Bill Text: IL HB1226 | 2025-2026 | 104th General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires every applicant for the renewal of a driver's license who is 79 years or older to renew in person. Requires every applicant for the renewal of a driver's license who is 87 years of age or or who is 75 years of age or older and holds a commercial driver's license to prove, by an actual demonstration, the applicant's ability to exercise reasonable care in the safe operation of a motor vehicle. Allows an immediate family member to submit information to the Secretary of State relative to the medical condition of a person if the condition interferes with the person's ability to operate a motor vehicle safely. Requires information to be submitted in writing in a manner and form approved by the Secretary and shall include the name of the person submitting the information. Prohibits the Secretary from accepting or acting on anonymous reports. Makes other changes. Effective July 1, 2026.

Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Democrat 49-29)

Status: (Introduced) 2025-02-11 - Assigned to Transportation: Vehicles & Safety [HB1226 Detail]

Download: Illinois-2025-HB1226-Introduced.html

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104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY State of Illinois 2025 and 2026 HB1226 Introduced 1/9/2025, by Rep. Jay Hoffman - Jeff Keicher - Lawrence "Larry" Walsh, Jr. - Marcus C. Evans, Jr. - Joyce Mason SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
625 ILCS 5/6-109
625 ILCS 5/6-207 from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-207
625 ILCS 5/6-911 from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-911
Amends the Illinois Vehicle Code. Requires every applicant for the renewal of a driver's license who is 79 years or older to renew in person. Requires every applicant for the renewal of a driver's license who is 87 years of age or or who is 75 years of age or older and holds a commercial driver's license to prove, by an actual demonstration, the applicant's ability to exercise reasonable care in the safe operation of a motor vehicle. Allows an immediate family member to submit information to the Secretary of State relative to the medical condition of a person if the condition interferes with the person's ability to operate a motor vehicle safely. Requires information to be submitted in writing in a manner and form approved by the Secretary and shall include the name of the person submitting the information. Prohibits the Secretary from accepting or acting on anonymous reports. Makes other changes. Effective July 1, 2026.
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A BILL FOR
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AN ACT concerning transportation.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
represented in the General Assembly:
Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
changing Sections 6-109, 6-207, and 6-911 as follows:
(625 ILCS 5/6-109)
Sec. 6-109. Examination of applicants.
(a) The Secretary of State shall examine every applicant
for a driver's license or permit who has not been previously
licensed as a driver under the laws of this State or any other
state or country, or any applicant for renewal of such
driver's license or permit when such license or permit has
been expired for more than one year. The Secretary of State
shall, subject to the provisions of paragraph (c), examine
every licensed driver at least every 8 years, and may examine
or re-examine any other applicant or licensed driver, provided
that during the years 1984 through 1991 those drivers issued a
license for 3 years may be re-examined not less than every 7
years or more than every 10 years.
The Secretary of State shall require the testing of the
eyesight of any driver's license or permit applicant who has
not been previously licensed as a driver under the laws of this
State and shall promulgate rules and regulations to provide

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for the orderly administration of all the provisions of this
Section.
The Secretary of State shall include at least one test
question that concerns the provisions of the Pedestrians with
Disabilities Safety Act in the question pool used for the
written portion of the driver's license examination within one
year after July 22, 2010 (the effective date of Public Act
96-1167).
The Secretary of State shall include, in the question pool
used for the written portion of the driver's license
examination, test questions concerning safe driving in the
presence of bicycles, of which one may be concerning the Dutch
Reach method as described in Section 2-112.
The Secretary of State shall include, in the question pool
used for the written portion of the driver's license
examination, at least one test question concerning driver
responsibilities when approaching a stationary emergency
vehicle as described in Section 11-907. If an applicant gives
an incorrect response to a test question concerning subsection
(c) of Section 11-907, Section 11-907.5, or subsection (a-1)
of Section 11-908, then the Secretary of State shall provide
the applicant with information concerning those Sections.
(b) Except as provided for those applicants in paragraph
(c), such examination shall include a test of the applicant's
eyesight, his or her ability to read and understand official
traffic control devices, his or her knowledge of safe driving

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practices and the traffic laws of this State, and may include
an actual demonstration of the applicant's ability to exercise
ordinary and reasonable control of the operation of a motor
vehicle, and such further physical and mental examination as
the Secretary of State finds necessary to determine the
applicant's fitness to operate a motor vehicle safely on the
highways, except the examination of an applicant 75 years of
age or older or, if the Secretary adopts rules under Section 37
of the Secretary of State Act to raise the age requirement for
actual demonstrations, the examination of an applicant who has
attained that increased age or is older shall include an
actual demonstration of the applicant's ability to exercise
ordinary and reasonable control of the operation of a motor
vehicle. All portions of written and verbal examinations under
this Section, excepting where the English language appears on
facsimiles of road signs, may be given in the Spanish language
and, at the discretion of the Secretary of State, in any other
language as well as in English upon request of the examinee.
Deaf persons who are otherwise qualified are not prohibited
from being issued a license, other than a commercial driver's
license, under this Code.
(c) Re-examination for those applicants who at the time of
renewing their driver's license possess a driving record
devoid of any convictions of traffic violations or evidence of
committing an offense for which mandatory revocation would be
required upon conviction pursuant to Section 6-205 at the time

