Illinois Drivers Education
Completion of a drivers education class is one of the compulsory steps towards obtaining a drivers license in most states. Illinois, with its graduated drivers license program, is not an exception, and requires all teenage drivers license applicants to complete an Illinois drivers education class.
Who Needs Drivers Education
If you plan on obtaining the Illinois learners permit and you are under 17 years and 9 months, you will be required to take a state-approved driver education class. Those who are older, are not required to take drivers ed, however they are strongly advised to do so. The driver ed class will teach you the rules of the road, prepare you for the written examination at the SOS and provide you with great tips on safe driving techniques.
Drivers Ed Locations
There are numerous places where you can take your Illinois drivers education class, the most common one being a high school you are attending. Most of the high schools offer a comprehensive drivers education class as part of their curriculum and the usual charge is $50. However, even though this is the common price for the course, public schools are allowed to charge more, so you would need to check the drivers ed pricing with the school you are attending.
If you are being home schooled, you may also take the class at one of the local public schools, you would need to contact the school district for details.
As one of the options, you may also choose to take your class through one of the local driving schools. This option may be the only choice for students who are past the schooling age but still want to take drivers ed.
Program Details
Illinois drivers education classes are monitored by the Department of Education and the SOS. In order to receive qualification from the state, the program must contain at least 30 hours of the classroom instruction time and at least 6 hours of behind the wheel training.
If you show good progress on your driving lessons, your driving instructor may choose to waive up to 3 hours of behind the wheel instruction.
School Attendance
School attendance is a vital condition for issuance of the Illinois drivers license to a minor. As part of the Illinois graduated drivers license program, any minor who drops out of school or shows unsatisfactory attendance record may be refused the drivers license issuance.
Other Ways To Study
If you really want to nail your Illinois permit test, drivers ed is the class for you. However, if you cannot attend it for some reason, don’t stress, there are others ways you can prepare for the test. You may choose to go through the Illinois drivers manual, which covers all traffic regulations and polish your newly acquired knowledge with some practice permit tests, to make sure that you fully absorbed what you’ve read in the manual.
