Since 2013, Illinois has allowed non-citizens who are temporarily residing in the state and ineligible for a Social Security number to obtain a Temporary Visitor Driver's License. The applicant must be in the country legally through the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services department to get a TVDL.
Along with the Verification of Residency, an applicant must provide documents in four categories. The Verification of Residency shows the applicant has lived in Illinois for the last 12 months. The Secretary of State also requires proof of an applicant's name, date of birth, Illinois residency and written signature. Examples of acceptable documents in each category include:
Name and date of birth--unexpired foreign passport or consular card
Illinois residency--consular card; certified school transcripts; bank statement from last 90 days; credit report from last 90 days; rental or lease agreement; insurance policy; report card from grade school, high school, college or university; or utility bill less than 90 days old
Verification of written signature--unexpired foreign passport; consular card; court order; credit card from major provider like American Express, MasterCard or Visa; federal, state or local government ID card; or loan agreement.
Verification of residency--consular card; utility bill; bank statement; insurance policy; rental or lease agreement; mortgage documents; or report card from grade school, high school, college or university.
Applicants must schedule an appointment at one of 36 Driver Services Facilities to get a TVDL. To make an appointment, an applicant can call 855-236-1155 or use the online appointment calendar. At the appointment, the applicant provides the facility employee with his completed application and all required documents. All applicants must pay a $30 fee and complete a vision screening. Additionally, the applicant takes a written test based on the Rules of the Road driving guidelines from Illinois, as well as a road test.
If an applicant wants to practice before taking the road test, he can get a instruction permit from the Bloomington, Carbondale, Champaign, Chicago North, Chicago West, Macomb, Rockford or Springfield Driver Facilities.
The TVDL is valid for only three years, and the holder cannot use it for identification purposes.