A NEW driving bill was just signed into law, raising the age for certain driver tests.
The law will go into effect next year.
GettyThose operating commercial vehicles will still have to follow the old age requirement[/caption] APGov. Pritzker signed the bill into law last week[/caption] GettyA state representative said that seniors reached out to him with concerns about the age minimum[/caption]In Illinois, senior citizen drivers no longer have to take a test to renew their license before a certain age.
The state orders seniors to take a test every year in order to renew their license, an effort aimed at taking bad drivers off the road.
But now, they will not have to take a driving test yearly until they are 87 and older — the age going up by eight years.
The Road Safety and Fairness Act, or H.B. 1226, raised the minimum required age from 79 to 87.
Gov. JB Pritzker signed the bill into law on Friday, solidifying the change expected to begin July 1, 2026, according to his office.
Those who are 79 or older will still have to renew their license in person, but will not have to take the road test.
Prior to the bill passing, 75 was the age that drivers had to go in person to get their documents renewed, according to WMAQ-TV.
Family members will also now be allowed to submit a request to the state requesting a review of their relative’s ability to drive, and determine if they should keep their license.
If deemed legitimate, tests determining cognitive or mental abilities may be done to decide if they can safely operate a vehicle.
This includes, written, vision, or driving tests, and there is no specific age limit.
“Illinois is the only state in the country that requires driving tests based solely on age, even though data has consistently shown older drivers are actually some of the safest on the road,” Republican Rep. Jeff Keicher said after the announcement.
“Passing this bill is a long-overdue action to respect our seniors, reduce barriers and annual costs for them to maintain their driving privileges, and see each person as an individual instead of making assumptions about them because of their age.”
Those operating commercial vehicles have different rules in order to drive.
Commercial vehicle drivers will still have to retake their road tests at 75 or older.
New September driving laws and rules
Starting September 14, new speed cameras will be turned on in Florida and threaten with $100 fees On September 1, drivers in South Carolina will have to watch where they put their hands under a new hands-free law Also, on September 1, certain vehicles operating in Texas will have to get a special permit More drivers will be forced to get dozens of hours of training before getting their license under a new law And drivers have until September 30 to collect a $7,500 tax credit“I still believe we need to do more so that road tests are determined based on more appropriate factors like driving record and ability to safely operate a vehicle, regardless of age, but this legislation is a critical step forward,” Keicher said.
“I want to take a moment to thank the seniors who came out to our events, called, sent emails and shared with me their concerns and frustrations about their experiences in the senior license renewal system.”
AARP greatly supported the bill.
“With 1.7 million members across the state, AARP Illinois proudly supports this legislation because it promotes fairness, respects individual ability over age and helps older adults stay safely connected to their communities,” Philippe Largent, the Illinois state director of AARP, said.
“The Road Safety and Fairness Act is a vital step toward ending outdated and discriminatory practices that unfairly target older drivers in Illinois.”
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