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of renewal shall be in a manner prescribed by the Secretary in
order to determine an applicant's ability to safely operate a
motor vehicle, except that every applicant for the renewal of
a driver's license who is 79 75 years of age or older must
renew in person, and or, if the Secretary adopts rules under
Section 37 of the Secretary of State Act to raise the age
requirement for actual demonstrations, every applicant for the
renewal of a driver's license who is 87 years of age or has
attained that increased age or is older or who is 75 years of
age or older and holds a commercial driver's license must
prove, by an actual demonstration, the applicant's ability to
exercise reasonable care in the safe operation of a motor
vehicle.
(d) In the event the applicant is not ineligible under the
provisions of Section 6-103 to receive a driver's license, the
Secretary of State shall make provision for giving an
examination, either in the county where the applicant resides
or at a place adjacent thereto reasonably convenient to the
applicant, within not more than 30 days from the date said
application is received.
(e) The Secretary of State may adopt rules regarding the
use of foreign language interpreters during the application
and examination process.
(Source: P.A. 103-140, eff. 6-30-23; 103-680, eff. 1-1-25.)
(625 ILCS 5/6-207) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-207)

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Sec. 6-207. Secretary of State may require reexamination
or reissuance of a license.
(a) The Secretary of State, having good cause to believe
that a licensed driver or person holding a permit or applying
for a license or license renewal is incompetent or otherwise
not qualified to hold a license or permit, may upon written
notice of at least 5 days to the person require the person to
submit to an examination, including, but not limited to, a
physical, mental, or driving examination, as prescribed by the
Secretary.
Refusal or neglect of the person to submit an alcohol,
drug, or intoxicating compound evaluation or submit to or
failure to successfully complete the examination is grounds
for suspension of the person's license or permit under Section
6-206 of this Act or cancellation of his license or permit
under Section 6-201 of this Act.
(b) The Secretary of State, having issued a driver's
license or permit in error, may upon written notice of at least
5 days to the person, require the person to appear at a Driver
Services facility to have the license or permit error
corrected and a new license or permit issued.
Refusal or neglect of the person to appear is grounds for
cancellation of the person's license or permit under Section
6-201 of this Act.
(c) The Secretary of State, having issued a driver's
license or permit to a person who subsequently becomes

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ineligible to retain that license or permit as currently
issued, may, upon written notice of at least 5 days to the
person, require the person to appear at a Driver Services
facility to have the license or permit corrected and a new
license or permit issued.
(d) The Secretary of State, having good cause to believe
that a driver's license or permit was issued based on invalid,
fictitious, or fraudulent documents, may upon written notice
of at least 5 days require the person to appear at a Driver
Services facility to present valid documents for verification
of identity. Refusal or neglect of the person to appear shall
result in cancellation of the person's license or permit.
(e) Under 49 C.F.R. 383.73, if the Secretary of State
receives credible information that a CLP or CDL was issued and
fraud was committed relating to the issuance of the CLP or CDL,
the Secretary shall require the CLP or CDL holder to re-submit
to all testing required for the issuance of the CLP or CDL
(written, pre-trip, skills, and road exams). Upon written
notification by the Secretary, the holder shall have 5 days to
submit to re-examination. Failure to appear or successfully
complete the examination shall result in the cancellation of
the CLP or CDL under Section 6-201 of this Act.
(f) The Secretary of State may adopt rules to implement
this Section.
(Source: P.A. 97-229, eff. 7-28-11; 98-176 (see Section 10 of
P.A. 98-722 and Section 10 of P.A. 99-414 for the effective

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date of changes made by P.A. 98-176).)
(625 ILCS 5/6-911) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-911)
Sec. 6-911. Information submitted by medical
practitioners; police officers; State's attorneys; or members
of the judiciary; or immediate family members. Any qualified
medical practitioner, commissioned police officer, State's
attorney, or member of the judiciary acting in his or her
official capacity, or immediate family member may submit
information to the Secretary relative to the medical condition
of a person, including suspected chronic alcoholism or
habitual use of narcotics or dangerous drugs, if the condition
interferes with the person's ability to operate a motor
vehicle safely. Persons reporting under this Section shall
enjoy the same immunities granted members of the Board under
Section 6-910. Information must be submitted in writing in a
manner and form approved by the Secretary and shall include
the name of the person submitting the information. The
Secretary may not accept or act on anonymous reports. The
information submitted pursuant to this Section is confidential
under Sections 2-123 and 6-908 of this Code.
For purposes of this Section, "immediate family member"
means spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, or child.
(Source: P.A. 87-1249.)
Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
2026.