Your Guide to Illinois Licensing Procedures and Online Driver Education

On behalf of the State of Illinois, we welcome you to the world of driving! The process of applying for your Illinois learner’s permit or first Illinois driver license can be as daunting as it is exciting, and so we have put together this short guide to help you through the process

Illinois has a “Graduated Driver License Program()”:http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/publications/rules_of_the_road/rr_chap01.html for Illinois teen drivers, and there are a few things to keep in mind to make sure that applying for your Illinois driving license goes as smoothly as possible. So let’s not waste anymore time!

Illinois Instructional Permit or Illinois Learner Permit

When you turn 15, you can finally apply for an Illinois learner’s permit, otherwise known as an Illinois supervised instruction permit. You must have your Illinois learner’s license on your person at all times and a licensed driver who is at least 21 years of age must be sitting in the front passenger seat at all times. In order to apply for your Illinois learner’s permit, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:

  • Be 15-17 years old
  • Enroll in a State of Illinois approved “Driver Education Program()”:http://www.isbe.net/funding/html/driver_ed.htm
  • Study the Illinois driver handbook thoroughly
  • Take the “required personal information()”:http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/drivers/facilities/home.html to your local Illinois Driver Service Center

Once you arrive at the Illinois “Driver Service Center()”:http://www.cyberdriveillinois.com/departments/drivers/facilities/home.html, you’ll have to:

pay a $20 processing fee
take a vision test
pass a written exam

If you survived, then give yourself a pat on the back: you just earned your Illinois learner’s permit, which is valid for 2 years. After you’ve had your Illinois learner’s permit for 9 months, you can apply for your Illinois driver’s license.

Your First Illinois Driver’s License or Illinois Provisional License

If you’ve gotten this far, you’re well on your way to becoming a full-fledged Illinois driver. In order to apply for your first Illinois provisional driver license, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:

  • keep your Illinois learner’s permit for 9 months in good standing
  • complete the mandatory Illinois driver education program
  • maintain 8 passing grades in the two most recent school semesters
  • written certification from your parent that you completed the required 50 driving hours
  • these 50 hours must include 10 hours at night

At the Illinois Driver Service Center, you’ll present your Illinois learner’s license and the required personal information. Then comes a three-part driver license exam, which includes the dreaded road test (which should be no problem if you’ve done well up to this point). If you survive, then a second pat on the back is in order: you’ve just earned your Illinois driver license!

Once you turn 17 and have held your Illinois provisional without any traffic violations, you will earn your Illinois full license. Congratulations!

Illinois Teen Driver License Restrictions and Penalties

Driving is a privilege, not a right. The Graduated Driver License Program gives you a chance to “earn” your way to full driving privileges. Until then, there are several restrictions you need to keep in mind regarding your Illinois learner’s license or Illinois driver’s license.

Illinois Learner’s Permit Restrictions: With an Illinois learner’s permit, you must always be supervised by a licensed driver who is at least 21 and in the front passenger seat. Furthermore:

  • Always keep your Illinois provisional license on hand
  • All passengers must wear seat belts
  • Observe all of the alcohol and intoxicating substance laws
  • You are allowed to drive with your permit until 10 p.m. on weeknights, and until 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Illinois Provisional License Restrictions:

  • Always have your Illinois provisional license on hand
  • All occupants must wear seat belts
  • Observe all of the alcohol and intoxicating substance laws
  • Also, no driving between 10PM to 6 AM Sunday through Thursday or 11PM to 6AM Friday through Saturday unless you’re accompanied by your parent or guardian is present

If you’re caught driving outside the restricted hours, your Illinois driver license could be suspended. Drivers under 18 should also be aware that you may face Illinois driver’s license suspension for insufficient high school attendance.But cheer up: as soon as you turn 18, these restrictions are lifted!

Illinois Auto Insurance Illinois Financial Responsibility Laws

Once you receive your Illinois driver’s license, you’re ready to drive, right? Not quite: traffic accidents—minor and major—can happen to even the most seasoned drivers. Thus, any vehicle registered in Illinois must be covered by liability insurance. The minimum coverage is:

$20,000 for personal injury
$40,000 per person
$15,000 for property damage.

If you are ever caught driving without Illinois mandatory liability insurance, you could be fined $500 for a first time offense. For subsequent offenses, you will receive a four month vehicle registration suspension. And, if you’re involved in an accident and cannot provide proof of insurance, your Illinois learner’s permit or Illinois provisional license could be suspended. Do NOT get on Illinois roads in an uninsured vehicle!

