In Illinois, a person’s driver’s license may be revoked for several different offenses. Conviction of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs (DUI), drag racing, aggravated fleeing and eluding police, and any felony offense involving a motor vehicle may lead to revocation of your driver’s license. If your driver’s license is revoked, you cannot drive any vehicle legally. However, you may be able to regain your driving privileges by attending a driver’s license reinstatement hearing.

Formal vs. Information Hearings

Informal driver’s license reinstatement hearings are held at various locations throughout Illinois. During an informal hearing, you will be interviewed about the reasons for the revocation, your driving record and criminal history, any drug and alcohol treatment you have attended, and the type of lifestyle changes you have made to avoid unsafe driving in the future.

Formal hearings only take place at one of the four Secretary of State locations in Illinois. A formal hearing is like a trial. The hearing officer and an attorney for the Secretary of State will place you under oath and ask you a series of questions. You will be asked to demonstrate that you have taken the steps required to avoid subsequent offenses and become a safe driver. This often includes showing evidence that you have successfully completed drug or alcohol treatment. In both formal and informal hearings, the hearing officer considers the arguments and evidence presented and makes a recommendation to the Secretary of State.

Driving is one of those privileges that we do not realize is a privilege until we are no longer permitted to use it. Driving is necessary for many people in their everyday lives, but there are many ways you can lose your driving privileges in the state of Illinois. From not paying fines and fees, to avoiding paying court-ordered child support, a driver’s license suspension can come in many forms. However, the most common reason a person’s driver’s license is suspended or revoked is because of a DUI arrest and/or conviction. In Illinois, you can have your license suspended for simply failing or refusing to complete chemical testing after you have been arrested for DUI. Losing your privileges can be simple, but driving while your license is suspended or revoked can result in serious consequences that can set you back even further.

Driving on a Suspended License

Life can become difficult if your driving privileges have been suspended and it can become tempting to simply drive regardless of the suspension. However, this could result in even more difficulties and penalties than you are already facing. The penalties that come with driving on a suspended license charge depend largely on how many prior convictions a person has, if any.

In the state of Illinois, more than 50,000 drivers’ licenses are suspended each year because of a driver’s inability to pay various fines. A bill was recently signed into law to discontinue the practice of suspending or canceling the drivers’ licenses of Illinois motorists who cannot afford to pay tickets, fines, or fees. The bill, dubbed the “License to Work Act,” also allows for the reinstatement of more than 55,000 driver’s licenses, many of which were suspended for non-moving violations, which are traffic offenses that involve a stationary vehicle.

Previous Reasons for License Suspension

Before the act was signed into law, as an Illinois driver, you could have your license suspended for various reasons that had nothing to do with driving. The new law eliminates the potential to have your driver’s license suspended for non-moving traffic violations, which occur when you are not operating a vehicle. Examples of the types of violations that previously could have resulted in a driver’s license suspension include:

• Failing to pay parking or tollway tickets, fines, or fees

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Having the ability to drive is something that the majority of Americans rely on to go about their day-to-day lives. We use our vehicles to go to work, school, doctor’s appointments, and run errands. Losing the ability to drive can be annoying for some, and it may be financially crippling for others. In Illinois, there are two common ways that you can lose your driving privileges: through a license revocation or a license suspension. Though the terms might seem like they can be used interchangeably, they are actually two different penalties that can apply to drivers, and they carry different consequences.

License Suspensions

A driver’s license suspension is a less-permanent form of losing your driving privileges. Typically, license suspensions are the result of lesser violations when compared to license revocations. If your license is suspended, you will usually lose your driving privileges for a specific length of time. When that period is up, you may pay a reinstatement fee, and you will likely be able to get your driving privileges back unless your offense has specified otherwise. Common reasons your license can be suspended include:

For decades, various organizations in the United States have attempted to lower the number of DUI incidents and drunk driving deaths through a variety of methods. Despite many gains, fatalities continue. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), nearly 11,000 people died in alcohol-related traffic crashes nationwide in 2017. Because DUI deaths remain common, DUI laws have become more strict and judges have sentenced offenders harshly. 

One of the methods Illinois uses to deter DUI offenders from becoming repeat violators is by imposing driver’s license suspensions and revocations on those convicted of DUI. Still, many are given a chance to drive as needed to support themselves and their families.