DUI Restricted Driving Permit in Illinois

Reader’s Question:

My driver’s license has been suspended for almost nine months already because of my DUI conviction here in Rockford, Illinois. I was told that I can get like a temporary license or something if I won’t have a DUI charge or a similar offense for nine months. How would I get a driving permit after my DUI conviction?

Mao
Rockford, IL

I know that you have already foreseen that after your DUI conviction in Rockford, Illinois, the next issue that you would face is when, and under what conditions you could be eligible to apply for a Restricted Driving Permit (RDP). In the State of Illinois, RDP could be issued for driving to and from work as well as within the scope of your employment related duties, to allow you transportation or a family member for necessary medical care, to and from certain alcohol rehabilitative activities such as AA meetings, and for you to travel to and from classes at an accredited educational institution. Also, the State Secretary would not issue permits for more than 12 hours a day or 6 days a week.

You should not have traffic tickets pending in any court (other than a DUI with a pending suspension) and your driver’s license should not be revoked or suspended for other reasons because you would be ineligible to apply for RDP until the other matters are resolved. You should also obtain an alcohol evaluation from an agency licensed by the Illinois Office of Alcohol and Substance Abuse (OASA) and you must complete the treatment recommended therein at a treatment service provider licensed by OASA.

DUI Charge – Drivers License Suspension in Illinois?

Reader’s Question:

My brother’s license has been suspended after being arrested for his first DUI in Palatine, Illinois because he failed the blood alcohol test. How long would the suspension last and if he will be convicted for DUI, will he have a separate suspension on his license?

Sheila
Palatine, IL

After your brother’s DUI arrest in Palatine, Illinois for failing the blood alcohol test, his driver’s license is automatically suspended for three months under the Statutory Summary Suspension Law. At the time of his DUI arrest, the officer took his driver’s license and gave him a 45-day temporary license. Since this is his first DUI offense, the three-month suspension would begin on the 46th day after his DUI arrest. With the help of a qualified DUI lawyer, he could appeal to the court to receive a Judicial Driving Permit, which will allow him to drive to and from work and any required education courses he must take as a result of his DUI arrest.

If he will be convicted for the DUI charge, he would have a separate suspension on his driver’s license. In the State of Illinois, he would have a minimum of one year license suspension since this is his first DUI offense. The policy of the Illinois Secretary of State’s office is not to fully reinstate an otherwise eligible motorist until they have first been issued a Restricted Driving Permit (RDP) and drove on it without incident for at least nine months.