Published by The Davis Law Group, P.C.
Will Illinois find out about my out-of-state DUI?
Illinois is a member of the Driver’s License Compact, which is an agreement between states to exchange information regarding traffic violations and license suspensions or revocations of non-residents and forward that information to the state where they are licensed. Therefore, if the state where you are charged with DUI is part of the Driver’s License Compact, the appropriate authorities will report the information to the Illinois Secretary of State. Illinois will then treat the DUI as if it had been committed here.
While most states are part of the Driver’s License Compact, the few non-member states include Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. However, in practice, many of these states still report offenses to Illinois under their own laws and regulations even though they are not officially part of the Driver’s License Compact.
What are the consequences to my Illinois driving privileges?
Under Illinois law, there are two potential consequences to your Illinois driving privileges if you are charged with a DUI offense in another state. If you are a first offender and refuse testing, your license is subject to a 12-month suspension. If you are convicted of the DUI, your license will be revoked for a minimum period of 12-months. If you are not a first offender, your license may be suspended or revoked for a longer period of time depending on your past driving record.
If you refused testing and are subsequently convicted of the DUI you may face both a suspension and revocation by the Illinois Secretary of State. The difference between a suspension and revocation is that a suspension terminates on its ‘end’ date if the required reinstatement fee has been paid. A revocation continues indefinitely until you request a hearing before the Secretary of State and are approved for driving privileges. In other words, there is no ‘automatic’ end date.
We can help
The attorneys at The Davis Law Group, P.C. represents Illinois residents before the Illinois Secretary of State who are revoked or suspended as the result of an out-of-state DUI offense.
We not only represent those who are currently suspended or revoked based on an out-of-state DUI, but we often help drivers who have pending offenses in another state and are concerned about their privileges here. We can often consult and work with your out-of-state defense attorney to ensure you obtain best result possible and address any concerns regarding your Illinois driving privileges.
The attorneys at The Davis Law Group, P.C. have decades of combined experience representing clients with a revoked or suspended driver’s license. If you have a revoked or suspended license or if you have a pending DUI in another state and want to minimize the consequences in Illinois, let us put our knowledge to work for you. Contact us today to discuss your case.