If you have had your driver’s license suspended, then you are undoubtedly counting the days until you can get it back. The inconvenience of living without a driver’s license can make every day more stressful. Tasks that were once simple, like driving to work or making a quick trip to the grocery store, are now an issue. You may have to take public transportation, if it is even available, or ask friends and family to drive you. No matter what your solution is for getting around, it can be not only an inconvenience but also embarrassing to have to ask for help and repeatedly explain the reason for your lost license. 

Suspended License in Illinois

There are many reasons a driver’s license may be suspended in Illinois, and drunk driving tops that list. Other reasons include being caught driving without insurance, not paying child support and numerous traffic violations. 

There are two ways an Illinois driver can “lose” his or her driver’s license: suspension and revocation. When a driver’s license is suspended, the driver is prohibited from driving for a specific period of time, during which he or she may be required to fulfill requirements like a driver education course or an alcohol education course. When a driver’s license is revoked, he or she is indefinitely barred from driving. In both of these scenarios, the driver can have his or her license reinstated. How and when the license is reinstated depends on whether it was suspended or revoked and in some cases, the circumstances surrounding the revocation.

If your License is Suspended, You Must Wait Until it is Finished

When a driver’s license is suspended, it is suspended for a specific period of time. This could be a few months, one year, or even a few years.

Driver’s license suspension and revocation are punishments for certain kind of crimes in Illinois, One of the most common reasons for someone to lose their driver’s license is due to a DUI. If your driver’s license is suspended or revoked, you are likely anxious to get it back. However, there are steps that you need to take in order to have it reinstated. If your license has been suspended or revoked in Illinois, you should contact a skilled driver’s license reinstatement attorney to help you get it back without undue delay.

After Suspension

If your driver’s license has been suspended, it can be reinstated at the end of the summary suspension period. However, there are several conditions that you need to meet in order to get it back. First, there must not be any other revocations or suspensions open on the driving record. Second, the reinstatement fee must have been paid to the Secretary of State. After these conditions are met and the reinstatement has been entered on the driver’s record, and the end of the provisional period has passed, then the license can be reinstated.

If you are convicted of DUI in the state of Illinois, it is likely that your driver’s license will be revoked suspended for a certain period of time. Once you have completed your DUI sentence, you still have to apply to get your license back. You may have to pay a fee or go through additional administrative steps in order to do so. In the meantime, if you drive before your license is reinstated, you are risking harsher penalties for any other DUI convictions in the future.

Driving on a Suspended or Revoked License

It is illegal in the state of Illinois for you to drive a vehicle while your driver’s license is suspended or revoked. The criminal charge that you receive for this offense depends on the reason that you lost your license in the first place. Regardless of what level of criminal offense you face, a conviction for driving on a suspended license will result in the Secretary of State re-suspending your license for a period of time that is equal in length to the original period of suspension. If you are convicted of driving on a revoked license, the Secretary of State will revoke your license for an additional period of one year following the date of your conviction. This suspension or revocation is in addition to the other penalties that you receive for the offense, which depend on the level of offense of which you are convicted. Any conviction is likely to involve community service or jail time under Illinois law.

At a recent hearing of a state traffic safety task force, the Illinois State Bar Association proposed doing away with “hard time” license suspensions for drivers arrested for driving under the influence. The bar association instead pushed for the installation of ignition interlock devices, which test for alcohol on a driver’s breath, in offenders’ cars in place of the mandatory license suspension.

Current Law

Currently, Illinois law provides for mandatory suspension periods for those convicted of DUIs. For a first offense, a driver who tests at over the legal limit will have his or her license suspended for six months. If a driver refuses chemical testing, a first offense will result in license suspension for 12 months.