CHICAGO — Illinois sheriff’s offices will be allowed to hire correctional officers and some full-time deputies beginning at age 18 under a new law aimed at expanding the pool of law enforcement candidates.
Gov. JB Pritzker signed Senate Bill 1700 on July 16 as sheriff’s offices across the state continue to face staffing shortages.
The law allows correctional officers and full-time deputies who are not employed as county police officers to be appointed at 18. Those employees will be required to complete a 15-month probationary period.
The minimum hiring age for county police officers will remain at 21. However, candidates will be able to begin serving at 20 if they have completed two years of law enforcement studies at an accredited college or university.
County police officers will still be required to complete the existing training requirements and a probationary period of at least 12 months.
“Sheriff’s departments across the state are facing ongoing staffing shortages, and we need to make sure qualified young adults have a pathway into public service careers,” Sen. Bill Cunningham said. “This new law modernizes recruitment standards while maintaining important training and probationary requirements.”
Cook County Sheriff Thomas Dart said the legislation will allow more young adults to begin careers with sheriff’s offices while still ensuring they receive the training needed for the job.
The law takes effect Jan. 1, 2027.
Pritzker also signed Senate Bill 3164, which increases the driver’s license penalty for motorists who injure or kill someone while violating Illinois’ Move Over Law, known as Scott’s Law.
Drivers who fail to slow down or move over for emergency vehicles and cause an injury or death were previously subject to a Class 4 felony charge and a license suspension. Under the new law, their licenses will be revoked, making it more difficult for them to regain their driving privileges. The change took effect immediately.
Illinois State Police reported nine Move Over Law-related crashes during 2026, which injured two troopers. In 2025, seven troopers were injured in 15 crashes.
ISP recorded 27 Move Over Law-related crashes in 2024, resulting in 12 injuries and the death of Trooper Clay Carns. Carns was struck and killed while removing debris from a roadway.
“ISP troopers have suffered the heartache of seeing a fellow officer either injured or killed because a driver failed to move over, only to see that same driver back on the road,” ISP Director Brendan Kelly said. “License revocation cannot take away the pain caused to officers, family and friends, but it can help reduce the likelihood the same driver will cause similar harm and pain to anyone else.”
Should sheriff’s offices be allowed to hire correctional officers at 18, or should the minimum age remain 21? Why?
