Do I Have to Take a Driving Test at 75?

🔑 10 Key Takeaways (Quick Answers)

There is no federal law requiring a driving test at age 75. Driver licensing is entirely controlled by individual states—period.

Only one state ever required a road test solely because of age—Illinois—and they just raised that threshold from 79 to 87, effective July 2026.

Most states do require a vision test for drivers 75 and older at renewal, but that’s not a behind-the-wheel driving exam.

Viral social media posts about sweeping federal mandates for senior drivers are completely fabricated. Snopes confirmed them as misinformation.

Drivers aged 75+ actually have a lower crash rate per 1,000 licensed drivers than every age group between 16 and 74 in Illinois’s data.

41 states require some form of vision screening at license renewal, though age triggers vary wildly from state to state.

Taking a defensive driving course like the Aarp Smart Driver program can earn you insurance discounts of up to 5% for three years.

Shorter renewal cycles (every 2–5 years instead of 8) are the most common age-related requirement—not a road test.

A family reporting system is now being introduced in states like Illinois, allowing relatives to confidentially flag concerns about a loved one’s driving.

The Real Id deadline passed on May 7, 2025—and that affects every driver, not just seniors. If your license lacks the gold star, fix it before your next flight.

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🚗 No, There Is No Mandatory Driving Test at 75 in America

Let’s get this out of the way immediately: no U.S. state currently requires every 75-year-old to take a behind-the-wheel driving test just for turning 75. This is one of the most persistent myths in senior driving, and it refuses to die.

Driver licensing remains under complete state control, and no federal mandate exists or is planned for 2026 that would create nationwide senior driving standards. The panic-inducing headlines about federal senior driving mandates were never real—they were clickbait designed to exploit fears.

What does happen at 75 in many states is far less dramatic: you might need to renew your license in person instead of online, take a basic vision screening, or renew on a shorter cycle. That’s it.

Requirement	At age 75?	How common?	💡 Reality check
🚫 Mandatory road test	Almost never	Only Illinois (and that’s changing)	Myth is way bigger than reality
👁️ Vision screening	Very common	41 states require it at various ages	Quick, painless eye check
📝 Written knowledge test	Rare	A few states may request one	Usually only if flagged
🏢 In-person renewal	Common	Growing number of states	No more renewing by mail
⏱️ Shorter renewal cycle	Common	Many states shorten to 2–5 years	More frequent trips to the Dmv

💡 Pro tip: Your state’s Dmv website is the only trustworthy source for your specific requirements. Ignore anything you read on social media that claims a “new federal law” is coming.

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🏛️ Illinois Just Did Something Massive—and It’s Great News for Seniors

Here’s a development that actually matters. Governor JB Pritzker signed the Road Safety and Fairness Act, which passed with 70 percent of lawmakers signing on as co-sponsors and takes effect July 1, 2026.

What changed? Illinois raised its mandatory road test age from 79 to 87, meaning drivers between 79 and 86 will no longer face automatic driving tests. This is a seismic shift because Illinois was the only state in the nation that required a behind-the-wheel driving test for seniors based on age alone.

And here’s the statistic that drove the change: the crash rate for drivers 75 and older in Illinois is 24.61 per 1,000 drivers, which is lower than every age range of drivers between 16 and 74 years old.

Read that again. Drivers aged 75 and older are statistically safer than younger drivers. The data simply did not support punishing seniors with mandatory road tests.

Illinois change	Before July 2026	After July 2026	🎯 Impact
Mandatory road test age	79+	87+	Huge relief for drivers 79–86
Vision test required	Yes, at 75+	Yes, still required	No change here
Family reporting system	Not available	Now available ✅	Relatives can flag concerns
Written test	Possible if violations exist	Same	Only triggered by driving record

💡 Pro tip: Even if you live in Illinois and are under 87, keep your driving skills sharp. The new law also introduced a family reporting system where immediate relatives can confidentially report concerns about cognitive decline to the Dmv.

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👁️ What Most States Actually Require: Vision Tests, Not Road Tests

The most common age-related requirement across America isn’t a driving test at all—it’s an eye exam. And honestly? That’s something every driver of every age should be doing regularly.

