Illinois 2025 2025-2026 Regular Session

Illinois House Bill HB1226 Engrossed / Bill

Filed 03/25/2025

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1  AN ACT concerning transportation.
2  Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3  represented in the General Assembly:
4  Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by
5  changing Sections 6-109, 6-207, and 6-911 as follows:
6  (625 ILCS 5/6-109)
7  Sec. 6-109. Examination of applicants.
8  (a) The Secretary of State shall examine every applicant
9  for a driver's license or permit who has not been previously
10  licensed as a driver under the laws of this State or any other
11  state or country, or any applicant for renewal of such
12  driver's license or permit when such license or permit has
13  been expired for more than one year. The Secretary of State
14  shall, subject to the provisions of paragraph (c), examine
15  every licensed driver at least every 8 years, and may examine
16  or re-examine any other applicant or licensed driver, provided
17  that during the years 1984 through 1991 those drivers issued a
18  license for 3 years may be re-examined not less than every 7
19  years or more than every 10 years.
20  The Secretary of State shall require the testing of the
21  eyesight of any driver's license or permit applicant who has
22  not been previously licensed as a driver under the laws of this
23  State and shall promulgate rules and regulations to provide

 

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1  for the orderly administration of all the provisions of this
2  Section.
3  The Secretary of State shall include at least one test
4  question that concerns the provisions of the Pedestrians with
5  Disabilities Safety Act in the question pool used for the
6  written portion of the driver's license examination within one
7  year after July 22, 2010 (the effective date of Public Act
8  96-1167).
9  The Secretary of State shall include, in the question pool
10  used for the written portion of the driver's license
11  examination, test questions concerning safe driving in the
12  presence of bicycles, of which one may be concerning the Dutch
13  Reach method as described in Section 2-112.
14  The Secretary of State shall include, in the question pool
15  used for the written portion of the driver's license
16  examination, at least one test question concerning driver
17  responsibilities when approaching a stationary emergency
18  vehicle as described in Section 11-907. If an applicant gives
19  an incorrect response to a test question concerning subsection
20  (c) of Section 11-907, Section 11-907.5, or subsection (a-1)
21  of Section 11-908, then the Secretary of State shall provide
22  the applicant with information concerning those Sections.
23  (b) Except as provided for those applicants in paragraph
24  (c), such examination shall include a test of the applicant's
25  eyesight, his or her ability to read and understand official
26  traffic control devices, his or her knowledge of safe driving

 

 

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

 

 

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

 

 

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1  Sec. 6-207. Secretary of State may require reexamination
2  or reissuance of a license.
3  (a) The Secretary of State, having good cause to believe
4  that a licensed driver or person holding a permit or applying
5  for a license or license renewal is incompetent or otherwise
6  not qualified to hold a license or permit, may upon written
7  notice of at least 5 days to the person require the person to
8  submit to an examination, including, but not limited to, a
9  physical, mental, or driving examination, as prescribed by the
10  Secretary.
11  Refusal or neglect of the person to submit an alcohol,
12  drug, or intoxicating compound evaluation or submit to or
13  failure to successfully complete the examination is grounds
14  for suspension of the person's license or permit under Section
15  6-206 of this Act or cancellation of his license or permit
16  under Section 6-201 of this Act.
17  (b) The Secretary of State, having issued a driver's
18  license or permit in error, may upon written notice of at least
19  5 days to the person, require the person to appear at a Driver
20  Services facility to have the license or permit error
21  corrected and a new license or permit issued.
22  Refusal or neglect of the person to appear is grounds for
23  cancellation of the person's license or permit under Section
24  6-201 of this Act.
25  (c) The Secretary of State, having issued a driver's
26  license or permit to a person who subsequently becomes

 

 

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

 

 

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1  date of changes made by P.A. 98-176).)
2  (625 ILCS 5/6-911)    (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-911)
3  Sec. 6-911. Information submitted by medical
4  practitioners; police officers; State's attorneys; or members
5  of the judiciary; or immediate family members. Any qualified
6  medical practitioner, commissioned police officer, State's
7  attorney, or member of the judiciary acting in his or her
8  official capacity, or immediate family member may submit
9  information to the Secretary relative to the medical condition
10  of a person, including suspected chronic alcoholism or
11  habitual use of narcotics or dangerous drugs, if the condition
12  interferes with the person's ability to operate a motor
13  vehicle safely. Persons reporting under this Section shall
14  enjoy the same immunities granted members of the Board under
15  Section 6-910. Information must be submitted in writing in a
16  manner and form approved by the Secretary and shall include
17  the name of the person submitting the information. The
18  Secretary may not accept or act on anonymous reports. The
19  information submitted pursuant to this Section is confidential
20  under Sections 2-123 and 6-908 of this Code.
21  For purposes of this Section, "immediate family member"
22  means spouse, parent, grandparent, sibling, or child.
23  (Source: P.A. 87-1249.)
24  Section 99. Effective date. This Act takes effect July 1,
25  2026.

 

 

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