Illinois DUI

Illinois DUI is a serious criminal offense and carries some serious consequences. A DUI arrest in Illinois will trigger 2 separate actions against you, a criminal case with possible jail, fines, alcohol education classes not to mention mandatory drivers license suspensions. In addition to the criminal case the DMV will also impose administrative actions. A person found operating a motor vehicle with a BAC of .08% or greater is subject to an automatic drivers license suspension.

When you get a DUI, the Illinois DMV will automatically institute what's called a “statutory summary suspension” against your driving privileges. A statutory summary suspension in Illinois means that your driving privileges will be suspended for a period of time and then automatically re-instated.

First time offenders in Illinois may apply to the courts for what’s known as a Judicial Driving Permit (JDP) which can allow the person to actually drive during the suspension under certain conditions.

If convicted of a drunk driving violation in Illinois here’s what you can expect as far as court punishments go,

Illinois DUI Conviction Penalties

First Offense Illinois DUI Conviction

• 1 year loss of drivers license
• 1 year imprisonment possible
• Max fine of $2,500
• DUI Victim Impact panel required

Second Offense Illinois DUI Conviction

• Minimum 5 year loss of drivers license if second offense within a 20 year time frame
• Mandatory 5 days in jail or 30 community service days if second offense was within a 5 year time frame
• Mandatory Alcohol Evaluation and Treatment
• Imprisonment up to 1 year possible

Third Offense Illinois DUI Conviction

• 6 year loss of driving privileges
• Imprisonment possible for up to 3 years
• Fines up to a $10,000 maximum
• Mandatory Alcohol Evaluation and Treatment

Driving under the Influence in Illinois Also Triggers Drivers License Sanctions in Illinois;

Illinois Statutory Summary License Suspension

The State of Illinois has implemented a policy that states that a driver who is deemed to be impaired by alcohol and/or drugs is considered a threat to the welfare of the public and the safety of the general population. In order to reduce the threat to public safety, the State of Illinois has declared it appropriate to suspend an intoxicated drivers license.


First offense DUI: Indication of a BAC of .08 or greater through an approved chemical test triggers a mandatory 3-month drivers license suspension. Refusing to be tested triggers an automatic 6 month suspension.

Second Offense DUI: BAC of .08 or greater triggers mandatory 12 month suspension.

The Illinois police officer will take physically take the drivers license from anyone arrested for DUI during the actual arrest and then will issue a temporary permit to drive for 45 days. The statutory summary suspension begins on the 46th day after the arrest, and driving privileges are automatically suspended.

Illinois DUI News Headlines