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Illinois Drivers Face Suspension or Revocation for 3 Convictions in 12 Months

Illinois drivers age 21 and over face the suspension or revocation of their drivers licenses if they are convicted of 3 or more moving violations that were committed within any single 12 month period.

Dispositions of court supervision for moving violations are not counted as convictions, and in most cases will not trigger drivers license suspensions. Commercial drivers are treated differently.

If your driver’s license is suspended for 3 or more moving violation convictions, the length of the suspension that will be imposed depends on the cumulative “point” total of the various violations as outlined in the Illinois Administrative Code.

It is important to note that under the three conviction rule, it is the number of convictions for moving violations that causes the suspension or revocation of a driver’s license, not the number of “points.” When a suspension or revocation is imposed, the Secretary of State tallies the total number of points accumulated among the various convictions in setting the length of the license suspension or in deciding to revoke.

Illinois Drivers Under 21: Suspension & Revocation

Drivers under the age of 21 face closer monitoring by the Secretary of State. As a result, it takes only 2 convictions for moving violations that were committed within any single 24 month period to trigger the suspension or revocation of the driver's licenses of drivers under the age of 21. Under a more recent law, if a driver under 21 was previously suspended for moving violations, and is convicted of only 1 additional moving violation after that suspension has ended but before the driver turns 21, the driver will be re-suspended or revoked.

Illinois Attorney Helping Drivers Suspended or Revoked for Moving Violations

Attorney Matt Hoffman assists Illinois drivers facing license suspension and revocation issues. He is a former Illinois traffic court prosecutor with over 10 years' experience handling traffic matters in the Northeastern Illinois courts. He has helped many clients gain back their driving privileges well before the scheduled suspension termination dates as set by the Illinois Secretary of State.

If your driver's license is suspended or is going to be suspended due to moving violations, missed court appearances, bond forfeitures or other reasons, Matt can assist you in pinpointing the issues involved in getting your license back. Additionally, if you are motivated to keep your driving record as clean as possible, in order to avoid suspension or revocation action in the first place, Matt would be happy to review your case.

Matt appears routinely in the Lake County, Illinois traffic courts located in Park City, Round Lake Beach, Mundelein, and Waukegan, and the Cook County, Illinois traffic courts located in Rolling Meadows and Skokie. The Law Office of Matthew T. Hoffman P.C. does not charge a fee for consultations, or to review traffic tickets, driving records, and any other issues you believe are important to your case.

Ex Parte Judgments, Failure to Appear Notices & Bond Forfeiture Convictions in Traffic Cases

If you were issued a traffic ticket for a moving violation and neither handled the ticket by mail nor appeared in court on the ticket, it is possible that the court took action against you and informed the Secretary of State. Ignoring traffic tickets can lead to “ex parte” judgments, notices of failure to appear, or bond forfeiture convictions being entered in your absence.

Depending on the kind of ticket you were issued and on your driving record, the Secretary of State may have suspended your driver’s license. If your driver’s license was suspended, it still may be possible to reopen your case, vacate any judgment or order that entered against you, and ultimately remove the suspension from your license.

Motions to Vacate Prior Convictions that Have Caused License Suspensions

Drivers who pay their traffic fines by mail and accept convictions on their driving records all too frequently find that their driver’s licenses have been suspended. This is because multiple convictions for moving violations can trigger license suspensions. Merely paying fines by mail, without requesting court supervision and completing traffic school, will almost invariably guarantee that convictions make their way to a person’s driving record.

If a prior conviction for a traffic violation has caused your license to be suspended, it may be possible to reopen your case in court and to vacate, or undo, your conviction. In that situation, if your conviction is removed, so too, then, will be your suspension. Driving on a suspended or revoked driver's license is a class A misdemeanor and carries penalties of up to a $2,500.00 fine and up to 364 days in jail.

Lawyer Representing the DUI Revoked Driver at Secretary of State Administrative Hearings

In Illinois, a conviction for driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs will cause your driver’s license to be revoked. A DUI revocation lasts for an indefinite period, although drivers may apply for full reinstatement of their driving privileges on or after their eligibility dates. Restricted Driving Permits [“RDPs”] may be issued to drivers before or after their full reinstatement eligibility dates. However, in all cases, drivers who have lost their licenses due to DUI convictions must complete an administrative hearing with the Illinois Secretary of State to obtain either an RDP or full reinstatement.

Length of Driver's License Revocation for DUI Conviction

Either an informal or formal hearing will be required. Drivers may submit to an informal hearing if they have only one DUI disposition in their pasts. Informal hearings are held on a walk-in basis. Drivers who have multiple prior DUI dispositions, or who were revoked for offenses involving a fatalities, must submit to a formal hearing in either Chicago, Springfield, Mount Vernon or Joliet. Formal hearings must be scheduled and requested in writing and require a $50.00 filing fee.

At the administrative hearing, drivers are required to demonstrate that they have completed any recommended alcohol or drug treatment. Drivers also must provide to the hearing officer certain written materials, which include an alcohol/drug evaluation or an updated alcohol/drug evaluation that is no older than 6 months.

Lawyer Defending Illinois Drivers Against Driving on Suspended & Revoked License Violations

In Illinois, driving on a suspended or revoked driver’s license is a class A misdemeanor punishable by up to 364 days in jail and a $2,500.00 fine. If you are convicted for a first time of driving on a license that was revoked for DUI, under the law you will be required to serve a minimum of 10 days in jail or complete 240 hours of community service. Subsequent convictions for driving on a license that was revoked for DUI carry successively greater penalties.

Additionally, if the Illinois Secretary of State finds out that you were convicted of driving on a suspended license, it will be required to extend your suspension for the same period of time as your originally-imposed suspension. If your suspension already has expired, the Secretary of State may then suspend your driving privileges all over again, and for the same period of time as the originally-imposed suspension.

If the Secretary of State finds out that you were convicted of driving on revoked license, it will not be allowed to issue you a driver's license for an additional period of one year from the date of your new conviction.

If you have been ticketed for driving on a suspended or revoked driver’s license under Section 6-303 of the Illinois Vehicle Code, you have been charged with a minimum of a class A misdemeanor. As a result, jail, fines, and an additional period suspension or revocation time could be the result.

Lake & Cook County Illinois Lawyer Representing Clients with Suspended & Revoked Licenses

Attorney Matt Hoffman has over 10 years' experience handling suspended and revoked driver’s license issues in Illinois courts. If you are charged with driving on a suspended or revoked license, or currently are suspended or revoked and are trying to get your license back, Matt would be happy to discuss your situation with you. He offers a free consultation on every case.

 of Matthew T. Hoffman P.C. represents Illinois drivers with suspended and revoked driver's license issues at Secretary of State administrative hearings and at the following Lake and Cook County, Illinois traffic courts:

There are many different police departments that forward suspended and revoked driver's license violations to the six local traffic courthouses in Northeastern Illinois for disposition. These courthouses include those located at Park City, Round Lake Beach, Mundelein, Waukegan, Rolling Meadows and Skokie. If you require legal assistance with suspended or revoked driver's license matters within the jurisdiction of any of these six court venues, it is likely that you were cited by one of the following police departments. The Law Office of Matthew T. Hoffman P.C. defends clients charged with traffic and other violations issued by these and other area police agencies: