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Illinois driving lesson · Getting Licensed: Exams & Young Drivers

Getting your license before 21

A 3-minute lesson from the Illinois course. Read the rules and examples, follow the handbook page references, and check your understanding before you move on.

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Read time
3 minutes
Course unit
Getting Licensed: Exams & Young Drivers
Checkpoint questions
4
Source pages
19, 20, 21

When your permit time and practice hours are done, you bring proof to the DMV. High school students with top grades may skip the state road test, and first-time drivers ages 18-20 have their own course requirement.

Know the rule

Driver's licenses for persons under age 21 are printed vertically, with distinct features.

Handbook p. 19 ↗

To apply for a license before age 18, bring:

  • Your instruction permit
  • Acceptable forms of identification
  • Affidavit/Consent for Minor to Drive (if applicable)
  • Cooperative Driver Testing Certificate (if applicable)
  • Your 50-hour driving log with proper signature
Handbook p. 19 ↗

Know the rule

The Secretary of State must receive notice that you completed driver education, and the notation must appear on your driving record, before a license is issued.

Handbook p. 20 ↗

Know the rule

Students whose birthdays fall on certain spot-check dates must pass a DMV driving exam, even if their driver education instructor already gave them a road test.

Handbook p. 20 ↗

Know the rule

If you get your license before your instruction permit expires, you don't pay an additional fee for the license.

Handbook p. 20 ↗

Cooperative Driver Testing Program

High school students who finish accredited driver education (classroom and behind-the-wheel) with a combined grade of A or B may be exempt from the Secretary of State's driving exam.

Handbook p. 20 ↗

Know the rule

The Cooperative Driver Testing Certificate must be signed by the instructor and a parent/legal guardian. It expires the same day as the instruction permit, can't be extended, and must be shown at the DMV.

Handbook p. 20 ↗

A dropout under 18 can't get the completion notation unless:

  • The instructor has written verification of enrollment in a GED or alternative program
  • The applicant has a GED
  • They passed at least eight courses in the two semesters before dropping out
  • They have written consent from parents/guardians and the regional superintendent
Handbook p. 20 ↗
6 hours

Adult Driver Education Course for first-time applicants ages 18, 19 or 20

Handbook p. 21 ↗

Know the rule

If you are 18, 19 or 20 and have never been licensed or completed approved driver education, you must complete the six-hour Adult Driver Education Course before getting a license.

Handbook p. 21 ↗

Know the rule

The adult course must come from a provider certified by the Secretary of State. It may be taught in a classroom or online. A course from a non-certified provider is not accepted.

Handbook p. 21 ↗

Put it into practice

You're 19, never took driver ed, and have never been licensed. Before you can get a license, you must finish the six-hour Adult Driver Education Course from a Secretary of State-certified provider.

Check your understanding

Read the question, decide on an answer, then open it to check the explanation. These are Roadwise study questions based on the source handbook.

What combined driver education grade may exempt a high school student from the Secretary of State driving exam?
  1. A only
  2. A or B
  3. A, B or C
  4. Any passing grade

Answer: A or B

Under the Cooperative Driver Testing Program, students who finish accredited driver education with a combined grade of A or B may be exempt.

Handbook p. 20 ↗
A 19-year-old has never been licensed and never took driver education. What must they complete before getting a license?
  1. A 30-hour classroom driver education course
  2. 50 hours of supervised practice driving
  3. A six-hour Adult Driver Education Course
  4. An eight-hour defensive driving course

Answer: A six-hour Adult Driver Education Course

First-time applicants ages 18-20 who were never licensed or trained must complete a six-hour Adult Driver Education Course from a certified provider.

Handbook p. 21 ↗
When does a Cooperative Driver Testing Certificate expire?
  1. 90 days after it is signed
  2. On the student's 18th birthday
  3. One year after it is issued
  4. The same day as the instruction permit

Answer: The same day as the instruction permit

The certificate expires on the same day as the instruction permit and will not be extended.

Handbook p. 20 ↗
If you get your driver's license before your instruction permit expires, you pay no additional fee for the license.
  1. True
  2. False

Answer: True

Getting your license before the permit expires means no additional fee is required.

Handbook p. 20 ↗
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