Pritzker signs bill raising age for senior road tests

Gov. JB Pritzker signed legislation raising the age for mandatory road exams for seniors from 79 to 87 Friday.

The bill also allows family members to report unsafe drivers of any age.

The law goes into effect July 1, 2026.

The change comes after an outcry from seniors against Illinois being the only state with mandatory road tests for older drivers, which many characterized as age discrimination and a burdensome, stressful task.

The crash rate for motorists age 75 and older is 24.61 per 1,000 drivers, lower than every other age range, Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias has said.

Previous attempts to pass similar legislation faltered in 2024.

Current law requires drivers aged 79 and 80 to take a road exam when their four-year license renewal is up. For drivers aged 81 to 86, it’s every two years, and for those 87 and older, it’s yearly.

The new legislation would maintain that drivers ages 81 through 86 would not need a road exam to renew their license but must take a vision test. Renewals are in-person, every two years.

Rules for drivers ages 87 and older would stay the same, with a road exam and a vision test required annually.

One significant element of the bill provides a way for immediate relatives of unsafe drivers, regardless of age, to report problems to the secretary of state’s office. Issues could be a decline in driving skills or cognitive or medical issues.

If officials find the concerns are credible, a driver would need to submit a medical evaluation and/or undergo written, vision and behind-the-wheel tests to keep their license.

Currently, Illinois is one of five states that don’t allow relatives to report health concerns about drivers.