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Is the Illinois Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics)

Illinois ranks 8th-hardest of 51 jurisdictions on knowledge-test difficulty. The state's road-safety, GDL and distracted-driving measures all land near the middle of the national distribution.

Across the 51 jurisdictions, stricter knowledge tests tend to pair with safer roads. Illinois sits well to the right of the cloud — a tougher test than most — with a road-safety composite closer to the middle.

02550751000255075100Knowledge-test difficulty (0–100, higher is harder)Road-safety composite (0–100, higher is safer)Illinois24th in road safety8th-hardest test

Source: DMV IQ Driving Index. FARS 2023 · FHWA 2024 · CDC BRFSS 2023 · IIHS 2025.

The test

Secretary of State asks 35 questions and requires 80% correct — at least 28 right answers. That leaves a margin of 7 wrong. Among the 51 jurisdictions, 7 are harder; the other 43 are easier.

Illinois's path from permit to full license

In Illinois, a new driver picks up a learner's permit at 15, holds it for 9 months, qualifies for an intermediate license at 16, and earns a full unrestricted license at 18.

  1. Learner's permit
    Age 15
    held 9 months, 50 hours (10 at night)
  2. Probationary license
    Age 16
    night ban 10 PM - 6 AM (Sun-Thu); 11 PM - 6 AM (Fri-Sat)
  3. Full license
    Age 18
    all restrictions lift

50 hours behind the wheel, with a parent watching.

Illinois requires 50 supervised hours — above the national mean of 45.2, short of the IIHS-recommended 70.

0 hr25 hr50 hr75 hrIllinois50 hrNational mean45.2 hrIIHS recommended70 hr
Supervised-driving hours required before unrestricted licensure. Source: IIHS state-laws table, 2025.

On Illinois's roads.

For every 100,000 licensed drivers aged 19 and under in Illinois, 14.0 die in a crash each year. The U.S. average is 16.8; Illinois ranks 24th lowest of 51.

U.S. avg 16.8Illinois14.0 deaths24th-lowest of 5101020304050← betterworse →Teen-driver deaths per 100,000 licensed drivers ≤19

Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 ÷ FHWA DL-22 2024.

Across all drivers, Illinois's road network sees 1.19 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles travelled. The U.S. average is 1.25.

U.S. avg 1.25Illinois1.19 deaths22nd-lowest of 5100.511.52← betterworse →Deaths per 100 million vehicle miles travelled

Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 ÷ FHWA VM-2 2024.

What Illinois bans behind the wheel.

Illinois scores 3.5 of 6 on our distracted-driving rubric (rank 38th of 51). The state bans handheld phones for all drivers and applies a total cellphone ban to teen and novice drivers. Illinois's seat-belt law is primary enforcement — an officer may stop a vehicle for an unbuckled driver alone. Self-reported belt use is 94%.

On two wheels.

Illinois's motorcyclist fatality rate is 6.48 deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles — below the 6.87 U.S. average. Illinois has no statewide adult helmet requirement.

U.S. avg 6.87Illinois6.48 deaths23rd-lowest of 5105101520← betterworse →Motorcyclist deaths per 10,000 registered motorcycles

Source: NHTSA FARS 2023 · FHWA MV-1 2024.

Secretary of State's motorcycle knowledge test is 15 questions, with a 80% pass mark. Completion of the Illinois Motorcycle Safety Education Program waives the Secretary of State road test. No statewide adult helmet requirement.

Source: IIHS — Motorcycle helmet use laws by state.

On bigger rigs.

The Illinois CDL knowledge test is federally standardised — 30 questions, 80 percent to pass, the same content in every state. The CDL knowledge-test fee in Illinois is $50. Other fees and endorsement processing run through the Secretary of State.

Pass the Secretary of State test before you take it.

Free Illinois practice questions with instant explanations. Score 90 percent on three runs in a row and the real thing tends to look familiar.

Free Illinois practice test

Nearby in the index.

Six more state pages — neighbours first, then the closest matches on road safety.

Is the Illinois Driving Test Hard? (2026 Statistics) | DMV IQ