The landscape of the Illinois licensing scene may change quite radically very soon. The Illinois House has passed a measure that will require even adult drivers license applicants to go through one of the Illinois drivers education course if they have not completed drivers ed at school. Previously, those who applied for the Illinois drivers license at the age of 18 and older did not have to take any additional courses or programs, passing the Illinois permit test on road rules and road signs and then the Illinois driving test was sufficient for obtaining a license.
Current Graduated License Law
Most states around the country have some form of a graduated drivers license law, the law that requires drivers to go through a number of stages before they are issued with a full drivers license. While the law applies to drivers of all ages in some states, the Illinois graduated drivers license law only selected teen driver who were under the age of 18. Those who applied for the Illinois drivers license at that age had to take a drivers ed course and obtain at least 50 hours of driving experience before they could take the Illinois driving test. Adult drivers, on the other hand, could simply walk into the office, take the required tests and walk away with a drivers license in their pocket.
Proposed Changes
A research conducted by the Secretary of State's office showed that a large number of people is trying to take advantage of this loophole and hold off applying for the drivers license until they are 18, so they can skip on taking the drivers ed course. According to the research, half of the last year drivers license applicants between the age of 18 and 20 have neither taken drivers ed at school, nor approached any private Illinois drivers ed class provider.
The measure is intended to close this loophole and proposes a change that would see every drivers license applicant between the ages of 18 and 20 to take an adult drivers education program. This program would be different from a regular Illinois drivers ed class, it will only be a six hour class (this is actually similar to the current graduated drivers license law in Texas, where all drivers license applicants between the ages of 18 and 24 have to take a Texas 6-hour adult drivers education course) and it can be taken online through one of the private driving schools that will offer the curriculum. This will ensure convenience, as drivers license applicants will be able to take the course from any computer connected to the Internet.
The measure has already been passed on to the Illinois Senate for consideration and may go into effect soon. If you were planning on obtaining your drivers license the old way, without having to take this new Illinois driver's education program, it is time to act now! Grab a copy of the Illinois rules of the road handbook, read it once or twice, take a free Illinois practice permit test, then go straight to a local SOS office! Once you pass the Illinois permit test, grab a friend with a valid drivers license and drive under his supervision for at least 10-15 hours or until you get comfortable behind the wheel. Practice the maneuvers you will be tested on during your Illinois driving test, this will help you a lot during the real exam! Pass the road test and that's it - you have your Illinois drivers license in your pocket!
