I live in Naperville, Illinois and I was just convicted for DUI in another state. My driving privileges have been removed from that state. Does my DUI conviction from another state mean that my Illinois driver’s license would be suspended?

Jerome
Naperville, IL

If you’re a resident of Naperville, Illinois, upon the receipt of the report of your DUI conviction from another state, the Illinois Secretary of State would automatically revoke your driver’s license. To avoid a license revocation, any reduction or amendment must be to an offense that would be recognized separately (that is, Reckless Driving) under the Illinois Motor Vehicle Code.

Since your out-of-state DUI case resulted in a conviction, it would usually take several weeks for the report of the conviction to reach the Illinois Secretary of State. But upon the receipt, the Secretary of State would immediately serve a Notice of Revocation upon you by mail. The revocation would be effective normally within a few days of mailing. If you no longer live in the same address listed on your driver’s license, you must change your address directly with the Secretary of State’s Drivers Services Department forthwith as official notices from the Secretary are not forwarded and your failure to actually receive the notice does not affect the validity or effective date of the revocation of your license.

Tags: driver’s license, DUI, DUI lawyer

What constitutes a DUI charge in Illinois and do I need to hire the best lawyer for this, or will a cheaper no name lawyer be ok?

Myra

Thank you for asking Myra.

“Driving Under the Influence” (DUI) is defined as driving a motor vehicle while impaired by alcohol, other drugs or intoxicating compounds. In Illinois, a motorist is legally considered to be under the influence if he/she has a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent or more, has used any illegal substance, or is impaired by medication. A driver’s BAC is based on the ratio of alcohol to blood or breath. An individual however showing alcohol levels between .05 and .08 percent may be charge of DUI if additional evidence determines that the driver was impaired.

Illinois law allows you to represent yourself in D.U.I. proceedings but because mandatory minimum sentences for even the first offense can be severe, it is best to consult an experienced and the best lawyer who knows the law and can advise you on the facts of your case.

Goodluck!

MariCAR