An aging drive method for a thin film EL panel includes the performing a preparatory step of short-circuiting all transparent electrodes by a first connecting line, short-circuiting every other metal electrodes by a second connecting line and short-circuiting the other metal electrodes by a third connecting line. Thereafter four fields are repeatedly periodically executed for a specified period of time to thereby cause all picture elements of the panel to luminesce for aging. Each of the four fields includes a first step of applying a first voltage across the first and second connecting lines and across the first and third connecting lines to charge all the picture elements. Further a second step is included of applying a second voltage across the second and third connecting lines while holding the transparent electrodes in a floating state. This causes luminescence of the picture elements of the metal electrodes short-circuited by the second or third connecting line, with the voltage resulting from the charge on the picture elements stored in the first step and with the second voltage. The four fields are different from one another in the combination of the polarities of the first and second voltages.