625 ILCS 5/ Illinois Vehicle Code.

(625 ILCS 5/6-406) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-406)

Sec. 6-406. Required Facilities.

(a) The established place of business of each driver training school must consist of at least the following permanent facilities:

(1) An office facility;

(2) A class room facility.

(b) The main class room facility of each driver training school must be reasonably accessible to the main office facility of the driver training school.

(c) All class room facilities must have adequate lighting, heating, ventilation, and must comply with all state, and local laws relating to public health, safety and sanitation.

(d) The main office facility and branch office facility of each driver training school must contain sufficient space, equipment, records and personnel to carry on the business of the driver training school. The main office facility must be specifically devoted to driver training school business.

(e) A driver training school which as an established place of business and a main office facility, may operate a branch office or a branch class room provided that all the requirements for the main office or main class room are met and that such branch office bears the same name and is operated as a part of the same business entity as the main office facility.

(f) No driver training school may share any main or branch facility or facilities with any other driver training school.

(Source: P.A. 96-740, eff. 1-1-10; 96-962, eff. 7-2-10.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-407) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-407)

Sec. 6-407. Locations and State Facilities. No office or place of business of a driver training school shall be established within 1,500 feet of any building used as an office by any department of the Secretary of State having to do with the administration of any laws relating to motor vehicles, nor may any driving school solicit or advertise for business within 1,500 feet of any building used as an office by the Secretary of State having to do with the administration of any laws relating to motor vehicles.

(Source: P.A. 96-740, eff. 1-1-10; 96-962, eff. 7-2-10.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-408) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-408)

Sec. 6-408. Records. All driver training schools licensed by the Secretary of State must maintain a permanent record of instructions given to each student. The record must contain the name of the school and the name of the student, the number of all licenses or permits held by the student, the type and date of instruction given, whether class room or behind the wheel, and the signature of the instructor.

All permanent student instruction records must be kept on file in the main office of each driver training school for a period of 3 calendar years after the student has ceased taking instruction at or with the school.

The records should show the fees and charges of the school and also the record should show the course content and instructions given to each student.

(Source: P.A. 96-740, eff. 1-1-10; 96-962, eff. 7-2-10.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-408.5)

Sec. 6-408.5. Courses for students or high school dropouts; limitation.

(a) No driver training school or driving training instructor licensed under this Act may request a certificate of completion from the Secretary of State as provided in Section 6-411 for any person who is enrolled as a student in any public or non-public secondary school at the time such instruction is to be provided, or who was so enrolled during the semester last ended if that instruction is to be provided between semesters or during the summer after the regular school term ends, unless that student has received a passing grade in at least 8 courses during the 2 semesters last ending prior to requesting a certificate of completion from the Secretary of State for the student.

(b) No driver training school or driving training instructor licensed under this Act may request a certificate of completion from the Secretary of State as provided in Section 6-411 for any person who has dropped out of school and has not yet attained the age of 18 years unless the driver training school or driving training instructor has: 1) obtained written documentation verifying the dropout's enrollment in a high school equivalency testing or alternative education program or has obtained a copy of the dropout's State of Illinois High School Diploma; 2) obtained verification that the student prior to dropping out had received a passing grade in at least 8 courses during the 2 previous semesters last ending prior to requesting a certificate of completion; or 3) obtained written consent from the dropout's parents or guardians and the regional superintendent.

(c) Students shall be informed of the eligibility requirements of this Act in writing at the time of registration.

(d) The superintendent of schools of the school district in which the student resides and attends school or in which the student resides at the time he or she drops out of school (with respect to a public high school student or a dropout from the public high school) or the chief school administrator (with respect to a student who attends a non-public high school or a dropout from a non-public high school) may waive the requirements of this Section if the superintendent or chief school administrator, as the case may be, deems it to be in the best interests of the student or dropout. Before requesting a certificate of completion from the Secretary of State for any person who is enrolled as a student in any public or non-public secondary school or who was so enrolled in the semester last ending prior to the request for a certificate of completion from the Secretary of State or who is of high school age, the driver training school shall determine from the school district in which that person resides or resided at the time of dropping out of school, or from the chief administrator of the non-public high school attended or last attended by such person, as the case may be, that such person is not ineligible to receive a certificate of completion under this Section.

(Source: P.A. 102-1100, eff. 1-1-23.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-409) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-409)

Sec. 6-409. Display of License. Each driver training school must display at a prominent place in its main office all of the following:

(a) The State license issued to the school;

(b) The names and addresses and State instructors licenses of all instructors employed by the school;

(c) The address of all branch offices and branch class rooms.

(Source: P.A. 96-740, eff. 1-1-10; 96-962, eff. 7-2-10.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-410) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-410)

Sec. 6-410. Vehicle inspections. The Department of Transportation shall provide for the inspection of all motor vehicles used for driver training, and shall issue a safety inspection sticker provided:

(a) The motor vehicle has been inspected by the Department and found to be in safe mechanical condition;

(b) The motor vehicle is equipped with dual control brakes and a mirror on each side of the motor vehicle so located as to reflect to the driver a view of the highway for a distance of at least 200 feet to the rear of such motor vehicle; and

(c) The motor vehicle is equipped with a sign or signs visible from the front and the rear in letters no less than 2 inches tall, listing the full name of the driver training school which has registered and insured the motor vehicle.

