The new Illinois laws that start January 1, 2025

ST. LOUIS -- Starting January 1, 2025, new Illinois laws signed by Governor JB Pritzker will go into effect. Here are some of the notable laws going into effect:

What is the Illinois minimum wage in 2025?

Starting on January 1st, 2025, the minimum wage in Illinois will go up again, thanks to a law passed in 2019.

The minimum wage was $8 an hour when the law was passed, with the rate of pay increasing each year until it reaches the final scheduled increase of $15 an hour in 2025.

So, starting January 1st, 2025, the Illinois minimum wage will be $15 an hour, according to the Illinois Department of Labor.

Tipped workers will also see a minimum wage increase, from $8.40 an hour to $9 an hour. That’s thanks to a state law that says tipped workers must earn at least 60% of the state’s minimum wage.

Workers under the age of 18, working less than 650 hours per year, will see an increase from $12 to $13 an hour.

Elimination of subminimum wage for disabled workers

Disabled Americans living in Illinois will be allowed to earn a minimum wage, thanks to the Dignity in Pay Act, which eliminated Illinois’ 14(c) certificate program, which allowed employers to pay people with disabilities a subminimum wage.

Employers are required to post salary and benefits on job listings

Starting January 1st, 2025, most employers in Illinois will have to disclose pay and benefits information on job postings, thanks to a new law.

The change is mandated by an amendment to the Equal Pay Act of 2003 that Gov. JB Pritzker signed into law last year.

The law requires that all employers with 15 or more employees include the pay scale and benefits on job postings, both internal and external.

It will apply to positions that will be performed in Illinois, including remote work.

Companies will have 14 days from the start of the year to add salary and benefit information to job postings or face a $500 fine.

Illinois will allow digital driver's licenses on your phone

The law allows governmental agencies and businesses to accept either digital IDs or physical versions, but says “upon request by law enforcement, a credential holder must provide the credential holder’s physical credential.”

The state can charge a maximum of $6 for a smartphone application that registers the digital ID or driver’s license.

Allow qualified applicants an eight-year driver's license

A new 2025 law will order the Secretary of State to offer qualified applicants to be issued a driver's license that will be good for eight years, instead of the current four. The Secretary of State must submit rules for the program to the Joint Committee on Administrative Rules no later than January 1st, 2027.

Employees can skip mandatory work meetings where political or religious matters are shared

The Worker Freedom of Speech Act bans employers from disciplining employees who fail to attend mandatory meetings where opinions on political or religious matters are shared.

According to the National Labor Relations Board, 89% of all employers hold mandatory meetings as a response to unionizing efforts, causing union election victory rates to drop to 47%.

The law prohibits employers from threatening, disciplining, firing, or otherwise retaliating against workers who refuse to attend mandatory workplace meetings where company views on politics or religion are espoused, but it does not prevent employers from holding such meetings.

Under the law, an employer can face a $1,000 penalty for each violation.

Illinois employers are prohibited from checking to verify if applicants can legally work in the United States

A new Illinois law prohibits Illinois employers from voluntarily enrolling in the E-Verify program or similar Electronic Employment Verification System unless they are required to by federal or state law.

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, E-Verify is “an electronic system that compares a worker’s Form I-9 information with government databases to verify employment eligibility” to legally work in the United States. 

The Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act requires that employers follow certain steps if they believe that an employee’s employment verification information is inaccurate, which includes providing the employee with specific information about the claimed discrepancy and allowing the employee to correct the discrepancy (if required by law). An employee has the right to representation during any meetings or discussions regarding employment verification information. 

Limit employers from using predictive AI in hiring practices

Employers will be restricted from considering an applicant's race or zip code when using artificial intelligence-powered predictive analytics to reject an employee in its hiring or firing practices.

New predictive human resource analytics can use artificial intelligence to predict which employees are more likely to quit within a certain timeframe, which candidates will be the most successful, and which employees will be top performers.

