State service guide
Illinois driving records: certified abstracts, $21 online self-service, $20 mail or in-person requests, and stricter rules when the record belongs to someone else
Illinois treats the driving record abstract as a certified product rather than as a cheap informal lookup. The Secretary of State says you may purchase your own certified driving record abstract online for $21, which includes the $20 fee plus a $1 payment processor charge, and you can reprint it for five days after purchase. The same certified abstract costs $20 by mail or in person. If the record belongs to someone else, Illinois uses a more restricted process: personal identifying information such as the address is not released, the subject receives advance notice before the public abstract is mailed, and some family-member requests depend on notarized written permission.
Overview
What this page helps you verify
A strong Illinois driving-records page should begin with certification and requester identity. Illinois does not frame the abstract as a disposable consumer printout. The online service is specifically for purchasing, downloading, and printing a certified copy of your own record. The same record can also be obtained in person or by mail. But the process changes once the request is for another person's record. Illinois says public information can be released, but not personal identifying information such as the address, and the office mails a notification letter to the person before releasing the public abstract. That means a useful Illinois page should clearly separate self-service from third-party access instead of describing one universal DMV abstract workflow.
Last reviewed: 2026-05-18. This page was manually upgraded against service-specific official sources, but requirements can still change quickly.
Official link
Illinois Secretary of State: Driving Record Abstract
This page has been upgraded with a service-specific official source while keeping the USA.gov jurisdiction directory as the broader agency reference.
https://www.ilsos.gov/departments/drivers/drivers_license/driving_record_abstract/home.html
Usually needed
Documents and information to prepare
- A valid credit or debit card and the exact Illinois license details required by the online self-service system if requesting your own abstract online
- An Abstract Request Form if requesting in person or by mail
- Your full name, date of birth, sex, and Illinois driver's license number for a mail request
- Notarized written permission if you are an eligible family member obtaining a record for an out-of-state person or for certain other family-member requests described by the Secretary of State
- Payment by check or money order payable to the Secretary of State for mail requests
Typical flow
What the process often looks like
- Decide first whether you are requesting your own Illinois abstract or someone else's, because the rules are not the same.
- If you are requesting your own certified abstract, use Illinois' online service for the fastest path or request it in person or by mail for the standard $20 fee.
- If you are requesting another person's Illinois abstract, use the facility or mail process and expect a privacy-limited public abstract rather than a full personal-information release.
- If you are acting as an eligible family member for an out-of-state person, bring the notarized written permission Illinois requires.
What Illinois sells online
Illinois' online service is for your own certified abstract, not for a broad public lookup
This is the first state-specific distinction the generic benchmark page usually misses.
- The online Driving Record Abstract service says you may only purchase your own record.
- Illinois lists the online fee at $21, which is the $20 abstract fee plus a $1 payment processor fee.
- The online record is certified and may be accessed and reprinted for five days after purchase.
Other ways to get your own record
Illinois still supports immediate in-person service and slower mail handling
The same certified abstract is available through more than one channel.
- Illinois says you can visit a driver services facility, complete an Abstract Request Form, pay the $20 fee, and immediately receive your record.
- The mail option also costs $20 and goes to the Driver Analysis Section in Springfield.
- The Secretary of State says to allow about 10 working days for mail processing.
What changes for another person's record
Illinois limits third-party release and notifies the subject before mailing the public abstract
This is one of the strongest privacy distinctions in the official materials.
- Illinois says federal and state law prohibit disclosure of personal identifying information such as the individual's address on the public abstract.
- The office mails a notification letter to the individual before releasing the public information, and the individual is given 10 days notice.
- The abstract is mailed to the requester only after the 10-day notice period has elapsed.
Family and out-of-state edge cases
Illinois creates a narrow family-member path when the driver is out of state or the record belongs to a family member
This is more specific than a generic 'authorized representative' rule.
- If a driver is out of state and cannot use the online system, Illinois says certain immediate family members in Illinois may obtain a copy at a driver services facility.
- The requestor must submit notarized written permission from the person listed on the request form.
- Illinois applies similar notarized-permission rules when a parent or legal guardian requests the record of a minor, or when an immediate family member requests the record of an adult family member.
Accuracy notes
Where people get tripped up
- Illinois driving-record content should emphasize that the ordinary product is a certified abstract, not an uncertified casual lookup.
- The online path is limited to your own record. Another person's record goes through a separate privacy-controlled process.
- The five-day reprint window is a useful operational detail and should stay visible.
- Illinois' public abstract for another person is not the same as the person's own record because personal identifying information is withheld and notice is sent before release.
FAQ
Common questions
- How much does an Illinois driving record cost?
Illinois charges $21 online for your own certified abstract, including the $1 processor fee, and $20 by mail or in person.
- Can I buy someone else's Illinois driving record online?
No. Illinois' online abstract system is for purchasing your own certified driving record abstract.
- How long can I reprint my Illinois online driving record abstract?
Illinois says you can access and reprint it for five days after purchase.
- Will Illinois give me another person's address on a driving record abstract?
No. Illinois says personal identifying information such as the address is not released on the public abstract.
- What happens when I request another person's Illinois abstract?
Illinois says the office sends the individual a notification letter and waits 10 days before mailing the public abstract to the requester.
Sources
Official references used for this page
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