A DUI arrest often impacts your ability to drive legally. If you license is suspended, you don’t need to schedule a hearing with the driver’s facility and only pay a reinstatement fee. It is suggested you send in your fee 45 days before the date you are scheduled to get your driving privileges back. Remember, just because you have sent in your fee, and the date you are able to drive has come, you are not legal until you receive notification from the Secretary of State that you are . You also don’t need to finish your court requirements in order to drive again. The court process and that of the Secretary of State are totally separate.
If you license has been revoked, that’s a different process. You will be required have a hearing with the Hearing Officer. An Informal Hearing is necessary if you have only been arrested for DUI or had a Statutory Summary of Suspension once. You will need to complete the majority of your treatment in order for your driving privileges to be reinstated. The Informal Hearings take place at the local Drivers License Facility where you will meet with a Hearing Officer. Most Drivers License Facilities do not have a Hearing Officer available every day to make sure to check before you go. They usually don’t take appointments either so typically first thing in the morning or right after lunch are best.
If you have been arrested for DUI twice or have had two Statutory Summary of Suspensions or more, you will need to attend a Formal Hearing. These are held at a limited number of locations and require you apply by mail for a hearing date. We have the forms you need to send in for this in the office. There is a $50 fee to have a hearing, which you send in with the request. It can take 3-6 weeks from the time you send in your request to the time you get a hearing date. The hearing date is often 3-6 weeks from the date you receive the notice. If you need help deciding when to send in your request, just ask us.
At Formal Hearing, you will need to have the majority of your treatment completed to have your license reinstated. It is possible to have your treatment completed and be in the process of finishing your continuing care when you go for your hearing. If you were classified as substance dependent, the Hearing Officer will require you are sober for 12 months, have a support network, and bring additional supporting documents related to your support network.
If you need to go to hearing, there are several documents you will need to take with you. Some of these you may have from when you did treatment, and others will need to be created. For example, your DUI evaluation is only valid for 6 moths and then needs to be updated. Every time you are denied reinstatement, the letter of denial you are sent needs to be addressed.
The license reinstatement process can appear very difficult. We can help take the mystery out of the process, and have for many who are now driving legally again. We have an outstanding reputation with the Secretary Of State and are very knowledgeable about what’s required. We can work with you to get the documents you need and share how to prepare for Hearing.
License Reinstatement after Suspension or Revocation in Illinois
At Braden Counseling Center, we work with you, and legal experts who know what is required of you, if you have had the Secretary of State revoke your driver’s license after being convicted of driving under the influence (DUI, DWI or drunk driving). After getting a DUI license reinstatement can be a difficult process. We can guide you through step by step.
Informal and Formal Hearings
If you have one DUI arrest, depending on the circumstances, you may be able to have an informal hearing. If not, you will be required to attend a formal hearing with all that entails. Two or more DUI arrests usually require a formal hearing.
Whether you attend a formal or informal hearing, you will be required to have a DUI evaluation before your DUI case can be closed. The same holds true for the State of Illinois Circuit Courts.
At Braden Counseling Center, both DUI evaluations and DUI treatments are available at all five of our office locations. For those who qualify, financial assistance is also available.
DUI Assessment Appointment – Documents Necessary
The following documents must accompany you on your appointment. Bring them with you or have your attorney send them to us.
- Statutory Summary Suspension– Typically, this is given to you the same day as your arrest. If you were in an accident or had to provide a blood or urine sample, you may not have this paperwork yet. If this is the case, bring your police report to the appointment. It provides the date and time of your arrest, your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC), and if you completed the test. If you refused to be tested, bring the documentation confirming the refusal.
- Driving Abstract for Court Purposes– This can be obtained from the Illinois Drivers Facility (Dept. of Motor Vehicles). There is a charge to get this document and you must go to the facility with identification to obtain it. You cannot use a driving record you get online or from the court.
- $100.00 Fee– If you think that you qualify for a reduced rate at the time of your appointment, bring proof of income or lack of income, with you to your appointment.Ask when you make your appointment if the program is in effect.
If additional information is necessary, you have 30 days from your first appointment with us to complete the evaluation, though it is best to complete it as soon as possible.
Classification Levels and What They Mean
There are 3 primary classification levels, and two of those have sub-classifications. The level you will be placed in is determined by your DUI Evaluation.
- Level I applies in situations where you have one DUI arrest, unless you refused the breath test or took it, and registered between .15 and .19. If so, you are classified, at a minimum, to be a Level II moderate risk. If you have a Level I classification you are required to attend a 10-hour Driver Risk Education (DRE) course.
- Level II moderate risk means a DUI Evaluation, completion of the DRE course and a minimum of 12 hours of early intervention alcohol education.
- Level II significant risk means that you registered .20 or higher on the blood or chemical breath test (Breathalyzer). As a result, you must complete a DUI Evaluation, the DRE course, and at least 20 hours of alcohol treatment. Usually, this classification also requires aftercare.
Level III classifications have two categories.
If you have three or more symptoms of dependency, you must be classified as Level IIIhigh-risk alcohol dependent, regardless of the number of DUI arrests.
The second classification is Level IIIhigh-risk nondependent, which includes anyone with three or more DUI arrests within a 10-year period, with fewer than 3 symptoms of dependency as determined by one of our DUI evaluators.
Level III classifications require outpatient or inpatient alcohol treatment, or a minimum of 75 hours of intensive outpatient counseling. You are also required to demonstrate a minimum of 12 months abstinence from alcohol or drugs and prove that you attend an ongoing support group.
Driver’s License Reinstatement
If your license has been suspended, you pay a reinstatement fee to get your license, and your driving privileges back. However, you are not legal until you receive notification from the Secretary of State specifically granting you suspended license reinstatement.
In the case of suspension, the court process and that of the Secretary of State are totally separate.
Getting back a revoked license is a different process that requires a hearing with the Hearing Officer. If you have only been arrested once for a DUI or had one Statutory Summary of Suspension, you need to complete the majority of your treatment program prior to your driving privileges being reinstated.
If you have been arrested for DUI twice, have had two Statutory Summary of Suspensions, or more, you are required to attend a Formal Hearing. These are held at a limited number of locations and require application by mail for a hearing date.
What Braden Counseling Center Can Do for You
At Braden Counseling Center, we have the forms necessary to request a hearing. A $50 fee must be sent with your hearing request. It can take 3-6 weeks from when you send your request to the time you get a hearing date. The hearing date is often 3-6 weeks from the date you receive the notice.
We can help you with any questions you have about when to send in your request.
The majority of your treatment must be completed prior to your hearing. You should be finishing your continuing care. If you were classified as substance-dependent, the Hearing Officer will require documents related to your support network and 12 months of sobriety. If you are denied, the process starts again.
Trying to reinstate driver’s licenses can be difficult. Our staff is here to help you navigate this sometimes mysterious process so that you can drive legally again.
Branden Counseling Center has an outstanding reputation with the Secretary of State. We are knowledgeable about what is required and work with you to get everything you need to be ready for your hearing.
We have five convenient locations in Bartlett, Elgin, North Aurora, Oregon, Rochelle, and Sycamore, IL. Contact us today and let us help!
What Our Clients are Saying.....
a councilor and I was impressed. I’m still dropping by to see her. I wouldn’t go anywhere else.
