Governor JB Pritzker has signed the Road Safety & Fairness Act into law, a measure championed by Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias and AARP Illinois. This legislation aims to enhance road safety and align Illinois with national standards by removing age-related barriers.
The Act, which passed unanimously in the Illinois House and Senate during the General Assembly’s Spring session, will take effect on July 1, 2026. It introduces procedures allowing immediate relatives to report cognitive or medical concerns about a driver’s ability, regardless of age, to the state for review. Illinois was previously one of only five states lacking such a provision.
Additionally, the legislation raises the age requirement for mandatory behind-the-wheel driving tests from 79 to 87. Illinois is the only state mandating these tests for seniors based on age. According to the Illinois Department of Transportation, drivers 75 and older had a crash rate of 24.61 per 1,000 drivers in 2023, lower than all other age groups between 16 and 74.
This decision follows a temporary measure from the COVID-19 pandemic, which increased the mandatory testing age from 75 to 79. A subsequent study found no significant rise in crash rates for these age groups, leading to the change becoming permanent in 2024.
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