Illinois law makes predictions based on a person's race, or zip code when it is used as a proxy for race, a civil rights violation for discrimination.

Crime victim's DNA cannot be entered into a database

HB 1168 prevents a crime victim's DNA profile, when collected as part of a law enforcement investigation, from being entered into any DNA database, with certain exemptions made for certain medical examiner or coroner investigations, but without contradicting rules developed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Require police to undergo autism-awareness training

People with autism can sometimes be nonverbal or easily agitated, making stressful situations — like encounters with law enforcement — especially dangerous.

The new law, SB 3201, will require the Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board to develop and approve a course to assist police officers in identifying spectrum disorders. The training will be required every three years.

The Illinois Law Enforcement Training Standards Board will have two years to approve an autism-informed training program once the new law goes into effect January 1st.

The state must conduct a Property Tax Study

SB 3455 requires the Department of Revenue to conduct a study to evaluate Illinois' property tax system. The law "provides that the Department may also determine whether the existing property tax levy, assessment, appeal and collection process is reasonable and fair and may issue recommendations to improve that process."

Illinois homeowners currently pay the second-highest property tax rate in the United States. A study by ATTOM found that Illinois topped the state with the highest property tax rate, with 1.86%. New Jersey (1.73%), Connecticut (1.67%), Vermont (1.55%) and Pennsylvania (1.37) have among the highest in the country.

Catalytic converter recyclers must record donor vehicle's VIN

House Bill 4589 requires recyclable dealers to keep track of vehicle identification numbers (VIN) of the vehicles from which the catalytic converter was removed and make a copy of the certificate of title or registration showing the seller’s ownership of the vehicle.

The bill would make it illegal to sell or buy a catalytic converter unless those conditions are met.

Data from the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) showed that Illinois was in the top five states in the country for catalytic converter thefts between 2020-2022.

While State Farm said thefts of the device declined in Illinois in 2023 vs 2022, the state still ranks #3 for the most catalytic converter thefts, behind California and Texas.

A catalytic converter filters fumes from a vehicle’s exhaust system and reduces harmful emissions. The device uses elements of platinum, palladium, and rhodium, which can be sold for profit.

Since 1975, all gasoline-powered vehicles in the United States have been equipped with catalytic converters to comply with federal EPA regulations.

Require drivers to yield right of way to emergency vehicles

HB 5370 requires that drivers who are approaching an emergency scene or a stopped emergency vehicle, or a construction zone, must make a lane change to yield the right of way if it is possible. If not, the driver must reduce speed.

Post instructions on how to report child abuse at businesses

A new law requires certain businesses, including daycare centers, schools, bus stations, hospitals, and doctors' offices, to post signs in a conspicuous place that informs children under 18 what physical and sexual abuse is and how to report it.

Replace the term 'offender' with 'justice impacted individuals' in Illinois Crime Reduction Act

An amendment to the Illinois Crime Reduction Act of 2009 will change references to "offenders" to "justice-impacted individuals." The law also creates an Adult Redeploy Illinois Oversight Board to oversee a plan to redeploy convicts into public life once they are no longer incarcerated.

Law helps juveniles clear their criminal record

The Juvenile Court Act has been amended by a bill that mandates state courts to expunge the records of individuals charged as juveniles, two years after they have completed their sentences.

The bill also speeds up the expungement process by scheduling expungement hearings when they are released.

Creation of an Illinois Pretrial Services Director

Following the passage of the SAFE-T Act, which abolished cash bail, the state has ordered the judicial branch of government to create an Office of Statewide Pretrial Services and install a director, appointed by the Illinois Supreme Court, to oversee it.

Bans hotels from using single-use plastic bottles

A new law will ban hotels with 50 rooms or more from providing guests with single-use plastic bottles and provide civil penalties for operators who violate the rule. In 2026, hotels with less than 50 rooms will also be banned from offering single-use bottles to guests.

You can find a full list of new laws here.