Your first Illinois license: age pathway and document checklist

Illinois driver licensing is handled by the Secretary of State. Before visiting a DMV facility, make two decisions: which age pathway applies to you, and whether you want a standard license or REAL ID. These choices determine much of your document folder.

Start with your age and driving history

Situation	Main preparation
Teen instruction permit	Usually start at 15 with approved driver-education enrollment, parental consent, identification and the required tests
License at 16–17	Hold the permit at least nine months, complete approved education and certified practice, and meet the remaining licensing requirements
First license at 18–20 without previous licensing or approved education	Complete the six-hour Adult Driver Education course through a certified provider
Age 21 or older	The 18–20 adult-course requirement does not apply; identification and applicable tests still do

The instruction-permit requirements explain enrollment timing and supervision. Practice with a qualified adult aged at least 21 who has the correct license class and at least one year of driving experience, seated beside you. Applicants aged 17 years and three months or older can apply for a permit without taking driver education; that permit option does not itself waive requirements for licensing before 18.

Under the graduated-license program, teen applicants must complete 50 hours of supervised practice, including ten at night, in addition to driver-education driving hours. Keep the signed practice certification and required parental consent with your education evidence. Turning 16 does not replace the nine-month permit period.

For ages 18–20, check the Adult Driver Education page before paying a provider. The course must be state certified. If you already completed approved education or were previously licensed, have the Secretary of State confirm your pathway.

Choose the document checklist for your credential

The current document-requirements page organizes evidence into groups. For a typical first application:

• Standard license: one acceptable document satisfying each of Groups A, B, C and D, covering signature, birth information, Social Security number and residency.
• First REAL ID: one from each of A, B and C, plus two residency documents from D; REAL ID also requires qualifying identity and lawful-status evidence.
• One document may satisfy more than one group. Use the official acceptable-document list rather than assuming any bill or photocopy is accepted.

If your identity documents use a different legal name, prepare the documents connecting the names. Also provide a valid mailing address so the permanent card can reach you.

If you are ineligible for a Social Security number, check the applicable standard-license pathway. The document page says VISA and NONVISA applicants do not present Group C documents and instead sign an ineligibility declaration. Additional identity and residency rules apply to those pathways. A REAL ID checklist should not be used to decide that you cannot qualify for a standard license.

Finish the folder before the visit

Bring applicable education and consent evidence, your chosen identity documents, existing licenses or permits and the required fee. A new resident must surrender out-of-state licenses and ID cards before Illinois issues a credential. Use the 2026 Rules of the Road for the vision, written and driving-exam steps, and confirm your facility’s services and appointment arrangements.

Reviewed October 30, 2026. Continue with our Illinois road-test checklist when you are ready to prepare the vehicle and test-day paperwork.