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.