§ 6-104 — Classification of Driver - Special Restrictions

(a) A driver's license issued under the authority of this Act shall indicate the classification for which the applicant therefor has qualified by examination or by such other means that the Secretary of State shall prescribe. Driver's license classifications shall be prescribed by rule or regulation promulgated by the Secretary of State and such may specify classifications as to operation of motor vehicles of the first division, or of those of the second division, whether operated singly or in lawful combination, and whether for-hire or not-for-hire, and may specify such other classifications as the Secretary deems necessary. No person shall operate a motor vehicle unless such person has a valid license with a proper classification to permit the operation of such vehicle, except that any person may operate a moped if such person has a valid current Illinois driver's license, regardless of classification. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Code or any rule adopted under this Code, a nonresident who is employed as a public safety worker, as defined in Section 6-117.2, may operate in this State an authorized emergency vehicle, as defined in Section 1-105, if the nonresident possesses the license class required by the nonresident's state of residence to operate similar equipment. (b) No person who is under the age of 21 years or has had less than 1 year of driving experience shall drive: (1) in connection with the operation of any school, day camp, summer camp, or nursery school, any public or private motor vehicle for transporting children to or from any school, day camp, summer camp, or nursery school, or (2) any motor vehicle of the second division when in use for the transportation of persons for compensation. (c) No person who is under the age of 18 years shall be issued a license for the purpose of transporting property for hire, or for the purpose of transporting persons for compensation in a motor vehicle of the first division. (d) No person shall drive: (1) a school bus when transporting school children unless such person possesses a valid school bus driver permit or is accompanied and supervised, for the specific purpose of training prior to routine operation of a school bus, by a person who has held a valid school bus driver permit for at least one year; or (2) any other vehicle owned or operated by or for a public or private school, or a school operated by a religious institution, where such vehicle is being used over a regularly scheduled route for the transportation of persons enrolled as a student in grade 12 or below, in connection with any activity of the entities unless such person possesses a valid school bus driver permit. (d-5) No person may drive a bus that does not meet the special requirements for school buses provided in Sections 12-801, 12-802, 12-803, and 12-805 of this Code that has been chartered for the sole purpose of transporting students regularly enrolled in grade 12 or below to or from interscholastic athletic or interscholastic or school sponsored activities unless the person has a valid and properly classified commercial driver's license as provided in subsection (c-1) of Section 6-508 of this Code in addition to any other permit or license that is required to operate that bus. This subsection (d-5) does not apply to any bus driver employed by a public transportation provider authorized to conduct local or interurban transportation of passengers when the bus is not traveling a specific school bus route but is on a regularly scheduled route for the transporting of other fare paying passengers. A person may operate a chartered bus described in this subsection (d-5) if he or she is not disqualified from driving a chartered bus of that type and if he or she holds a CDL that is: (1) issued to him or her by any other state or jurisdiction in accordance with 49 CFR 383; (2) not suspended, revoked, or canceled; and (3) valid under 49 CFR 383, subpart F, for the type of vehicle being driven. A person may also operate a chartered bus described in this subsection (d-5) if he or she holds a valid CDL and a valid school bus driver permit that was issued on or before December 31, 2003. (e) No person shall drive a religious organization bus unless such person has a valid and properly classified drivers license or a valid school bus driver permit. (f) No person shall drive a motor vehicle for the purpose of providing transportation for the elderly in connection with the activities of any public or private organization unless such person has a valid and properly classified driver's license issued by the Secretary of State. (g) No person shall drive a bus which meets the special requirements for school buses provided in Section 12-801, 12-802, 12-803 and 12-805 of this Code for the purpose of transporting persons 18 years of age or less in connection with any youth camp licensed under the Youth Camp Act or any child care facility licensed under the Child Care Act of 1969 unless such person possesses a valid school bus driver permit or is accompanied and supervised, for the specific purpose of training prior to routine operation of a school bus, by a person who has held a valid school bus driver permit for at least one year; however, a person who has a valid and properly classified driver's license issued by the Secretary of State may operate a school bus for the purpose of transporting persons 18 years of age or less in connection with any such youth camp or child care facility if the "SCHOOL BUS" signs are covered or concealed and the stop signal arm and flashing signal systems are not operable through normal controls. (h) No person shall operate an autocycle unless he or she has a valid Class D driver's license.

Legislative History

(Source: P.A. 104-87, eff. 1-1-26 .)