Illinois
Below is a list of the key highway safety laws in Illinois. For more information, contact the Illinois Division of Traffic Safety.
| No state law |
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Hand-held Ban | All Cell Phone Ban | Text Messaging Ban | Crash Data |
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| School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | All Drivers | School Bus Drivers | Novice Drivers | |||||
| See footnote | Yes (Primary) |
<19 (Primary) |
Yes (Primary) |
Covered under all driver ban | Yes | ||||
Illinois bans the use of hand-held cell phones while driving in a school zone or in a highway construction zone.
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Child Restraint Required unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Adult Safety Belt Permissible unless indicated, # refers to Yrs.(Lbs.) |
Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| <7 | 8 - 15; >40 lbs. in rear seat if only lap belt available | $75 ($200 for subsequent offenses) |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Per Se Laws for Drugs (Forbidding Prohibited Substances in Driver's Body) | DEC/DRE Programs (Providing Law Enforcement Training) |
| Yes | Yes |
Source: State Highway Safety Office.
| Inc. Penalty for High BAC | Admin. License Susp. on 1st Offense | Limited Driving Privileges During Susp. | Ignition Interlocks | Vehicle and License Plate Sanctions | Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment | |||
| *Meeting Federal Requirements | ||||||||
| .16 | 6 months | After 30 days | Mandatory for all convictions | Impoundment, vehicle confiscation | Yes | Yes | ||
Sources: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Learner Stage | Intermediate Stage | Full Privilege Min. Age (Years/ Months) |
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| Min. Age (Years/ Months) |
Min. Duration (Months) |
Required Supervised Driving Hours (Night Hours) |
Min. Age (Years/ Months) |
Nighttime Driving Restriction | Passenger Restriction (except family, unless noted) |
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| 15 | 9 | 50 (10) | 16 | Su-Th 10 p.m. - 6 a.m. Fr-Sa 11 p.m. - 6 a.m. |
First 12 mos.–no more than 1 <20 | Night: 18 | |
| Passenger: 17 |
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Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Motorcyclists | Bicyclists | ||
| Universal Helmet Law (Year Enacted) | Partial Law | Universal Helmet Law Repealed | |
| 1970 | |||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Length of Regular Renewal Cycle (Yrs.) | Provisions for Mature Drivers |
| 4 | >81-86: renewal every
2 yrs. >87: renewal every year >75: road test |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Type of Law | Who is Covered (Yrs.) | In What Seat | Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| Primary | <18, if driver <18 | All | $25 plus court costs |
| >16 | Front | ||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway and State Highway Safety Office.
| State Law |
| Permitted |
Sources: Segway LLC and State Highway Safety Office.
| Checkpoints Conducted? | Frequency | Legality |
| Yes | Several hundred per year | Upheld under federal Constitution |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Rural Interstates | Urban Interstates | Other Limited Access Roads | |||
| Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
Cars (mph) |
Trucks (mph) |
| 65 | 65 | 55 | 55 | 65 | 55 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Violation / State Law | Permitted Locations/Criteria | Citation Issued To / Liability | Image Taken | Penalties (Traditional Penalties) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Speed: Limited | Construction zones or toll roads. Local use prohibited. State use only when officer is present and witnesses the event. | Registered owner/ Driver |
Tag and driver | $250 or 25 hrs. community service ($250 mandatory; 20 points) |
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| Red light: Limited | Local ordinance required | Registered owner/ Owner |
2 or more images of vehicle and tag | $100 or traffic education program; not moving violation or record offense ($500 max.; 20 points) |
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| Rail crossing: Limited | Local ordinance required; in cooperation w/ IL DOT and IL Commerce Commission | Registered owner/ Driver (owner if driver not identified by owner) |
Vehicle, driver and tag | $250 or 25 hrs. community service ($250 max. 1st offense; $500 subsequent, w/ discretionary 6 month suspension |
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Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Office.
| Violations Affected | Enhanced Penalties | Workers Must Be Present | Signs Must Be Present |
| Speeding | $375 (1st offense); $1,000 (subsequent offenses) | No | Yes |
Sources: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and State Highway Safety Office.