Several studies have shown that higher levels of physical, cognitive, or visual impairment among older drivers are associated with increased risk of crash involvement. Vision screenings at renewal are the states’ way of catching issues before they become dangerous.

Here’s how a handful of major states handle things for drivers around age 75:

State	Vision test at 75?	Road test at 75?	Renewal cycle	📋 Special notes
California	Yes ✅	Only if flagged	Every 5 years (in person at 70+)	Written test also required
Florida	Yes ✅	No	Every 6 years (at 80+)	Was 8 years; shortened for 80+
Texas	Yes ✅ (at 70+)	No	Varies	Additional screening possible at 80+
Georgia	Yes ✅ (at 64+)	No	Standard cycle	Vision exam every renewal from 64
New York	No special requirement	No	Every 8 years	Same rules for all ages
Illinois	Yes ✅	Only at 87+ (after July 2026)	Every 2–3 years at 75+	Major reform just signed

💡 Pro tip: If you wear glasses or contacts, bring them to your renewal appointment. Failing a vision screening doesn’t automatically mean losing your license—it often just means you need an updated prescription from your eye doctor.

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📱 That Viral “New Federal Senior Driving Law” Is Completely Fake

We need to address this head-on because it’s causing real panic among older Americans and their families.

Social media posts claiming major federal changes to senior driving laws spread rapidly in mid-2025, but these were largely fabricated claims that appeared on questionable websites. The false stories described a tiered system with mandatory annual driving tests, cognitive exams, and strict new federal requirements. Snopes fact-checkers determined these claims were false.

Here’s how to spot the misinformation:

🚩 Red flag	What the fake posts claim	What’s actually true
“New federal law”	Nationwide driving tests for all 70+	No such law exists or is planned
“Annual road tests”	Every senior must test yearly	Only Illinois requires road tests by age—and only at 87+
“Cognitive exams”	Mandatory brain testing at Dmv	No state currently mandates cognitive testing at renewal
“License revocation at 75”	Automatic loss at a certain age	No state automatically revokes licenses by age alone

💡 Pro tip: If a headline about senior driving laws doesn’t link to an official state Dmv website or a verified government source, treat it with extreme skepticism. The websites spreading this misinformation often have suspicious names and no verifiable editorial staff.

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📊 The Numbers Don’t Lie: Seniors Are Safer Than You Think

One of the most overlooked facts in this entire conversation is that older drivers are, in many ways, among the safest on the road. The data from federal agencies paints a very different picture than the fear-driven headlines.

In 2023, the older population traffic fatality rate per 100,000 was 13.32, a decrease of 5% from the prior year. Meanwhile, older drivers had the lowest percentage of speeding drivers involved in fatal traffic crashes at 8%, compared to all other age groups.

There were approximately 35 million licensed drivers aged 70 and older in 2023, and the proportion of the 70-and-older population with licenses went from 73% in 1997 to 88% in 2023.

Age-related driving stat	What the data shows	🔍 Source
Crash rate for 75+ (Illinois)	Lower than all age groups 16–74	Illinois Dept. of Transportation, 2023
Speeding in fatal crashes (65+)	Lowest of any age group at 8%	Nhtsa, 2023 data
Fatal crash involvement trend	1% decrease from 2022 to 2023	Nhtsa Traffic Safety Facts
Licensed drivers 70+	35 million and growing	Federal Highway Administration, 2025
Population share driving 70+	88% of 70+ are now licensed	Fhwa, 2023

The real risk factors for older drivers aren’t about age itself—they’re about specific functional declines in vision, reaction time, and cognitive processing that affect individuals differently. That’s exactly why blanket age-based road tests are considered a blunt and often unfair tool.

💡 Pro tip: The biggest danger zones for senior drivers are left turns, merging onto highways, and driving at night. If you self-limit in those situations, you’re already practicing the kind of targeted safety that experts recommend.

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🛡️ Smart Moves to Protect Your License (and Your Confidence)

Instead of worrying about whether the government will test you, here’s what actually keeps you driving safely and legally for as long as possible.

