Illinois · driver license numbers
Illinois driver license number format checker.
Enter an Illinois driver license number to check its shape and see which part encodes what, using the example and rules in the state police LEADS manual.
Your number
Result
An Illinois driver license number is 12 positions: one letter followed by 11 digits. The Illinois State Police LEADS Operating Manual describes it as "a 12-position alphanumeric figure, computed by a special formula and assigned by the Secretary of State", and says each number encodes the driver's name, sex and birth date. This is the one state in this set where the number has an internal structure worth checking.
How the 12 positions break down
The manual uses the example Y620 930 57 270 and explains each block:
| Block | Example | What the manual says |
|---|---|---|
| Letter plus 3 digits | Y620 | First letter of the driver's last name, then 3 numeric digits derived from the rest of the last name |
| 3 digits | 930 | A 3-digit code for the driver's first name or initial and middle initial |
| 2 digits | 57 | Last two digits of the year of birth (here, 1957) |
| 3 digits | 270 | Signifies the driver's sex and the encoded day of birth |
The two rules the manual states
- 7, 8 and 9 never appear in the first three numeric positions. This page reads that as the three digits right after the letter, and flags a number that has one there.
- The last three digits fall in set ranges. 001 through 372 if the driver is male, 601 through 972 if female. The manual calls 373 through 600 invalid in the final three positions, yet also says that when a computed number would repeat for more than one person the last three digits are replaced with an assigned number between 400 and 599. This checker therefore treats 400 to 599 as the duplicate block and flags any other value outside the two ranges.
The manual also notes that although two hyphens appear within the number on the license itself, they are never used in a LEADS inquiry. It does not say where the hyphens fall, so this checker ignores them wherever they are.
Using the optional fields
If you also enter a last name and a birth year, the checker compares them with the number. The first character should be the first letter of the last name, and characters 8 and 9 should be the last two digits of the birth year. The manual does not publish the formula that turns the rest of a name into digits, so this page cannot confirm that the name codes are right. A mismatch only tells you that you may have mistyped something. Example: Y62093057270 with last name Young and birth year 1957 agrees on both.
| You type | Result | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Y62093057270 | Fits | Letter plus 11 digits, final block 270 is in the male range. |
| Y620 930 57 270 | Fits | Spaces ignored. |
| Y6209305727 | Does not fit | Only 10 digits after the letter. |
| Y82093057270 | Fits, with a flag | An 8 sits in the first three numeric positions. |
| Y62093057500 | Fits, with a flag | 500 is in the 400 to 599 block the manual reserves for repeated numbers, which is not a sex-and-day value. |
Treat the number as personal data
Because the manual says each number encodes name, sex and birth date, anyone who knows the pattern can read a good deal from it. That is a reason not to post a real license number in a public form, comment or screenshot. Everything on this page runs in your browser and nothing you type is stored or sent.
Limits and sources of doubt
The Secretary of State issues the number, but the description here comes from a state police manual written for law-enforcement database queries, dated 05/11/2022, not from a Secretary of State consumer page. Check the number against the card in your hand before relying on this page for anything important. A match shows the shape and the stated digit rules only; it does not show that a number was issued or that a license is valid. The neighbouring checkers cover Texas, Pennsylvania, Maryland and Wisconsin, and driver license validity by state covers how long licenses last.
FAQ
How many characters is an Illinois driver license number?
Twelve: a letter followed by 11 digits. The Illinois State Police LEADS manual calls it a 12-position alphanumeric figure.
What does the first letter mean?
Per the manual's example, it is the first letter of the driver's last name, followed by 3 digits derived from the rest of the last name.
Does the number contain my birth date?
Partly. The manual says the 2-digit block is the last two digits of the birth year, and the final 3 digits signify sex and an encoded day of birth.
Why are 400 to 599 allowed in the last three digits if 373 to 600 is invalid?
The manual says both: 373 to 600 is invalid in the final three positions, and a repeated computed number gets its last three digits replaced with an assigned number between 400 and 599. This page flags values outside 001-372, 601-972 and 400-599.
Are the hyphens on the card part of the number?
The manual says two hyphens appear within the number on the license but are never used in a LEADS inquiry. This checker ignores hyphens and spaces.
Does a number that fits mean the license is valid?
No. The checker tests shape and the digit rules the manual states. It cannot tell whether a number was issued or whether a license is valid.
Sources
Retrieved 2026-11-01. Each source was opened and read against the claim next to it.
- Illinois State Police, LEADS Operating Manual, Drivers License chapter introduction (05/11/2022): section "Computation of Illinois DLN": 12-position alphanumeric figure, the Y620 930 57 270 example, the digit rules and the hyphen note.
General information only
This page is general information, not legal, compliance or financial advice. Rules, formats and registries change, and your facts may differ. Confirm anything that matters with the issuing agency or a qualified professional. Everything runs in your browser; nothing you enter is sent anywhere.
Common mix-ups
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Often assumedAn Illinois license number is a random string with no meaning.
What the source saysThe LEADS manual says each number is computed by a formula and encodes the driver's name, sex and birth date. In its example the second-to-last block is the last two digits of the birth year. [1]
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Often assumedThe hyphens printed on the license are part of the number you enter in a database query.
What the source saysThe manual says two hyphens appear within the number on the license, but they are never used in a LEADS inquiry. [1]
Checked against these sources on .