You reach an eight-sided red sign. There is no stop line and no crosswalk. Where must you stop?

Before entering the intersection

Anywhere within 50 feet of the sign

Only if you can see cross traffic coming

With your front bumper just inside the intersection

What does a round yellow sign with a black X and the letters RR tell you?

You are on the tracks and must stop now

Railroad tracks that are no longer in use

A road reserved for railroad maintenance vehicles

A five-sided (pentagon) yellow or yellow-green sign warns you about:

A school zone or school crossing

Orange warning signs are usually found:

In construction or maintenance zones

Near parks and recreation areas

At hospital and emergency entrances

On routes used by hazardous materials trucks

A yellow, three-sided sign shaped like a pennant is posted on the left side of a two-lane, two-way road. What does it mean?

The road curves sharply to the left

What is a brown sign used for?

Traffic incidents such as crashes

A pink sign on the highway most likely warns you about:

An unplanned traffic incident, such as a crash or natural disaster

You pass a DO NOT ENTER sign on an expressway ramp and then see a red and white WRONG WAY sign. What does it tell you?

Your vehicle is traveling in the wrong direction

Two cars on different roads arrive at a four-way stop at the same time. Which one goes first?

The car on the right; the car on the left yields

You park facing uphill next to a curb. Which way should you turn your front wheels?

It does not matter if the parking brake is set

If you are under 18, how long must you hold your instruction permit before you can get a driver's license?

At least nine consecutive months

How do you use the three-second rule?

Pick a fixed object; when the car ahead passes it, you should not reach it before you count three seconds

Keep three car lengths between you and the car ahead at any speed

Look in your mirrors every three seconds

Wait three seconds at every stop sign before moving

A 17-year-old driver wants to take a call using a hands-free device. Is this allowed?

No; drivers under 19 may not use a phone at all while driving, except to report an emergency

Only if a licensed adult is in the car

Yes, hands-free calls are allowed at any age

Your car starts to skid. What should you do?

Ease off the gas pedal or brakes and steer in the direction of the skid

Steer in the opposite direction of the skid

Brake hard and hold the pedal down

When must you dim your high beams for an oncoming vehicle?

At least 500 feet before meeting it

At least 100 feet before meeting it

Only when the other driver flashes their lights

At least 200 feet before meeting it

Illinois Permit Practice Test 2026 (Free, Explained)

Illinois permit test format

Section	Questions	Time
Road signs	15	—

Illinois permit test	Official rule
Number of questions	35: 15 traffic sign identification questions and 20 multiple-choice or true-false questions source
Passing score	At least 80% correct: the Class D written test has a minimum of 35 questions, of which 80% must be answered correctly (28 of 35), under 92 Ill. Adm. Code 1030.80(b), amended effective July 1, 2024. The Rules of the Road does not state it source
What the exam covers	Identifying traffic signs by shape, color or symbol; identifying signals and pavement markings; traffic laws, safety rules, crash prevention and vehicle equipment source
Attempts and cheating	Three attempts to pass each exam within one year from the date you paid your application fee. An applicant found cheating fails the exam and cannot retake it for 30 days source
Vision screening	20/40 with or without corrective lenses (20/41 to 20/70 means daylight driving only) and at least 140 degrees of peripheral vision source
Minimum age for a permit	15, if enrolled in an approved driver education course (or starting one within 30 days); 17 years and 3 months without driver education source
Fees	Instruction permit (Class D, original) $20; driver's license $30 (ages 21 to 68) or $5 (ages 18 to 20) source
Permit validity and holding period	Under 18: valid two years and must be held at least nine months before a license. Age 18 and older: valid one year source
Supervising driver	An adult age 21 or older with a valid license for the vehicle and at least one year of driving experience, in the front passenger seat source
Supervised practice (under 18)	At least 50 hours, including 10 hours at night, certified by a parent or legal guardian source
Night limits (under 18)	No driving Sunday to Thursday 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., or Friday and Saturday 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. (local curfews may differ) source
Passengers	Permit: one in the front seat and no more in the back than there are safety belts. First 12 months of a license (or until 18): only one passenger under 20, family excepted source
Phones (under 19)	No cellphone use while driving, not even hands-free, except in an emergency source
Oral exam	The written test can be given orally on request at any Driver Services facility, Monday through Thursday, for applicants with a language barrier or a reading or learning disability source
Handbook edition	Illinois Rules of the Road 2026 (DSD A 112.47, printed July 2026) source

Checked on the official sources on September 30, 2026. Rules change: always confirm on the official site before test day.

