What to Do When a Drivers License Gets Suspended or Revoked in Illinois
A suspended or revoked Driver’s License at the beginning of the New Year could mean missing work days, disrupting social life, and limiting new travel opportunities. Routine options may feel limited after losing driving privileges, especially when driving is your daily form of transportation. Laura Golub is dedicated to helping people get back their day to day needs in 2019, like fulfilling the need for a swiftly reinstated driver’s license.
Contact Attorney Laura Golub when your driver’s license gets suspended or revoked in Illinois to get it reinstated ASAP!
Losing Driving Privileges in Illinois
According to the Office of the Secretary of State, “Your driving privileges may be suspended (temporarily withdrawn) for a specified time period or until money owed is paid or a payment agreement is made; revoked (terminated) with no guarantee of reinstatement, or cancelled.”
The following list highlights reasons why you may lose driving privileges in Illinois with a suspension:
DUI Charge – A person is considered to be driving under the influence if they have a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or more, has used any illegal substance, or is impaired by medication. Under Illinois’ Use It & Lose It Zero Tolerance law, drivers under age 21 who are caught with any trace of alcohol in their systems will lose their driving privileges. They also can be charged with DUI if they have any trace of other drugs in their systems or have a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 or more, or more than .05 with additional evidence proving impairment.
Graduated Driver Licensing (GDL) – Young drivers have certain restrictions if convicted of a moving violation or serious offense.
Failure to Appear – A Failure to Appear Suspension is entered against the driver’s license and/or driving privileges of a driver who has been issued a traffic citation if the violation has remained unsatisfied. The suspension is entered at the request of a Circuit Clerk’s office within Illinois or an equivalent agency from another state. The Secretary of State’s office must receive a Final Disposition from the court/agency that requested the suspension. A reinstatement fee may be required in order to clear this type of suspension.
Parking Suspensions – A Parking Suspension is entered against the driver’s license and/or driving privileges of a driver who has been issued 10 or more parking violations if the violations have remained unsatisfied. The suspension is entered at the request of a Parking Municipality. The Secretary of State’s office must receive a Final Disposition from the municipality that requested the suspension. A reinstatement fee may be required in order to clear this type of suspension.
Automated Traffic Violations Suspension – An automated traffic suspension is entered against the driver’s license and/or driving privileges of a driver who has failed to pay any fine or penalty for five or more offenses for automated traffic violations. The suspension is entered at the request of the municipality. The Secretary of State’s office must receive a certified report from the municipality that requested the suspension that all fines and penalties have been paid. A reinstatement fee may be required in order to clear this type of suspension.
Failure to Pay Fines – A Failure to Pay Fines stop is the result of a request by an Illinois Circuit Clerk’s office for non-payment of court-imposed fines. A Failure to Pay Fines stop is not a suspension of your driver’s license and/or driving privileges and does not require a reinstatement fee. However, an offender will not be able to renew or be issued a driver’s license until the Secretary of State’s office receives a Failure to Pay Fines Receipt. If the violation is satisfied in Cook County, the stop cannot be cleared until the Secretary of State’s office is notified directly by the court.
Family Financial Responsibility Law – A person’s driver’s license may be suspended under the Family Financial Responsibility Law for non-payment of court-ordered child support.
Tollway Violations/Evasions – A person’s driver’s license may be suspended for failure to satisfy fines or penalties for five or more toll violations or evasions.
What is the difference between a suspension and revocation?
A driver’s license suspension is the temporary loss of driving privileges for a legally specified period of time. At the end of the period of suspension a person is automatically reinstated upon payment of the required reinstatement fee. Illinois Driver’s License Reinstatement Fees vary in number, depending on the reason for the license suspension. Fees range between $70 and $500. Sometimes waiting the full period of time for reinstatement and paying a fee just isn’t an option, especially with routine work and family transportation needs. Call Attorney Laura Golub to discuss the best legal options for navigating a license suspension.
A driver’s license revocation is the indefinite loss of driving privileges. There is no automatic reinstatement after the period of revocation ends, like with a suspension. Instead, a person becomes eligible for reinstatement and cannot drive until first appearing at a hearing before the Secretary of State and being granted driving privileges.
Driving with a Suspended License
Convictions of driving with a suspended license can lead to:
An increase in the length of license suspension.
Revocation of the license.
Jail time.
Seizure of vehicle in use.
DUI-related License Revocation
The minimum length of a DUI-related revocation depends on the number of offenses for which one is convicted and the specific circumstances surrounding the arrest and conviction:
1st offense: 1-year revocation.
2nd offense in 20 years: 5-year revocation.
3rd offense: 10-year revocation.
4th offense (and any subsequent offenses): Lifetime revocation.
When convicted of a criminal DUI in Illinois, the person’s driver’s license will be revoked. A revocation of license is an indefinite loss of driving privileges. It is recommended to seek help from an experienced attorney to reinstate a license once revoked.
Remember, if your driver’s license is revoked for any reason (including a DUI conviction), you cannot apply for a new license for at least 1 year, BUT you can seek legal help from
The Law Office of Laura Golub immediately!