Illinois Drunk Driving, Cell Phone, and Text Messaging Laws

As you’re probably aware, a drunk and/or distracted driver is a dangerous driver. As a new Illinois driver, it’s vital that you learn the Illinois drunk driving, cell phone, and text messaging laws.

Upon your first conviction of a Illinois DUI (0.08 blood alcohol level), you will face the following penalties:

  • Jail sentence of up to 1 year
  • Illinois license suspension of at least 1 year
  • Breath alcohol ignition interlock device installation
  • Up to a $2500 fine
  • Community service—100 hour minimum (if BAC above 0.16)

Clearly, getting behind the wheel drunk is not a game you want to play. And of course, further Illinois DUI convictions will result in increased jail time, community service, fines, and Illinois license suspension or even Illinois license revocation.

Currently, Illinois prohibits texting while driving, and fines begin at $75. You are also prohibited from using cell phones while driving through school zones. In all other instances, be VERY careful while using your cell phone, even if it’s within the rules.

Illinois Online Driver Education

Anyone applying for a Illinois provisional license must take an Illinois approved driver education course. The Illinois State Board of Education website has complete information on “approved Illinois online driver education programs()”:http://www.isbe.net/funding/html/driver_ed.htm.

Illinois Frequently Asked Questions

  • Can you process an electronic bank check for the TeenDrivingCourse.com Illinois online drivers ed course, or will I need to mail in the check payment?
    Yes, we accept an online check for payment for the TeenDrivingCourse.com Illinois online drivers education course.
  • Can I select a special method of shipping for my TeenDrivingCourse.com Illinois online drivers ed certificate of completion?
    Yes! TeenDrivingCourse.com offers several convenient options for shipping your Illinois certificate of completion, including regular US Mail and Federal Express. When you register for the online defensive driving course you will be asked to select your certificate of completion. If you select regular US Mail, your online Illinois traffic school certificate will be delivered in 7-10 business days. If you select Federal Express, you have the option of selecting Priority Overnight (by or before 10:30AM the next business morning), Standard Overnight (by or before 5PM the next business day), Second Day (by or before 5PM on the second business day), Express (by or before 5PM on the third business day), or if you complete your online Illinois traffic school course on a Friday, we also offer Saturday delivery (by or before 12PM on Saturday).
  • If I sign up for the TeenDrivingCourse.com Illinois internet drivers ed course, how safe is my personal and payment information?
    It is secure. TeenDrivingCourse.com uses the very latest in SSL data encryption technology to make sure that your personal and payment information is 100% secure. We offer several payment methods for our Illinois internet driver education course, including credit card, check and online check.
  • I need to take a Illinois driver education course for new drivers. How much do I need to pay for your Illinois online drivers ed course?
    The TeenDrivingCourse.com Illinois online drivers ed course or new drivers course is $24.99. Discounts may be available if you have a “refer a friend” discount code.

Please be aware that while in some states TeenDrivingCourse.com is sufficient for fulfilling your state’s driver education requirements, in other states TeenDrivingCourse.com is offered only as a supplement to the actual driver education and/or training you will receive at a state-approved driving school. To find out if TeenDrivingCourse.com will meet your state’s minimum driver education requirements, please contact your local DMV office.