Who gives the Illinois permit test

Illinois does not have a "DMV" in the usual sense. Licenses, instruction permits and the written exam are handled by the Illinois Secretary of State, Driver Services Department, at its Driver Services facilities (the Rules of the Road also calls them DMVs). When people search for the "Illinois DMV permit test", this written exam is what they mean.

You take it, together with a vision screening, to get an instruction permit, and adults applying for a first license take it too. The 2026 Rules of the Road says the booklet "contains information you must know to pass the written test on traffic laws and signs", so that booklet is your main study source.

Format of the written exam

	Illinois written exam (Class D)
Questions	35
Road-sign questions	15 of the 35, identifying signs
Other questions	20 multiple-choice or true-false
Passing score	80% (28 of 35), 92 Ill. Adm. Code 1030.80(b)
Attempts	3 per exam within one year of paying the application fee
Vision	20/40 with or without glasses, and 140 degrees of side vision

According to the Rules of the Road, the basic written exam asks you to identify traffic signs by shape, color or symbol, identify signals and pavement markings, and answer multiple-choice and true-or-false questions on traffic laws, safety rules, crash prevention and vehicle equipment.

About the passing score. The handbook and the Rules of the Road Workbook do not state it, but the Illinois Administrative Code does: a Class D applicant takes a written test of at least 35 questions and must answer 80% correctly (92 Ill. Adm. Code 1030.80(b)), which is 28 of 35. No time limit is published. Aim to know every sign and every number in the booklet rather than aiming for the minimum.

Cheating. If an examiner sees an open book, a phone or you looking around, you get a warning. If you are found cheating, you fail and cannot retake the exam for 30 days.

Language and reading help. You can ask in person for an oral exam at any facility, Monday through Thursday, if you have a language barrier or a reading or learning disability. The Secretary of State also publishes a Spanish edition of the manual.

Getting an instruction permit, step by step

Check your age route. At 15 to 17 you must be enrolled in an approved driver education course, or starting one within 30 days. From 17 years and 3 months you can apply without driver education. First-time applicants aged 18 to 20 who were never licensed must take a six-hour Adult Driver Education Course before getting a license.
Gather documents. You need acceptable ID and a Secretary of State application. For a teen, the application must carry the driver education instructor's signature, and a parent or legal guardian must consent.
Pay the fee. An original Class D instruction permit costs $20. If you get your license before the permit expires, you may not need to pay an additional fee.
Pass the vision screening and the written exam at a Driver Services facility.
Practice. Under 18, the permit is valid for two years and must be held for at least nine months. At 18 and older it is valid for one year.

REAL ID does not change any of this. It is just a choice of card: a standard license lets you drive, and REAL ID matters for domestic flights and secure federal facilities.

Rules while you hold a permit (under 18)

These come from Illinois' Graduated Driver Licensing program:

Supervisor: a parent, guardian or responsible adult age 21 or older, with a valid license and at least one year of driving experience, sitting in the front passenger seat.
Practice hours: at least 50 hours, including 10 at night, certified by a parent or guardian.
Night limits: no driving Sunday to Thursday 10 p.m. to 6 a.m., or Friday and Saturday 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. (local curfews may differ).
Passengers: one in the front seat, and no more in the back than there are safety belts.
Phones: drivers under 19 may not use a phone at all while driving, not even hands-free, except in an emergency.
Clean record: no driving convictions during the 9-month permit phase.

Driver education itself includes at least 30 hours of classroom study and six hours behind the wheel. After the license, the first 12 months (or until 18) allow only one passenger under 20 who is not a sibling or child of the driver. A license costs $5 at ages 18 to 20 and $30 at 21 to 68.

Illinois facts that are easy to miss

All from the 2026 Rules of the Road:

Default speed limits: 70 mph on interstates and tollways, 65 on four-lane highways, 55 on other highways, 30 in towns, 15 in alleys, and 20 mph in school zones on school days from 6:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. when children are present.
Signals: at least 100 feet before a turn in business or residential areas, 200 feet elsewhere.
Work zones: the posted limit applies 24 hours a day, with or without workers, and every construction zone is a no passing zone.
School buses: you stop from both directions, except when both of you are on a four-lane road and the bus is on the other side. Passing a stopped bus brings a license suspension and a $300 fine.
Railroads: stop 15 to 50 feet from the crossing when lights flash or gates are down. A crossbuck counts as a yield sign.
Parking: not within 15 feet of a hydrant, 30 feet of a STOP sign or signal, or 50 feet of the nearest rail.
Alcohol: .08% is illegal, and drivers under 21 face a suspension of at least three months for any trace of alcohol.

