Last spring, the Illinois General Assembly unanimously passed legislation that State Representative Jeff Keicher (R-Sycamore) has been working on for three years to curb an ageist state policy against senior citizen drivers. House Bill 1226, which was reintroduced in partnership with the Illinois Secretary of State’s Office, raises the age for mandatory road tests for older drivers renewing a driver’s license. The bill was signed into law on August 15, 2025, and will go into effect on July 1, 2026.
The bipartisan effort builds upon a proposal Keicher introduced in 2024 to end the discriminatory practice of requiring behind-the-wheel tests for seniors based on age as the sole factor. At that time, the Keicher bill was denied a floor vote so that a Democrat version of the bill could pass instead of his version.
Rep. Keicher was the Chief Co-Sponsor of House Bill 1226, dubbed the Road Safety and Fairness Act. The bill raises the age for mandatory driving tests for older drivers renewing their license to age 87 (from the current age of 79) and creates a system for immediate family members to submit a request to the Secretary of State’s Office to review drivers if they have seen cognitive or medical declines that could prevent them from safely operating a vehicle, regardless of age. Reports deemed credible could require the driver to take written, vision and behind-the-wheel tests to keep their license.
When the bill was signed into law, Keicher said, “Illinois is the only state in the country that requires driving tests based solely on age, even though data has consistently shown older drivers are actually some of the safest on the road. This bill is a long-overdue action to respect our seniors, reduce barriers and annual costs for them to maintain their driving privileges, and see each person as an individual instead of making assumptions about them because of their age.
“I still believe we need to do more so that road tests are determined based on more appropriate factors like driving record and ability to safely operate a vehicle, regardless of age, but this legislation is a critical step forward. I want to thank the Secretary of State’s Office, Sen. Don DeWitte, Reps. Jay Hoffman and Joyce Mason, AARP and all the bipartisan supporters who helped us get this legislation passed through the General Assembly and signed into law.”
For more information about the new law and its impact – Click Here.