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If you would like a referral to an Illinois driver's license reinstatement attorney or have any questions, Please call us at (312) 346-5320 or (800) 517-1614 or fill out our contact us form and we will contact you. All inquiries are confidential. For more information about our site, please visit our home page or our how it works page. For general information about getting your driving privileges reinstated in Illinois please read on.

In Illinois, you can have your driver's license suspended or revoked for a variety of reasons. These include failed emissions tests, toll-way violations, multiple traffic convictions within one year and most commonly from DUI convictions. While we help people who need their license reinstated for any reason, since DUI's are the most common reason that is the main discussion of this page. Some of the commentary we provide does relate to those who are suspended for traffic tickets, toll-way violations, etc.

Under Illinois law, DUI convicts face temporary suspension and sometimes permanent revocation of their driver's licenses. First time DUI convicts face suspension of up to one year. After a second conviction, the penalty increases to a 5 year suspension. Third time convicts face 10 year suspensions. After receiving a fourth DUI, under Illinois law, a convict faces license revocation so long as the fourth DUI was after January 1, 1999. If that is the case you are revoked for life and there is no way to regain any driving privilges in the state of Illinois. Oddly enough, we have seen cases where someone had six DUI's and got their license back because all of the DUI's were before 1999.

Whether from a DUI or any other reason, when faced with a suspension or revocation a convict may be eligible for either a temporary driving permit or a full reinstatement.

Temporary Driving Privileges

Oftentimes, drivers whose licenses have been suspended can receive temporary driving permits. There are two types of driving permits: Judicial Driving Permits (JDP's) and Restricted Driving Permits (RDP's).

Judicial Driving Permits

A first time DUI offender can regain some driving privileges after 31 days of suspension by obtaining a JDP. First time offenders can only drive with a JDP in order to get to and from work, school, medical treatment, and alcohol counseling.

Restricted Driving Permits

Second time and subsequent DUI offenders may obtain restricted driving permits, depending on the level of risk that they are classified under by their treatment providers.

A high risk offender needs to establish proof of abstinence, a good support system (such as Alcoholics Anonymous), and verification of appropriate treatment. If a high risk offender qualifies for relief, it is likely that he or she will receive a restricted driving permit (RDP), which requires a breath alcohol ignition device (BAID).

JDP and RDP users can request a formal hearing for full reinstatements of their drivers' licenses after 9 months use of the permit.

Full Reinstatements-

Full reinstatements occur at the end of a statutory summary suspension period. To become reinstated at that time, you must show the Illinois Secretary of State that your completer driving record is cleared and pay a reinstatement fee.
To be fully reinstated after a revocation you must do the following:

1. A clear driving record.
2. Undergo an alcohol and drug evaluation and education program.
3. Appear before a hearing officer.
4. Demonstrate during the hearing that public safety will not be endangered if driving privileges are restored. The hearing officer considers the seriousness of the offense, the offender's overall driving record and the driver's remedial efforts.

The main reason to hire an attorney for your license reinstatement hearing is because they have the proper experience required to demonstrate that public safety will not be endangered if driving privileges are restored. They know what the hearing officers want to hear and what they don't want to hear. There are typically informal and formal hearings.

Informal Hearings-
Informal hearings are designed for first-time DUI offenders. Informal hearings are held at most driver's license facilities, and are handled on a first-come first served basis. Decisions outlining the results of the hearing are mailed to DUI offenders. Those who are denied for full reinstatements, can request another hearing after 30 days.

Formal Hearings-
Second-time or subsequent DUI offenders are usually required to request a formal hearing for full reinstatements. In order to request a formal hearing, offenders must submit an application along with a fee to the Secretary of State. Formal hearings are held in Springfield, Illinois, and notifications of decisions are mailed to offenders afterwards.

Out of State Packets-
As nationwide computers link up for every department that licenses drivers, we frequently are contacted by out of state drivers that after years of a good driving record discover that their license is suspended for an old Illinois violation. Essentially if you are suspended here you are usually suspended everywhere. For those individuals the attorneys that handle those cases usually deal with everything over the phone for them.

• Driving After a DUI Conviction in Illinois

In the state of Illinois, if you have received four DUI's and the 4th one was in 1999 or later, you are revoked for life without the possibility of reinsatement. In a strange twist of logic, the state of Illinois recently reinstated a driver who had six prior DUI convictions, all before 1999.