Who Needs Illinois Adult Driver Education
This page answers exactly who has to complete the Illinois adult driver education course and who does not. For the full hour and curriculum requirement itself, see Illinois Adult Driver Education Requirements. For what the process looks like once you know you need it, see How Illinois Adult Driver Education Works. Age eligibility below is sourced to the Illinois SOS Driver Services page. Back to Illinois Adult Driver Education for the full site overview.
Who Needs Illinois Adult Driver Education?
Illinois requires an applicant who is 18, 19, or 20, has never held a license, and has never completed any driver education course before, to complete the 6-hour SOS-certified adult driver education course under 625 ILCS 5/6-107.5.
Per the Illinois SOS's own Adult Driver Education FAQ, all three points have to be true: age 18-20, never previously licensed, and never having taken any driver education course, in high school or through a commercial driving school, in Illinois or elsewhere. Someone who already completed a qualifying driver education course - including an out-of-state high school course - or who already holds a valid out-of-state license is exempt from this specific course even though this is their first Illinois license application. This corrects an earlier version of this page, which stated the requirement applied regardless of prior license or driver-education history.
| Category | Requirement |
|---|---|
| First-time applicant, age 18-20, never licensed and never completed driver education | 6-hour SOS-certified adult driver education course required |
| First-time applicant, age 18-20, who already completed a qualifying driver education course or already holds a valid out-of-state license | Course exempt; see the FAQ answers below |
| First-time applicant, age 21 or older | No adult driver education course required |
| Teen, age 15-17 | Separate secondary-school driver education program (different statute) |
| Existing Illinois license holder, renewing or upgrading | No adult driver education course required |
Who Is Exempt From the Illinois Adult Driver Education Requirement?
Applicants age 21 or older are exempt from this course entirely, and teens ages 15 to 17 follow a separate driver education pathway through their Illinois secondary school under a different statute.
There is no partial exemption for an applicant who is 20 turning 21 soon. There is, however, a documented exemption tied to driving and driver-education history rather than age alone: an applicant who already completed a qualifying driver education course (including an out-of-state high school course) or who already holds a valid out-of-state driver's license does not need this specific course, per the Illinois SOS's own Adult Driver Education FAQ. An applicant unsure which exemption, if any, applies to their situation should confirm directly with the Illinois SOS.
Is This the Same Requirement as Teen Driver's Ed?
No. Adult driver education under 625 ILCS 5/6-107.5 covers only first-time applicants ages 18-20, while teen driver education under 105 ILCS 5/27-24.1 covers ages 15-17 through secondary schools, a completely separate program and statute.
The two programs also differ in where they are delivered: adult driver education runs entirely online through an SOS-certified commercial provider, while teen driver education is a school-based program tied to a student's secondary school enrollment. A person who ages out of the teen program without completing it does not get credit toward the adult program instead; they would need to complete the SOS-certified adult course once they are a first-time applicant in the 18-20 window. A person who did complete the teen program is, conversely, exempt from the adult course, per the Illinois SOS's own eligibility criteria described above.
Does It Apply if I Am Renewing My License?
No. The adult driver education requirement applies only to a first-time driver's license application; an applicant who already holds an Illinois license and is only renewing or upgrading it does not need to complete this course.
This is part of why the requirement is described as a one-time obligation on Illinois Adult Driver Education Requirements: once you have held an Illinois license, later renewals do not trigger the course again, even if you originally completed it years earlier as an 18-20 year old first-time applicant.
Sources
| Fact | Value | Authority | URL | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Age eligibility | 18-20 first-time applicants; 21+ exempt | Illinois Secretary of State (SOS) | https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/drivers/driver-education/ade.html | 2026-07-12 |
| Adult driver education statute | 625 ILCS 5/6-107.5 | Illinois General Assembly | https://www.ilga.gov/Legislation/ILCS/Fulltext?DocName=062500050K6-107.5 | 2026-06-07 |
| Teen driver education statute (separate program) | 105 ILCS 5/27-24.1 | Illinois General Assembly | https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?Name=0060050000060001070050 | 2026-06-07 |
| Renewal/upgrade exemption for existing license holders | Confirmed | Illinois Secretary of State (SOS) | https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/drivers/driver-education/ade.html | 2026-07-12 |
| Three-part eligibility test (functional definition of who must take the course) | Age 18-20; never previously licensed; never completed any driver education course (high school or commercial) | Illinois Secretary of State (SOS) | https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/drivers/driver-education/adefaq.html | 2026-09-14 |
| Out-of-state driver education / out-of-state license exemption | A completed out-of-state high school driver education course, or an existing valid out-of-state license, exempts the applicant from this course | Illinois Secretary of State (SOS) | https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/drivers/driver-education/adefaq.html | 2026-09-14 |
| No separate carve-out for commercial or specialized license categories | 625 ILCS 5/6-103's course-requirement paragraph applies to "any person at least 18 ... but less than 21" uniformly | Illinois General Assembly | https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ILCS/details?MajorTopic=TRANSPORTATION&Chapter=VEHICLES&ActName=Illinois%20Vehicle%20Code.&ActID=1815&ChapterID=49&ChapAct=625+ILCS+5%2F&SeqStart=84800000&SeqEnd=85800000 | 2026-09-19 |
Frequently asked questions
I am 19 and already have an out-of-state license. Do I still need this course?
No, based on our sources. The Illinois SOS requires you to surrender your out-of-state license and take the applicable Illinois tests, but does not require proof of having taken an Adult Driver Education Course if you already hold a valid out-of-state driver's license.
I am 22 and this is my first license ever. Do I need the course?
No, based on our sources. The requirement applies to first-time applicants ages 18-20; an applicant 21 or older applying for a first license is exempt according to the Illinois SOS.
My teenager completed driver's ed in high school. Do they need this course too at 18?
No, based on our sources. The Illinois SOS's own Adult Driver Education FAQ limits the course requirement to an applicant who has never taken any type of driver education course, in high school or through a commercial driving school; a teenager who already completed high school driver education is exempt from the adult course at 18, even though the two programs sit under different statutes.
Does the exemption for age 21+ apply to every kind of license, or just a standard one?
625 ILCS 5/6-103's paragraph creating this course requirement applies to "any person at least 18 years of age but less than 21 years of age" with no separate carve-out written for a commercial driver's license or other specialized license category, so the age-based rule (and its 21-and-older exemption) reads as uniform across license types in the statute text this site checked.
If I am exempt, do I still take the written test and road test?
Yes, based on our sources. The adult driver education exemption for applicants 21 and older only removes the education-course requirement; the written knowledge test, vision screening, and road skills test still apply to a first-time application generally.
Where is the line between "first-time applicant" and "renewing" defined?
The Illinois SOS's own Adult Driver Education FAQ defines who must take the course functionally, by three criteria rather than a single statutory term: an applicant who is 18, 19, or 20; who has never previously been licensed; and who has never taken any type of driver education course, in high school or through a commercial driving school. That three-part test is the closest thing to a regulator definition of "first-time applicant" this site's research found; it does not resolve every conceivable edge case, so an applicant with an unusual history should still confirm directly with the Illinois SOS.