How to prepare

Start with the free official material. Read the Rules of the Road from chapter 4 onward and answer the study questions at the end of each chapter. Then use the Rules of the Road Workbook to drill signs. Because 15 of the 35 questions are about signs, learn chapter 9 until you can name any sign from its shape and color alone: octagon, triangle, round, diamond, pentagon and pennant, plus the meaning of each color from red to pink.

Numbers come next: distances, speeds, hours and fines. Put them on one page and review it the day before. Many questions are true-false, so read every word. One wrong detail, such as "6 months" instead of "12 months", makes the statement false.

Our practice questions are original, written from the 2026 Rules of the Road, and each explanation gives the chapter and page. Some of our sign questions show a standard sign drawing and others describe the sign in words, so they are not the pictures you will see at the facility. Use them for practice alongside the booklet, not instead of it. The Secretary of State decides what is on your exam.

Frequently asked questions

Is it the DMV or the Secretary of State in Illinois?

Illinois has no separate DMV. Driver's licenses, permits and the written exam are handled by the Illinois Secretary of State's Driver Services Department, whose offices the Rules of the Road calls Driver Services or DMV facilities. Source

How many questions are on the Illinois written test?

The Secretary of State's Rules of the Road Workbook says the written exam has 35 questions: 15 ask you to identify traffic signs, and the other 20 are multiple-choice or true-false questions. Source

What score do I need to pass?

80%. The Illinois Administrative Code (92 Ill. Adm. Code 1030.80(b)) says a Class D applicant takes a written test of at least 35 questions and must answer 80% correctly, which is 28 of 35. The Rules of the Road handbook itself does not state the score. It does say you get three attempts to pass each exam within one year of paying your application fee. Source

Can I get a permit at 15?

Yes, if you are enrolled in an approved driver education course or will start one within 30 days. You must pay the fee and pass the vision screening and the written exam. From 17 years and 3 months, you can apply without driver education. Source

Can I take the test in another language or have it read to me?

Oral exams for the written test can be requested in person at any Secretary of State driver's license facility, Monday through Thursday, for applicants with a language barrier or a reading or learning disability. Interpreter service for applicants who are deaf or hard of hearing should be requested before your visit. Source

Do I need a REAL ID to take the test?

No. REAL ID is only a choice of card. A standard license and a REAL ID both let you drive; REAL ID matters for domestic flights and secure federal facilities, and it needs more documents. Source

What if I am 18 to 20 and never took driver education?

First-time applicants age 18, 19 or 20 who were never licensed and did not complete an approved driver education program must complete a six-hour Adult Driver Education Course from a provider certified by the Secretary of State before getting a license. Source

Other states and road signs

California permit practice test

California DMV

Texas permit practice test

Texas Department of Public Safety

Florida permit practice test

Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV)

New York permit practice test

New York State DMV

Pennsylvania permit practice test

PennDOT Driver and Vehicle Services

Ohio permit practice test

Ohio Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV)

North Carolina permit practice test

North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles (NCDMV)

Georgia permit practice test

Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS)

New Jersey permit practice test

New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission (NJ MVC)

Virginia permit practice test

Virginia Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV)

Tennessee permit practice test

Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security, Driver Services

Michigan permit practice test

Michigan Department of State (Secretary of State)

Road signs practice test

Shapes, colors and meanings

Sources

Illinois Rules of the Road 2026 (DSD A 112.47, printed July 2026, 113-page PDF) — Illinois Secretary of State (checked September 30, 2026)
Illinois Rules of the Road Workbook (DSD DS 9.28, November 2023) — Illinois Secretary of State (checked September 30, 2026)
Instruction Permit Requirements — Illinois Secretary of State, Driver Services (checked September 30, 2026)
Graduated Driver's License — Illinois Secretary of State, Driver Services (checked September 30, 2026)
Fees (driver's license, permits, reinstatement) — Illinois Secretary of State, Driver Services (checked September 30, 2026)
92 Ill. Adm. Code 1030.80, Driver's License Testing/Written Test (amended effective July 1, 2024; read on the web.archive.org capture of June 29, 2025 because ilga.gov did not respond) — Illinois General Assembly, Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (checked September 30, 2026)
Driver's License and State ID Card Information — Illinois Secretary of State, Driver Services (checked September 30, 2026)

passmock is an independent practice resource. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by or connected to the Illinois Secretary of State or its Driver Services Department. Our questions are original practice questions written from the official test description and study materials; they are not questions from the real test.

Illinois permit practice test

Free Illinois permit test practice test (20 questions)