Get your eyes checked annually. Not just for your license—but for your life. Age-related macular degeneration, glaucoma, and cataracts can creep up without obvious symptoms.

Take a defensive driving refresher course. Nine out of ten drivers report improving their driving confidence after taking the Aarp Smart Driver course. Completing the course can earn you a discount of up to 5% on your car insurance for the next three years. At around $25–$30, it’s one of the best investments you can make.

Talk to your doctor about medications. Many older drivers take medications which can impair driving ability at any age but can be especially impairing for an older person. Blood pressure pills, sleep aids, antihistamines, and even some pain medications can slow reaction time.

Self-assess honestly. Are you getting honked at more? Missing turns? Feeling anxious at intersections? These aren’t signs of “getting old”—they’re signals worth investigating with your doctor.

🛡️ Protective action	Why it matters	Cost/effort
Annual eye exam	Catches vision decline early	Low cost; often covered by insurance
Defensive driving course	Refreshes skills + insurance discount	~$25–$30, 4–8 hours
Medication review with doctor	Identifies drugs that impair driving	Free at regular checkup
Vehicle safety features	Blind-spot detection, auto-braking help	Varies; many new cars have them standard
Honest self-assessment	Catches warning signs before others do	Free; requires only courage
Real Id upgrade	Required for flying since May 2025	Free or small fee at Dmv

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❓ Frequently Asked Questions

Do I automatically lose my license at 75? Absolutely not. No state in America automatically revokes a driver’s license based solely on age. You may face additional requirements at renewal—like a vision test or in-person visit—but your license doesn’t expire just because you had a birthday.

Which states are the strictest for senior drivers? Illinois has historically been the strictest (the only state requiring road tests by age), but even they just loosened requirements dramatically. California requires in-person renewals with written and vision tests at 70+. Florida tightens renewal cycles at 80+. Most other states rely primarily on vision screenings.

Can my family report me to the Dmv? It depends on your state. Illinois just introduced a family reporting system under the Road Safety and Fairness Act. Many other states allow anyone—including doctors, law enforcement, or family members—to submit a request for a driving review. This typically triggers an evaluation, not an automatic revocation.

Is a vision test the same as a driving test? Not at all. A vision test takes about 60 seconds and checks whether you can see well enough to drive safely. A driving test (road test) involves getting in a car with an examiner and demonstrating your actual driving skills. Most states require the former for seniors, not the latter.

What if I fail the vision test at the Dmv? Failing a vision screening usually means you need to visit an eye doctor, get a corrective prescription, and come back. It doesn’t mean your license is gone forever. Many seniors simply need an updated pair of glasses.

Should I voluntarily stop driving at a certain age? There’s no magic number. Some 90-year-olds drive perfectly safely, while some 65-year-olds shouldn’t be behind the wheel. The decision should be based on your individual health, vision, reaction time, and cognitive function—not a number on your birth certificate.

Does taking the Aarp Smart Driver course help at the Dmv? The course doesn’t replace any Dmv requirements, but it refreshes your skills, boosts your confidence, and qualifies you for multi-year insurance discounts in most states. It’s designed specifically for drivers aged 50 and older and covers everything from new road technology to age-related driving adjustments.

What is Real Id and do I need it? Real Id is a federal identification standard that became mandatory on May 7, 2025 for domestic air travel and entering certain federal facilities. It applies to all drivers, not just seniors. Check if your license has a gold or black star in the corner—if not, you’ll need to upgrade at your Dmv or carry a passport when flying.

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🎯 The Bottom Line

Turning 75 does not mean you have to take a driving test. It doesn’t mean the government is revoking your license. And it certainly doesn’t mean your driving days are numbered.

What it does mean is that you should stay proactive: get your eyes checked, review your medications with your doctor, consider a refresher course, and know exactly what your state requires at renewal. The seniors who keep driving safely well into their 80s and beyond are the ones who take ownership of their health behind the wheel—not the ones who wait for a bureaucrat to tell them what to do.

Your independence matters. Your safety matters. And the data shows that the vast majority of 75-year-old drivers are doing just fine.