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State Laws & Funding
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 Offices.
| Handheld 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 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 Offices.
| 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 | $50 |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| 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 Offices.
| Admin. License Suspen- sion on 1st Offense |
Limited Driving Privileges During Suspension | Inc. Penalty for High BAC | Open Container Laws | Repeat Offender Laws | Vehicle and License Plate Sanctions | Ignition Interlocks | Alcohol Exclusion Laws Limiting Treatment Opportunity | |
| 3 months | After 30 days | .16 | Yes | Yes | Impoundment, vehicle confiscation | Mandatory for all convictions | ||
Sources: Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Learner Stage | Intermediate Stage | Full Privilege Min. Age (Yrs./Mos.) |
Required Supervised Driving Hours (Night Hours) |
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| Min. Age (Yrs./ Mos.) |
Min. Dura- tion (Mos.) |
Min. Age (Yrs./Mos.) |
Night- time Driving Restriction |
Passenger Restriction* (* family members exempt) |
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| 15 | 9 | 16 | Su-Th 10 p.m. - 6 a.m. Fr-Sa 11 p.m. - 6 a.m. |
First 12 mos.–no more than 1 pass. <20* | Night: 18 | 50 (10) | |
| Passenger: 17 |
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Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| 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 Offices.
| Length of Regular Renewal Cycle (Yrs.) | Provisions for Mature Drivers |
| 4 | Renewal every 2 yrs. for >81-86; renewal every yr. for >87; renewal applicants >75 must take a road test |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Type of Law | Who is Covered (Yrs.) | In What Seat | Maximum Fine 1st Offense |
| Primary | <18, if driver <19 | All | $25 plus court costs |
| >16 | Front | ||
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Permitted on Sidewalks/Bicycle Paths | Permitted on Roads | Helmets Required | Minimum Age | Pedestrian Laws Apply |
| Sidewalks | Yes | Yes | ||
Sources: Segway LLC and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Checkpoints Conducted? | Comments |
| Yes | Several hundred per year |
Sources: Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| 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 Offices.
| State Law | Violations | Location | Citation Issued To / Liability |
Image / Privacy | Penalties (Traditional Penalties) | Defenses |
| Permitted | Speed | Various construction zones or IL Toll Authority roads | Registered owner / Driver | Tag and driver / Avail. only to alleged driver, gov't agencies for adjudicating offense or statistical or other gov't. purpose; admissable in any proceeding resulting from citation | $250 or 25 hrs. community service ($250 mandatory; 20 points) |
Workers not present in zone at time of citation |
| Red light | Various; local ordinance required | Registered owner | 2 or more images of vehicle and tag / Avail. only to alleged driver, gov't agencies for adjudicating offense or statistical or other gov't. purpose; admissable in any proceeding resulting from citation | $100; not a moving violation or record offense ($500 max.; 20 points) |
Cccurred as part of funeral procession; driver yielding to emergency vehicle; vehicle or tags stolen | |
| Rail crossing | Various; cooperation w/ IL DOT and IL Commerce Commis- sion; local ordinance required; pilot program authorized |
Registered owner / Driver (owner if driver not identified by owner) | Vehicle, driver and tag / Avail. only to the alleged driver; state may use images as part of a safety study | $250 or 25 hrs. community service ($250 max. 1st offense; $500 2nd & subsequent offenses, w/ discretionary 6 month suspension |
Owner not driver – owner must identify driver | |
| Speed | Other | Use by local authorities is prohibited. The state may use speed cameras, but only when a law enforcement officer is present and witnesses the event. | ||||
Sources: National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL), Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and State Highway Safety Offices.
| Multiple of Original Fine | Violations Affected | Workers Must Be Present | |
| $375 for a 1st. offense, $1,000 for subsequent offenses | Speeding | No | |
Sources: National Work Zone Safety Information Clearinghouse and State Highway Safety Offices.