PERMIT PHASE DRIVERS AGE 15
- Parental consent necessary to obtain permit
- Must be enrolled in approved driver education course and must pass vision and knowledge
tests
- Permit is valid for two years and must be held for a minimum of three months before a
license is granted
- Practice driving must be supervised by parent or adult age 21 or older
- All occupants under age 18 must wear safety belts
- Number of passengers limited to one in front seat and to the number of safety belts in
back seat
- 11 p.m. curfew Sunday-Thursday; midnight Friday and Saturday (local curfews may differ)
- Legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit is .00<br>
Sanctions
- Limit of one court supervision for serious offenses
- Unlicensed individuals convicted of a serious moving violation must continue to drive on
a learner's permit for six months before obtaining license
- Not eligible for a restricted driving permit or a judicial driving permit
- Individuals age 15 and under caught driving without a permit ineligible to obtain
license until age 18
INITIAL LICENSING PHASE DRIVERS AGE 16-17
- Parental consent required to obtain license; parent must verify that a minimum 25 hours
of behind-the- wheel practice have taken place
- All occupants under age 18 must wear safety belts
- As of January 1, 2004, limited to one passenger under the age of 20 for the first six
months following issuance of the license, or until the driver reaches age 18, whichever
occurs first. Siblings, stepsiblings, children and stepchildren of the driver are exempt.
Number of passengers limited to one in front seat and to the number of safety belts in
back seat.
- 11 p.m. curfew Sunday-Thursday; midnight Friday and Saturday only for 16-year-olds
- Legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit is .00
Sanctions
- Limit of one court supervision for serious offenses
- Conviction of any moving violation before age 18 generates Secretary of State warning
letter to parent and teen
- Conviction of two moving violations in a 24-month period results in a minimum one-month
suspension. Suspension length is determined by seriousness of the offenses and the
driver's prior driving history.
- Suspended drivers required to attend remedial driver education course, pay $70
reinstatement fee, and be retested
FULL LICENSING PHASE DRIVERS AGE 18-20
- Legal blood alcohol content (BAC) limit is .00
Sanctions
- Limit of one court supervision for serious offenses
- Conviction of two moving violations in 24-month period results in a minimum one-month
suspension. Suspension length is determined by seriousness of the offenses and the
driver's prior driving history.
- Suspended drivers required to pay $70 reinstatement fee
Q: Does a graduated driver licensing system raise the minimum age at
which an individual may apply for a driver’s license?
A: Absolutely not. Under "Graduate to Safety," 16 remains
the age at which a teen that has successfully completed driver education may apply for a
driver’s license. The graduated system establishes additional training requirements
during the instruction permit phase, resulting in better-trained 16-year-old drivers.
Q: Have graduated driver-licensing systems been effective in other
states and is it necessary in Illinois?
A: Yes. Graduated driver licensing systems have proven effective in
reducing the number of traffic crashes and convictions among young people in other states.
In Illinois teenagers make up only 6 percent of the total driving population, yet account
for 16 percent of all automobile deaths. Maryland has seen a 5 percent reduction in
automobile crashes and a 10 percent reduction in traffic convictions. California has
experienced a 4 percent reduction in automobile crashes and a 20 percent reduction in
convictions. Through "Graduate to Safety," teen drivers receive more training,
and those who prove to be unsafe drivers are taken off the road for additional training
before they can become fully licensed.
Q: Why does "Graduate to Safety" limit the number of
passengers in a car driven by a teen?
A: Drivers in the permit phase (age 15) and the initial licensing
phase (ages 16 and 17) are limited to one passenger in the front seat and the number of
safety belts in the back seat. After January 1, 2004 the new initial license holder will
be limited to only one passenger under the age of twenty during the first six months of
their license or until the license holder reaches the age of 18, whichever occurs first.
These restrictions reduce the likelihood a driver will be distracted by a car full of
fellow teens. Limiting the number of passengers to the number of safety belts also helps
to ensure that everyone in the vehicle is properly restrained.
Q: How will the "limit of one passenger under age 20" rule
work for the teenager that receives their license prior to January of 2004?
A: A teenager (16 or 17 years old) receiving their initial license
prior to January 1, 2004 will be restricted after the effective date of January 1, for the
remainder of the six months from issuance of that license. For example, if the under 18
year old driver was issued a license on Sept. 7, 2003 they would need to comply with the
only one passenger under 20 rule from January 1, 2004 until March 7, 2004.
Q: Will this prevent my 16-year-old teenager from driving their
brother, sister and cousin to events?
A: The brother and sister (siblings) will not count; they are
exempt under this law. The cousin, if under the age of 20 will be counted as the one
passenger.
Q: If required passengers are not belted in the vehicle while my
teenager is driving who will be cited?
A: If the driver is under age 18 they will be cited for the
violation if anyone under age 18 is unrestrained in the vehicle. It is the discretion of
the officer to cite passengers over age 16 (and under age 18) in the back seat. Any
passenger over age 16 in the front seat will be cited.
Forms/Brochures are provided in PDF (Portable Document Format) files,
which can be viewed or printed using your Web browser and Adobe's Acrobat Reader software.
Macintosh and Windows versions of Acrobat Reader may be downloaded free of charge from
Adobe.
![[get Acrobat]](getacro.gif)
Click here to find out how to obtain the Adobe Acrobat
Reader.
For more information on "Graduate to
Safety,"
please call (217) 785-0440 or write
Office of the Secretary of State
Division of Traffic Safety
2701 S. Dirksen Parkway
Springfield, IL 62723
