Section 1030.5  Procedure for Obtaining a Standard Driver's License or Identification Card

a)         An applicant for a standard driver's license or identification card must appear at a Secretary of State Driver Services Facility and complete an application form provided by the Secretary of State pursuant to IVC Section 6-106, which shall include the questions listed in Appendix A.  The applicant shall also provide a Driver Services Facility employee with acceptable forms of identification provided in Appendix B establishing the applicant's name, date of birth, signature, Illinois residency and social security number. An applicant who does not have a social security number and is ineligible to obtain a social security number shall affirm under penalty of perjury that the applicant is, at the time of application, ineligible for a social security number and must present either:

1)         Documentation, issued by the United States Department of Homeland Security, authorizing the applicant's presence in the United States (e.g., dependents of H-1B, O-1, and O-2 who are also ineligible to work), which shall be verified through the Systematic Verification for Entitlements (SAVE); or

2)         If the applicant does not have documentation authorizing the applicant's presence in this country, documentation establishing that the applicant has resided in Illinois for a minimum of one year and a passport validly issued to the applicant from the applicant's country of citizenship, or a consular identification document as defined in Section 5 of the Consular Identification Document Act [5 ILCS 230] validly issued to the applicant by the applicant's country of citizenship.  An applicant for a CDL must provide proof of citizenship or lawful permanent residency.  An applicant for a non‑domiciled CDL must provide documentation, issued by the United States Department of Homeland Security, authorizing the applicant's presence in the United States.  A CDL or non-domiciled CDL may not be issued to an applicant without a social security number. 

b)         An applicant for a driver's license shall take the following tests as required in IVC Section 6-109:

1)         A vision test as provided in Sections 1030.70 and 1030.75;

2)         A road test, if required, as provided in Section 1030.85 (exemptions to the road test requirement are provided in Section 1030.88); and

3)         A written test, if required, as provided in Section 1030.80.

c)         Driver's license applicants who are 16 or 17 years of age and not legally emancipated by marriage shall not be issued a driver's license without the written consent of the applicant's parent, legal guardian or other responsible adult, regardless of whether the required written consent also accompanied the person's previous application for an instruction permit and until the applicant has, in accordance with IVC Section 6-107(b):

1)         Held a valid instruction permit for a minimum of 9 months;

2)         Passed an approved driver education course and submitted proof of having passed the course as may be required regardless of whether the driver holds a valid license issued by another state; and

3)         Submitted, on a form prepared or approved by the Secretary of State, certification by the parent of the applicant, the legal guardian having custody of the applicant, or, in the event there is no parent or legal guardian, by another responsible adult, that the applicant has had a minimum of 50 hours, at least 10 hours of which have been at night, of behind-the-wheel practice time and is sufficiently prepared and able to safely operate a motor vehicle.  The 50 hours shall be in addition to the required hours spent with a driver education instructor.  The person completing the certification shall, upon signing the certification, swear under penalty of perjury, that everything contained within the certification is true and correct.

d)         Driver's license applicants who are 18, 19 or 20 years of age who have not previously been licensed and who have not successfully completed an approved driver education course or the classroom portion of an approved driver education course shall not be issued a driver's license unless the applicant has successfully completed an adult driver education course offered by an adult driver education course provider and proof of that completion has been submitted to the Secretary by the adult driver education course provider. 

e)         A photograph shall be taken of a driver's license or identification card applicant unless the applicant is exempt under Section 1030.90. 

f)         A temporary driver's license shall be issued at the facility upon completion of all the requirements of this Section and IVC Chapter 6.  A temporary identification card shall be issued at the facility upon completion of all the requirements of this Section and 15 ILCS 335.  Upon successful completion of verification by the Secretary of State, which may include, but is not limited to, a facial recognition examination of the applicant's image against the Secretary of State image database, verification of residency and social security number, the applicant shall be mailed a driver's license to the address provided by the applicant. 

g)        The fees collected for the issuance of an original, renewal, duplicate or corrected driver's license shall be in accordance with IVC Section 6-118.  The fees collected for the issuance of an original, renewal, duplicate, or corrected identification card shall be in accordance with 15 ILCS 335/12.

h)        A driver's license or identification card issued under this Section does not meet the requirements of the REAL ID Act and shall bear the words "Federal Limits Apply".

i)         An applicant applying for the first time for a CDL passenger endorsement, school bus endorsement or hazardous materials endorsement or upgrading a CDL must complete entry-level driver training.

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 9020, effective July 1, 2024)