(Source: P.A. 96-740, eff. 1-1-10; 96-962, eff. 7-2-10.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-411) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-411)

Sec. 6-411. Qualifications of Driver Training Instructors. In order to qualify for a license as an instructor for a driving school, an applicant must:

(a) Be of good moral character;

(b) Authorize an investigation to include a fingerprint based background check to determine if the applicant has ever been convicted of a crime and if so, the disposition of those convictions; this authorization shall indicate the scope of the inquiry and the agencies which may be contacted. Upon this authorization the Secretary of State may request and receive information and assistance from any federal, state or local governmental agency as part of the authorized investigation. Each applicant shall submit his or her fingerprints to the Illinois State Police in the form and manner prescribed by the Illinois State Police. These fingerprints shall be checked against the fingerprint records now and hereafter filed in the Illinois State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records databases. The Illinois State Police shall charge a fee for conducting the criminal history records check, which shall be deposited in the State Police Services Fund and shall not exceed the actual cost of the records check. The applicant shall be required to pay all related fingerprint fees including, but not limited to, the amounts established by the Illinois State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation to process fingerprint based criminal background investigations. The Illinois State Police shall provide information concerning any criminal convictions, and their disposition, brought against the applicant upon request of the Secretary of State when the request is made in the form and manner required by the Illinois State Police. Unless otherwise prohibited by law, the information derived from this investigation including the source of this information, and any conclusions or recommendations derived from this information by the Secretary of State shall be provided to the applicant, or his designee, upon request to the Secretary of State, prior to any final action by the Secretary of State on the application. At any administrative hearing held under Section 2-118 of this Code relating to the denial, cancellation, suspension, or revocation of a driver training school license, the Secretary of State is authorized to utilize at that hearing any criminal histories, criminal convictions, and disposition information obtained under this Section. Any criminal convictions and their disposition information obtained by the Secretary of State shall be confidential and may not be transmitted outside the Office of the Secretary of State, except as required herein, and may not be transmitted to anyone within the Office of the Secretary of State except as needed for the purpose of evaluating the applicant. The information obtained from this investigation may be maintained by the Secretary of State or any agency to which such information was transmitted. Only information and standards which bear a reasonable and rational relation to the performance of a driver training instructor shall be used by the Secretary of State. Any employee of the Secretary of State who gives or causes to be given away any confidential information concerning any criminal charges and their disposition of an applicant shall be guilty of a Class A misdemeanor unless release of such information is authorized by this Section;

(c) Pass such examination as the Secretary of State shall require on (1) traffic laws, (2) safe driving practices, (3) operation of motor vehicles, and (4) qualifications of teacher;

(d) Be physically able to operate safely a motor vehicle and to train others in the operation of motor vehicles. An instructors license application must be accompanied by a medical examination report completed by a competent physician licensed to practice in the State of Illinois;

(e) Hold a valid Illinois drivers license;

(f) Have graduated from an accredited high school after at least 4 years of high school education or the equivalent; and

(g) Pay to the Secretary of State an application and license fee of $70.

If a driver training school class room instructor teaches an approved driver education course, as defined in Section 1-103 of this Code, to students under 18 years of age, he or she shall furnish to the Secretary of State a certificate issued by the State Board of Education that the said instructor is qualified and meets the minimum educational standards for teaching driver education courses in the local public or parochial school systems, except that no State Board of Education certification shall be required of any instructor who teaches exclusively in a commercial driving school. On and after July 1, 1986, the existing rules and regulations of the State Board of Education concerning commercial driving schools shall continue to remain in effect but shall be administered by the Secretary of State until such time as the Secretary of State shall amend or repeal the rules in accordance with the Illinois Administrative Procedure Act. Upon request, the Secretary of State shall issue a certificate of completion to a student under 18 years of age who has completed an approved driver education course at a commercial driving school.

(Source: P.A. 102-538, eff. 8-20-21.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-412) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-412)

Sec. 6-412. Issuance of Licenses to Driver Training Schools and Driver Training Instructors. The Secretary of State shall issue a license certificate to each applicant to conduct a driver training school or to each driver training instructor when the Secretary of State is satisfied that such person has met the qualifications required under this Act.

(Source: P.A. 96-740, eff. 1-1-10; 96-962, eff. 7-2-10.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-413) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-413)

Sec. 6-413. Expiration of Licenses. All outstanding licenses issued to any driver training school or driver training instructor under this Act shall expire by operation of law 24 months from the date of issuance, unless sooner cancelled, suspended or revoked under the provisions of Section 6-420.

(Source: P.A. 96-740, eff. 1-1-10; 96-962, eff. 7-2-10.)

(625 ILCS 5/6-414) (from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 6-414)

Sec. 6-414. Renewal of Licenses. The license of each driver training school may be renewed subject to the same conditions as the original license, and upon the payment of a renewal license fee of $500 and $50 for each renewal of a branch application.

(Source: P.A. 96-740, eff. 1-1-10; 96-962, eff. 7-2-10.)