eye, written and driving tests.