  • What’s the minimum age for someone to be eligible to get a learner’s permit?
    In most states, you must be at least 15 1/2 to take drivers ed for your learners permit. Please check with the Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV), Illinois Department of Education, or Illinois Department of Driver License Services to make sure that you are old enough to take your Illinois driver education.
  • I want to take your Illinois internet drivers ed course. How many times will I be allowed to retake your Illinois final exam if I don’t pass it the first time?
    Once you finish the Illinois drivers ed internet course, you must take a Illinois final exam. If you don’t pass the Illinois test on your first try, you can retake it as many times as you need until you pass!
  • After I complete the Illinois online drivers ed course that TeenDrivingCourse.com offers, how can I get a Illinois insurance discount applied to my Illinois auto insurance premium?
    Whether or not you receive an insurance discount for completing TeenDrivingCourse.com’s online drivers education course depends on which state you live in and which company you are insured with. In some states, insurance carriers do offer insurance discounts to teen-aged drivers who successfully complete an online Illinois drivers education course. We recommend that you contact your insurance agent in Illinois to see what, if any, discount you may qualify for by enrolling in TeenDrivingCourse.com’s Illinois online drivers education course.
  • Does the entire Illinois drivers ed course have to be taken on a single computer, or can multiple computers be used?
    At TeenDrivingCourse.com we care about your convenience. You’re free to take the Illinois online driver education course from any computer you want, anywhere you want. If you want to take part of the Illinois Online driver ed course at school and part of the Illinois Learners permit course from home, that’s perfectly okay! Any computer with internet access will work.
  • If I take Illinois online drivers education course with TeenDrivingCourse.com, do I have to take the entire Illinois online drivers ed course at once or can I log on and off when I need?
    You can take the TeenDrivingCourse.com Illinois online drivers education course in one sitting or in as many sittings as needed. It is completely up to you as this course is very flexible. If you stop during one part of the course, the computer will track where you left off so that when you log back online you will be able to pick up your online traffic school course exactly where you left off. TeenDrivingCourse.com is easy, fun and — most importantly — convenient!
  • When I finish my Illinois internet drivers education course, can you guarantee that I will receive the Illinois certificate within 2 days?
    At registration, you can choose your preferred shipping method for your Illinois certificate. We do offer expedited shipping through Federal Express, and you can receive your Illinois certificate in as little as 24 hours.
  • How much time can I expect to spend on the Illinois online drivers education course?
    You can expect to spend 30 hours taking TeenDrivingCourse.com’s Illinois online course for new drivers. However, in some states where timers are not required you may not have to spend an entire 30 hours taking the course.

Please be aware that while in some states TeenDrivingCourse.com is sufficient for fulfilling your state’s driver education requirements, in other states TeenDrivingCourse.com is offered only as a supplement to the actual driver education and/or training you will receive at a state-approved driving school. To find out if TeenDrivingCourse.com will meet your state’s minimum driver education requirements, please contact your local DMV office.

  • If I do not complete my Illinois online drivers ed course, can I get a refund?
    Yes you can! Unlike our competitors, who will not allow you to request a refund after a certain point in the Illinois driver ed course, TeenDrivingCourse.com allows you to request a refund for the Illinois online driver education course at any point during the course, as long as your Illinois certificate of completion has not been shipped. Once your certificate of completion has been shipped, you may not request a refund.
  • I worry that my poor eyesight will make it hard for me to handle the large amounts of text contained in the Illinois online driver education course. Are there options available that will make this less of a problem?
    If you have trouble reading large amounts of text, we strongly encourage you to take advantage of the “Read Along” feature that we offer specifically for people in your situation. “Read Along” reads the material aloud while you follow along with the online class text. You can order this feature when you register for the Illinois online drivers ed class.
  • How can I find out if TeenDrivingCourse.com’s online teen drivers’ ed course satisfies all Illinois DMV/DVS approved class requirements?
    The Illinois Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) – or the equivalent department for your state – will be able to tell you whether TeenDrivingCourse.com will fulfill your state’s driver education requirements or whether TeenDrivingCourse.com may be taken as a supplement to the driver education and/or training you will receive at a state-approved driving school.
  • What Illinois driver education documents do I need before I can learn to drive a car?
    Generally, most states require that you have a certificate of completion for an approved Illinois driver education course in order to take the Illinois learners permit test. Again, this is a general rule and may not apply in Illinois.
  • Do the TeenDrivingCourse.com Illinois online drivers ed course quizzes count toward a percentage of my overall score for the course?
    No, the TeenDrivingCourse.com Illinois internet drivers ed course quizzes do not count toward the final exam grade. However, they are meant to prepare you for the TeenDrivingCourse.com Illinois online drivers ed course. You will be able to go back and review the previous Illinois internet drivers ed course chapter if you feel that you need to do so.
  • My friend took the Illinois driver education in a classroom setting. What’s the difference between Illinois classroom driver education and Illinois online driver education?
    The difference is this: with Illinois online drivers ed at TeenDrivingCourse.com, there is no need to sit in a classroom for hours at a time listening to a teacher. TeenDrivingCourse.com gives students the freedom to learn how they want, where they want and when they want! If your state does not approve online driver education, then you may have to attend a Illinois driver ed class. If that’s the case, the Illinois driver ed course offered by TeenDrivingCourse.com makes an excellent supplementary learning tool that will further enhance the things you learn in the classroom.
  • Is there any ID verification procedure when I take TeenDrivingCourse.com’s new drivers’ course?
    Many states will not require ID verification when taking an online driver education course, although this can vary from state to state. A few states may require us to verify your identity by, for example, asking you personal questios throughout the course. The purpose of this is simply to verify that you are who you say you are.