Section 1060.71  Adult Driver Education Course Certification

a)         Certification of Provider – Any entity that desires to offer an adult driver education course in a classroom setting, as provided in Section 6-107.5 of the IVC,  must be licensed as a commercial driver training school and be certified as an adult driver education provider by the Secretary of State through the Department before instruction can be offered or advertised. Any entity that is licensed as a commercial driver training school and is accredited to provide teen instruction shall be certified to offer adult driver education. 

1)         Upon receipt of a Secretary of State application to provide adult driver education, the Secretary of State shall investigate the applicant and verify the information contained in the application.  A Secretary of State employee shall contact the applicant and make an appointment to inspect the applicant's proposed classroom facilities.  At the time of inspection, the Secretary of State employee shall verify that the applicant meets the standards for adult driver education course certification set forth in this Section, in addition to all other applicable Sections within this Part.  Upon request, these standards shall be furnished to the applicant by the Secretary of State before the visit.  If all qualifications and standards are met, the applicant shall be certified to offer the adult driver education course.  An applicant is exempt from the inspection requirement if, at the time of application to provide adult driver education, the applicant is licensed by the Secretary to provide the classroom portion of driver education under this Part.

2)         Certification is renewable upon the expiration date of the commercial driver training school license, provided all qualifications and standards are met and the commercial driver training school has been and is in compliance with this Part.

3)         Only qualified personnel who hold a valid commercial driver training school instructor license may teach the adult driver education course.

4)         Prior to certification, providers must submit a copy of their adult driver education course content to the Commercial Driver Training School Section for review and approval, including the questions and answers on the final examination. 

5)         Providers must utilize only the approved course content, which shall be enforced by the Secretary by unannounced inspections of the provider's classroom facilities.

6)         If a provider wishes to substantially change its course content, a copy of the proposed course content must be submitted to the Commercial Driver Training School Section for review and approval. 

7)         Providers must monitor the Illinois General Assembly and update their course content to include any new laws regarding the rules of the road or operation of motor vehicles. This update shall be submitted to the Commercial Driver Training School Section for review and approval within 60 days after the effective date of the law change. 

b)         Required Facilities – All adult driver education course providers, except those providers that offer adult driver education solely through an online course must provide classroom facilities prescribed in IVC Sections 6-406 and 6-407 and Section 1060.50 of this Part.

c)         Required Course of Instruction:

1)         Providers must provide 6 hours of classroom instruction in accordance with Section 1060.72. 

2)         Each student must complete the 6 hours of instruction within 30 days after commencement of the class. 

3)         Students must make up any class or portion of a class missed.

4)         No more than 90 minutes of instruction may consist of video instruction or animation. 

5)         Providers may use up to 60 minutes of simulators or other interactive modes of instruction.

6)         No course may exceed 30 students unless the size of the classroom exceeds 350 square feet, in which case a maximum of 35 students is allowed.

7)         At the commencement of instruction, the provider must give all students a copy of the current edition of the Illinois Rules of the Road. 

8)         Criteria for passing the course shall be provided to the student prior to the commencement of the course.

9)         Each student shall be informed, prior to the collection of any fees and the time instruction begins, of the amount of any and all fees or charges relative to the adult driver education course, including but not limited to enrollment, tuition, equipment, textbooks and instructional materials.

10)         Instruction shall take place at the dates, times and location designated by the school and agreed to by the student as specified on the Secretary of State enrollment form, unless the course is cancelled and the student is refunded any fees already paid, and each course shall have definitive start and completion dates.

11)         Students must complete a final examination at the end of the course, which shall consist of 20 questions, from a test bank of a minimum of 40 questions.  If the final exam is given by computer, the questions shall be randomized.  If the final exam is given by paper, the provider shall have multiple versions of the test, with questions and answers, if multiple choice, shuffled.  Students shall not be deemed to have passed the course unless they score a minimum of 75% on the final examination. If a student scores less than 75%, the student shall be re-tested, using different questions from the test bank, at no additional charge or fee to the student. The student is not required to repeat the course, but may be allowed to review the course materials prior to retaking the examination. If the student fails the comprehensive final examination 2 times, the student has failed the course.

d)         Records documenting attendance and evaluation of each student shall be maintained by the provider. The records shall also contain the dates and length of time of classroom instruction. Students shall be identified by full name (first, middle and last), address, date of birth, gender and email address.  Schools may not request the social security number of any student.  The records shall be maintained in the office of the main location of the provider for a period of 3 years. 

e)         Within 2 business days after successful completion of an adult driver education course, providers shall electronically transmit to the Secretary the student's full name (first, middle and last), address, date of birth, gender and email address, accompanied by the statutory fee of $5.

f)         Adult driver education course providers who are licensed as commercial driver training schools may also provide an online adult driver education course provided the school complies with the requirements of 92 Ill. Adm. Code 1066.

g)         The Secretary of State shall suspend, revoke, cancel or deny the adult driver education course certification of any provider that fails to comply with any provision of this Part.

(Source:  Added at 38 Ill. Reg. _____, effective 12566__________)