ILLINOIS Driver’s License
Teen Checklist
The Driver Education Process
Students may enroll in a driver education course such as Top Driver whose classroom end date is on or after their 15
th
birthday.
According to the Secretary of State regulations:
• A complete driver education course includes:
o 30 hours of classroom instruction
o 6 hours of behind the wheel instruction and 6 hours of observation – unless the student enrolls in a program with 8 or
more hours of in-vehicle training whereby the observation requirement is waived.
• A student may miss a maximum of 4 classes, but each class must be rescheduled; if the student misses more than 4 classes, he or
she must re-enroll (and repay) and the entire classroom training must be started over. **Any deviation from the original class
dates or times is considered a missed class by the Secretary of State. **
• A student can attend no more than 2 hours of classroom instruction and 1 ½ hours of in-vehicle training per day. Top Driver
offers driving lessons in 1-hour blocks of time.
Learner’s Permit
To receive a Learner’s Permit, a student must:
• Be at least 15 years of age.
• Be enrolled in an approved driver education program and obtain a Permit application from a certified driver education school such
as Top Driver.
• Bring the following to the Secretary of State branch office:
o Original or certified birth certificate.
o A second form of identification such as a passport of social security card.
o The Permit application signed by a parent or guardian and a driver education instructor.
o Proof of residency such as (but no limited to): a piece of mail with the parent’s name, picture ID from the student’s school,
or a school transcript with the student’s name and address.
o Glasses or contacts if they wear them.
o The required fee.
• Pass a vision and written knowledge test at a Secretary of State branch office.
• Top Driver customarily issues the Permit application on day 1 of class.
• The Permit:
o Allows students to drive while supervised by a parent or adult and subject to restrictions (see below).
o Is valid for two years.
o Must be held for a minimum of nine months.
o Student must be in possession of the original hard copy permit during all practice driving or in-vehicle instruction.
• Permit Restrictions
o The student may not drive between the hours of 10 PM – 6 AM Sunday through Thursday or 11 PM – 6 AM Friday
through Saturday.
o The number of immediate family passengers is limited to one in the front seat and the number of seatbelts in the back
seat.
o During the permit phase and first year of initial licensing the student’s passengers are limited to one non-immediate
family member under the age of 20.
o Student must not acquire any driving convictions during the nine-month permit phase.
o Cell phone use while driving is prohibited except in the case of an emergency to contact a law enforcement agency,
health provider or emergency services agency.
Practice Driving
• To obtain a License, a student must log at least 50 hours of driving with a parent or adult, including 10 hours of night driving. 50-
Hour Practice Driving Log
• This is a minimum requirement; Top Driver encourages parents to continually assess their teen to determine how many more
hours of practice driving their teen would require.
• The parent/adult must be at least 21 years of age and must have held a License for at least one year.
• In-Vehicle training with Top Driver may not be considered practice driving.
Program Completion Requirements
• Completion requirements for Top Driver to submit proof of completion (Pupil Status report) to the Secretary of State:
o Attend 30 hours of Classroom Instruction and pass a final written exam with a score of 75% or higher.
o Grade Verification Form must be completed and on file with Top Driver (My Account / Certificate Status).
o Complete required in-vehicle training and must pass an in-vehicle evaluation (Top Driver Signals Home Page / In Car Recap
/ Outstanding Hours must be zero).
o Show a $0.00 account balance.
o Student Permit Number, Issue Date and FAC CM number must be on file with Top Driver
Confirm that Top Driver has submitted your Completion Report to the Secretary of State:
• On Top Driver Signals select My Account then Certificate Status.
• Once you see an “order date” the student’s Completion Report has been submitted to the IL Secretary of State
Confirm that the Secretary of State has received your Completion Report.
• Driver's Education Course Completion Check
• This tool allows students to check their eligibility to apply for a driver's license,
having completed a requisite driver education course.
• Prior to visiting a Secretary of State Facility to apply for a driver's license,
completion of driver education must be updated/posted to the applicant's driving record.
Driver’s License
To test for and receive his or her Driver’s License, a student must:
• Be at least 16 years of age.
• Have held his or her Learner’s Permit for at least 9 months.
• Have completed a driver education program at an approved school such as Top Driver.
• Have completed and logged at least 50 hours of practice driving with a parent or adult, including 10 hours of night driving.
• Confirm eligibility for licensure via the Secretary of State’s site: https://www.ilsos.gov/deccheck/.
• Bring the following to the Secretary of State branch office on the testing day:
o Learner’s Permit
o Affidavit from the student’s parent or guardian attesting to the completion of at least 50 hours of practice driving,
including 10 hours of night driving.
o Original or certified birth certificate.
o A second form of identification such as a passport or social security card.
o Proof of address (e.g. school transcript with student name and address).
o A Certificate of Residency must be completed by a parent/guardian at the Secretary of State’s brank office in front of their
personnel. Parents/guardians need proper personal identification. The certificate is provided by the Secretary of State.
o Insurance card for the student’s test vehicle.
o Pass a road test with the Secretary of State in a vehicle provided by the student that is legally equipped, in safe/clean
condition and properly registered and insured.
Other Facts
• An appointment isn’t necessary for the road test, but we recommend you call the Secretary of State branch to check their
schedule, as testing is not always available all day or every day.
• If the parent accompanies the student on the testing day, they can provide their own proof of address.
• For the first 12 months of licensing or until the student turns 18, whichever comes first, the number of passengers is limited to one
person under age 20, unless the additional passenger is a sibling of the driver. After this period, the number of passengers is
limited to one in the front seat and to the number of seat belts in the back seat.
• All Passengers aged 15-20 can be ticketed for being an extra passenger in a vehicle.
• A teen driver with Learner’s Permit must have a clean driving record for nine months to obtain a Graduated Driver’s License.
• Illinois Secretary of State
Assistance? custser[email protected]om or 1.800.374.8373
