Published by The Davis Law Group, P.C.
If your driving privileges are suspended or revoked in Illinois, you may be unable to obtain or renew your driver’s license in the state in which you reside due to the hold that Illinois has placed on your ‘National Driving Record’. This may occur even if you never lived in Illinois or never obtained an Illinois driver’s license. Most states will not issue or renew your driver’s license until the hold has been lifted and your National Driving Record is clear of suspensions or revocations from Illinois or any other state.
Most holds in Illinois result from either a revocation of your driving privileges due to a DUI or your Failure to Appear in court. However, there are many other reasons Illinois may place a hold on your National Driving Record, including your failure to pay fines for tickets or suspensions caused by various other traffic violations.
DUI Revocations
Your Illinois driving privileges will be revoked for DUI if:
- You have been convicted of the offense of Driving Under the Influence in the State
of Illinois; - Lived in Illinois at the time you were convicted of DUI in another
state; or - Provided your Illinois state identification card or driver’s license when you
were arrested for the offense of DUI (even if you did in fact live out of the state at the
time of the arrest).
This revocation will appear on your National Driving Record and may prevent you from obtaining or renewing your driver’s license in another state.
Out of State Hearings
If your driving privileges are revoked in Illinois and you currently live out of state and would like to obtain a driver’s license, you must have a hearing with the Illinois Secretary of State to apply for the hold to be lifted. This license reinstatement hearing may be held either in person or through an Out-Of-State Petitioner Hearing Application. In addition to the packet, you may need to complete an alcohol/drug evaluation, alcohol/drug treatment as well as other requirements. These hearings can be extremely complex and legal representation is strongly encouraged. Having a knowledgeable driver’s license reinstatement attorney on your side can make a significant difference. More information on out of state hearings is available here.
Failure to Appear in Court
If the hold is based on a Failure to Appear in court in the State of Illinois, this means that you did not appear in court on your scheduled court date and your case was not appropriately resolved. You or your attorney will likely need to file a Motion to Vacate to bring the case back into court before a judge to properly dispose of the case. Depending on the charges against you, your attorney may be able to appear on your behalf with the proper authorization and avoid the need for you to travel back to Illinois.
Additional Steps
After your revocation or suspension has been cleared, you may be required to submit a waiver of SR-22 insurance or pay reinstatement fees to the State of Illinois before Illinois will lift the hold. Once the hold has been lifted, the state in which you reside may issue or renew your driver’s license assuming you have no holds in any other state.
Contact our attorneys today
If you are unable to obtain your driver’s license in another state due to a hold in Illinois, contact our driver’s license attorneys today to discuss your case. Our attorneys concentrate in the area of driver’s license law, DUI and traffic law and understand the complex landscape of Secretary of State rules and procedures. Call us today at (847) 390-8500 or submit your information via our contact form. We look forward to hearing from you.