| ||||
| Public Act 103-0680 | ||||
| ||||
AN ACT concerning transportation. | ||||
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois, | ||||
represented in the General Assembly: | ||||
Section 5. The Illinois Vehicle Code is amended by | ||||
changing Section 6-109 as follows: | ||||
(625 ILCS 5/6-109) | ||||
Sec. 6-109. Examination of applicants. | ||||
(a) The Secretary of State shall examine every applicant | ||||
for a driver's license or permit who has not been previously | ||||
licensed as a driver under the laws of this State or any other | ||||
state or country, or any applicant for renewal of such | ||||
driver's license or permit when such license or permit has | ||||
been expired for more than one year. The Secretary of State | ||||
shall, subject to the provisions of paragraph (c), examine | ||||
every licensed driver at least every 8 years, and may examine | ||||
or re-examine any other applicant or licensed driver, provided | ||||
that during the years 1984 through 1991 those drivers issued a | ||||
license for 3 years may be re-examined not less than every 7 | ||||
years or more than every 10 years. | ||||
The Secretary of State shall require the testing of the | ||||
eyesight of any driver's license or permit applicant who has | ||||
not been previously licensed as a driver under the laws of this | ||||
State and shall promulgate rules and regulations to provide | ||||
for the orderly administration of all the provisions of this | ||
Section. | ||
The Secretary of State shall include at least one test | ||
question that concerns the provisions of the Pedestrians with | ||
Disabilities Safety Act in the question pool used for the | ||
written portion of the driver's license examination within one | ||
year after July 22, 2010 (the effective date of Public Act | ||
96-1167). | ||
The Secretary of State shall include, in the question pool | ||
used for the written portion of the driver's license | ||
examination, test questions concerning safe driving in the | ||
presence of bicycles, of which one may be concerning the Dutch | ||
Reach method as described in Section 2-112. | ||
The Secretary of State shall include, in the question pool | ||
used for the written portion of the driver's license | ||
examination, at least one test question concerning driver | ||
responsibilities when approaching a stationary emergency | ||
vehicle as described in Section 11-907. If an applicant gives | ||
an incorrect response to a test question concerning subsection | ||
(c) of Section 11-907, Section 11-907.5, or subsection (a-1) | ||
of Section 11-908, then the Secretary of State shall provide | ||
the applicant with information concerning those Sections. | ||
(b) Except as provided for those applicants in paragraph | ||
(c), such examination shall include a test of the applicant's | ||
eyesight, his or her ability to read and understand official | ||
traffic control devices, his or her knowledge of safe driving | ||
practices and the traffic laws of this State, and may include | ||
an actual demonstration of the applicant's ability to exercise | ||
ordinary and reasonable control of the operation of a motor | ||
vehicle, and such further physical and mental examination as | ||
the Secretary of State finds necessary to determine the | ||
applicant's fitness to operate a motor vehicle safely on the | ||
highways, except the examination of an applicant 75 years of | ||
age or older or, if the Secretary adopts rules under Section 37 | ||
of the Secretary of State Act to raise the age requirement for | ||
actual demonstrations, the examination of an applicant who has | ||
attained that increased age or is older shall include an | ||
actual demonstration of the applicant's ability to exercise | ||
ordinary and reasonable control of the operation of a motor | ||
vehicle. All portions of written and verbal examinations under | ||
this Section, excepting where the English language appears on | ||
facsimiles of road signs, may be given in the Spanish language | ||
and, at the discretion of the Secretary of State, in any other | ||
language as well as in English upon request of the examinee. | ||
Deaf persons who are otherwise qualified are not prohibited | ||
from being issued a license, other than a commercial driver's | ||
license, under this Code. | ||
(c) Re-examination for those applicants who at the time of | ||
renewing their driver's license possess a driving record | ||
devoid of any convictions of traffic violations or evidence of | ||
committing an offense for which mandatory revocation would be | ||
required upon conviction pursuant to Section 6-205 at the time | ||
of renewal shall be in a manner prescribed by the Secretary in | ||
order to determine an applicant's ability to safely operate a | ||
motor vehicle, except that every applicant for the renewal of | ||
a driver's license who is 75 years of age or older or, if the | ||
Secretary adopts rules under Section 37 of the Secretary of | ||
State Act to raise the age requirement for actual | ||
demonstrations, every applicant for the renewal of a driver's | ||
license who has attained that increased age or is older must | ||
prove, by an actual demonstration, the applicant's ability to | ||
exercise reasonable care in the safe operation of a motor | ||
vehicle. | ||
(d) In the event the applicant is not ineligible under the | ||
provisions of Section 6-103 to receive a driver's license, the | ||
Secretary of State shall make provision for giving an | ||
examination, either in the county where the applicant resides | ||
or at a place adjacent thereto reasonably convenient to the | ||
applicant, within not more than 30 days from the date said | ||
application is received. | ||
(e) The Secretary of State may adopt rules regarding the | ||
use of foreign language interpreters during the application | ||
and examination process. | ||
(Source: P.A. 103-140, eff. 6-30-23.) | ||