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Illinois Driver's License Reinstatement

If your driver’s license has been suspended or revoked, it affects all areas of your life. It affects your ability to go to work, drop your kids at school, go to the grocery store, or go to medical appointments.

Thus, it’s easy to see a driver with a suspended or revoked license want to get their license reinstated. But the Illinois driver's license reinstatement can be complex sometimes.

Friends, family members, license reinstatement lawyers, and the Illinois Secretary of State all seem to have different suggestions. In this article, we’ll clear up some of that confusion and help you figure it out once and for all.

What are the Common Causes of License Suspension in Illinois?

A driver’s license revocation or suspension lasts for a defined period of time. At the end of the suspension period, the driver pays a reinstatement fee to get back their license. Common causes of a license suspension in Illinois include too many unpaid traffic tickets within the last year, failure to pay tickets, failure to appear in court as required, and driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs arrest.

A license revocation lasts for an indefinite period, which means your license is gone and there’s no scheduled date to get it back. Common causes for license revocation in Illinois include a DUI conviction and other criminal convictions.

Thus, a suspension or revocation can be caused by more than one reason. To get your license back, you must clear up all the issues to be eligible for a hearing.

Driver's license reinstatement

How Do I Reinstate My Suspended License in Illinois?

There’s no set of requirements for drivers to get back their driver’s license suspension or revocation. The license reinstatement process depends on the reason your driver’s license was suspended or revoked, and factors, such as your driving history. Essentially, you must:

  • Pay a license reinstatement fee.
  • Satisfy any specific requirements made by the judge.

Reinstating a suspended license is tricky, and there are more steps to follow. For instance, to get your driver’s license back after a DUI conviction, you must:

  • Have kept a clean driving record.
  • Undergo an alcohol and drug evaluation program and if you have a substance abuse problem, you must submit proof of treatment.
  • Complete a substance abuse remedial education program.
  • Meet with hearing officers from the Secretary of State office.
  • File proof of economic responsibility.
  • Pay the $500 driver's license reinstatement fees and an application fee. However, if you request formal hearings for reinstatement, you must pay a $50 non-refundable filing fee.
  • Pass a driving exam, a written exam, and a vision exam.

Your driver’s license reinstatement will only become valid after it’s entered on your driving record in the Secretary of State office.

Losing your driving privileges isn’t a devastating experience. However, the harsh criminal penalties keep people from breaking rules again. To avoid all these hassles, drive safely.

What Type of Hearing Do I Need to Get My License Reinstated?

The Secretary of State conducts two types of hearings, which include formal hearings and informal hearings. Normally a formal hearing is required when:

  • You have more than one suspension or revocation from one DUI conviction.
  • The reason for the revocation involves death.
  • You’re seeking a modification or rescission of the revocation court order.
  • Seeking an out-of-state application for reinstatement.
  • Your Monitored Device Driving Permit (MDDP) has been canceled and you now wish to be considered for issuance of a Restricted Driving Permit (RDP) or hardship license.
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How Long Does it Take to Reinstate a License in Illinois?

Once the Secretary of State grants you a restricted driving permit or hardship license, you’ll be given a list of requirements that you must complete and submit before the issuance of your permit. It’s essential to note that you must complete all the requirements and submit them as soon as possible. After completing all the requirements and submitting them to the Illinois Secretary of State, it takes 3-5 weeks to get an actual restricted driving permit in the mail. 

However, if you’re granted a full reinstatement, the requirements aren’t as extensive. For instance, you’ll need to get an SR-22 insurance policy and pay your reinstatement fees. Often, once you complete these requirements, you’ll get your license back after 2-3 business days.

Under Illinois law, if granted a restricted driving permit, you must complete the requirements within 90-days after the hearing order. Further, you must complete the requirements to receive full reinstatement within one year of the hearing order.

How Do I Get My License Back from Child Support in Illinois?

The only way a driver can have their driver’s license reinstated is by paying the current child support, paying all past child support payments, and meeting all health care obligations. Otherwise, you’ll have to settle for a restricted driving permit for the time being. 

How Can a Illinois Driver’s License Reinstatement Lawyer Help?

Clearly, the road to reinstating your Illinois driver’s license is rough. There are many factors to consider; for instance, you need to set up your initial informal hearing or formal hearing, also you’ll need to prove hardship and you must prove that you’re no longer a danger to public safety.

Further, you must understand the payment associated with will happen while going through the reinstatement process. 

Not only can an experienced Rolling Meadows traffic lawyers help you through the license reinstatement hearing process, but they can also represent you and fight to make sure you get your license back. Contact Dohman Law Group, right away to see how our experienced Chicago license reinstatement attorneys can help.

Our Law Firm Can Help You Get Your License Back!

Under Illinois law, you can only be cited for three traffic violations within a 12-month period before the Secretary of State suspends or revokes your driver’s license.

The duration of the suspension depends on the number of points assigned to the traffic violation you were convicted of committing, for example:

  • 20 points for ignoring traffic-control lights.
  • 10 points for turning improperly at an intersection.
  • 55 points for reckless driving.

However, certain offenses can cause automatic license suspension or revocation, including driving a motor vehicle under the influence of alcohol or drugs, possession of cannabis, or driving without liability insurance. Whatever the reason you lost your driving privileges, the knowledgeable Chicago license reinstatement lawyers at Dohman Law Group can help you get your license back. Our Chicago Traffic Lawyers have combined experience of 50 years helping clients throughout Illinois get their driver’s license reinstated and we can help you too.

To schedule a free initial consultation, call us today at (847) 616-9993, or chat with us online to learn how we can help. 

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