Revoked Licenses & The Illinois Reinstatement Procedure

If you are convicted of a DUI, your license will be revoked. Period. There is no way around that, and a hearing will be required to have your driving privileges reinstated.

If your license has been revoked, it means that you have lost your driving privileges indefinitely. There is not any sort of automatic reinstatement after your license has been revoked. For license reinstatement in Illinois to take place, you’ll need to become “eligible” as well as appear at either a Formal or Informal Hearing.

Rather than pursuing this reinstatement hearing alone, it’s wise to go in with experienced legal counsel and a clear understanding of what it takes to get your license back. Our revoked license lawyers with Johnson & Goldrich, P.C., have an excellent track record of winning suspension or revocation cases in Illinois.

If you have any questions about how to retrieve your suspended or revoked license, our team of license reinstatement attorneys has answers.

What is the difference between Formal vs. Informal Hearings?

Informal Hearings are typically required for someone who has one or more DUI arrests, but only one loss of driving privileges. There is no need to schedule an Informal Hearing as walk-ins are the norm and there is no fee for the hearing.

Formal Hearings are for someone who has at least one conviction for DUI and multiple losses of driving privileges.

At either type of hearing, you have the burden of proving that you have successfully addressed your past use and/or misuse of alcohol and/or drugs. This is done by presenting the required documentation and answering numerous questions. Having a lawyer that understands the process, can assess whether the documentation is adequate, works well with your treatment provider and/or evaluator, and can properly prepare.

The Illinois Driver’s License Suspension & Revocation Procedure

Our law office has helped many people with their license reinstatement cases. If someone’s license was taken away, this is generally how they can try to get it back:

• Wait for the Suspension or Revocation to End: First, the person has to wait for the full time of their license suspension or revocation. This time can be different based on what they did wrong and if they have any previous problems. For the first time, it’s usually one year, but more offenses can make it longer, like 5 or 10 years.

• Do What the Court Says: If they lost their license because of a DUI, they might have to do certain things the court told them to do. For example, they might need to go to classes about alcohol or drugs, ask for a Restricted Driving Permit (RDP) to drive in some situations, or put a device in their car to check if they’ve been drinking.

• Pay What’s Owed: They have to pay any money they owe for the DUI or other problems that caused the license loss.

• Get Special Insurance: Sometimes, they need to get special insurance called SR-22. It proves they can pay if there’s a crash, and it’s usually for drivers with a high risk of causing accidents.

• Go to a Meeting: In certain cases, they might have to go to a meeting with people from the Illinois Secretary of State’s office. At this meeting, they have to show they are better now and ready to drive safely. The hearing officer will then decide if they can get their license back.

• Check for Alcohol or Drug Problems: If they lost their license because of a DUI, they might need to talk to someone who will see if they have a problem with alcohol or drugs. If there’s a problem, they might have to do some kind of treatment.

• Pay to Get the License Back: To get their license back, they have to pay a fee to the Illinois Secretary of State’s office.

• Take Tests Again: In some cases, they might have to take tests again, like written and driving exams, to show they can drive safely.

Remember that getting a license back can be different for each person based on what happened and what they did. It’s important to speak with a law firm that knows about license reinstatement in Illinois and can help with the process and make sure everything is done right.

At Johson & Goldrich, P.C., we’ve encountered a variety of traffic violations and DUI convictions that have led to revocation and suspension periods. Whether you’re looking for help achieving driving relief or reinstating your license entirely, you can count on our team to help you.

Why You Should Rely On Our Team

As you can imagine, the rules that the Secretary of State has can be complicated, and this means that your chances of getting denied are high without proper representation. It is important to prove to the Secretary of State that you are not a risk to public safety. If you have been arrested for multiple DUIs, this can be difficult to prove. At Johnson & Goldrich, PC, our team has the experience you need to help get you out of this difficult situation.

For driver’s license reinstatement in Illinois or clearance to obtain a license in another state, please contact our team today to get started.