Starting July 1, 2026, Illinois will raise the mandatory road test age for senior drivers from 79 to 87 under the Road Safety & Fairness Act (HB 1226), easing renewal rules for safe older drivers while keeping strict annual tests and vision checks for those 87+ and adding family reporting tools to flag truly unsafe drivers.
What the new law does
The Road Safety & Fairness Act raises the age at which Illinois drivers must take a mandatory behind-the-wheel test from 79 to 87. Beginning July 1, 2026, only drivers 87 and older will be required to pass an annual road test to renew their license, while those 79–86 will no longer face automatic driving exams.
New renewal schedule by age
Under the updated rules, drivers younger than 79 will keep renewing their licenses every four years, usually online or in person, with a vision screening but no driving test. Drivers aged 79–80 will renew in person every four years with a vision test only, while those 81–86 must renew in person every two years, again with vision checks but no routine road test.
Once a driver turns 87, renewals remain annual and in person, and they must pass both a vision exam and a behind-the-wheel test each year. For all age groups, a written exam can be required at renewal if the driver has certain traffic violations on record.
Why Illinois made the change
Lawmakers and state officials say the old system singled out seniors based on age, even though crash data show older drivers are often among the safest on the road. Supporters, including AARP Illinois, argue that removing automatic age-based road tests for people in their late 70s and early 80s reduces discrimination while still preserving strong safety checks.
The law reflects a growing consensus that health, cognition, and driving history are better indicators of risk than age alone. By easing rules on safe older drivers, the state also expects to cut down on unnecessary DMV workload and wait times.
Safety backstops and family reporting
To balance increased freedom with accountability, the Act sets up a formal process for immediate family members to flag potentially unsafe drivers of any age. Relatives who notice signs like cognitive decline, memory problems, or serious medical issues can submit written concerns to the Secretary of State’s office, including their own name, for review.
Anonymous reports are not allowed, but credible submissions can trigger extra testing such as written, vision, and behind-the-wheel exams to determine whether a driver should keep their license. This targeted oversight is meant to catch real problems early without burdening seniors who remain healthy and careful behind the wheel.
Why it matters for seniors and families
For older adults, the new system means fewer automatic road tests and a clearer path to staying on the road if they remain safe drivers. That independence is especially important for getting to medical appointments, running errands, and maintaining social connections, all of which support quality of life.
Families gain a formal, responsible way to step in when they see real warning signs, rather than relying on age cutoffs alone. Policymakers hope the Illinois model—raising the test age to 87 while adding family reporting and frequent vision checks—will become a template for other states looking to modernize senior driving laws.