Effective July 1, no more behind-the-wheel tests required for drivers ages 79 to 86 in Illinois

Beginning next month, drivers between the ages of 79 and 86 in Illinois will no longer have to take mandatory behind-the-wheel driving tests to renew their licenses.

The move is a major component of Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias' Road Safety & Fairness Act. Effective July 1, the age at which Illinois drivers must take a behind-the-wheel test will go up to 87.

Giannoulias' office said the move amongst to eliminating an "outdated age-based requirement that made Illinois the only state in the nation to require a behind-the-wheel test solely because of a driver's age."

The law now shifts the focus on whether someone is able to drive safely, not how old they are, Giannoulias' office said.

"The Road Safety & Fairness Act is about replacing outdated assumptions with facts," Giannoulias said in a news release. "Illinois seniors have consistently proven they are among the safest drivers on our roads. This law removes an unnecessary burden for older drivers while preserving strong safeguards to protect everyone who travels on our streets." 

Drivers between the ages of 79 and 86 will still be required to renew their licenses in person at a Secretary of State's DMV office, and will still need to pass a vision screening test.

Drivers of the ages of 79 or 80 must renew their licenses every four years, while drivers between the ages of 81 and 86 must renew every two years. Drivers 87 or older will continue renewing every year with a vision test and a behind-the-wheel test.

The Secretary of State's office said there are about 350,000 drivers between the ages of 79 and 86 in Illinois, and about 55,000 of them take a driving test every year.