Secretary of State

Lower the legal limit to 0.05: NTSB recommends Illinois and other states follow suit

May 14, 2013
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In an historic vote, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended today that all 50 states lower the legal limit from 0.08 to 0.05 for driving under the influence. At the present time, all 50 states have a limit for the alcohol concentration in any person’s blood or breath of 0.08. Anyone who operates a motor [...]

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New law allows illegal immigrants to get drivers licenses in Illinois: approval pending

November 22, 2012
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Lawmakers in Springfield are drafting legislation that would provide a way for illegal immigrants to get driver’s licenses. The bill has not been introduced in the General Assembly, but legislators expect to make the proposal soon. This is not the first time our state lawmakers have tried to legalize undocumented aliens on the road. A [...]

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Fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer: sentencing and driver’s license issues

November 9, 2012
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If a police officer tries to pull you over with his siren or flashing lights and you choose to drive away, you could be charged with a serious crime. The law in Illinois says that fleeing or attempting to elude a peace officer is a Class A misdemeanor. You could go to jail for up [...]

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Speeding 40 mph over the limit in Illinois: Class A misdemeanor

May 31, 2012
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The state of Illinois has some of the toughest traffic laws in the country. A person who drives 40 miles per hour over the posted speed limit can be arrested, charged with a crime, and even put in jail. 625 ILCS 5/11-601.5(b). Speeding 40 mph over the limit, years ago, was called aggravated speeding. If [...]

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Illinois DUI laws for 2012 explained

May 29, 2012
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Driving under the influence is a criminal offense in Illinois. The first offense is generally a Class A misdemeanor. Under very rare circumstances, a first offense can be a felony. The statute for DUI is found in the vehicle code at 625 ILCS 5/11-501. Most cases are charged under 11-501(a)(1) for having an alcohol concentration [...]

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Illinois laws against driving a commercial motor vehicle without a CDL

May 6, 2012
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Any person who operates a commercial motor vehicle on Illinois roadways without the required license commits a crime. By statute, it is a Class A misdemeanor offense to drive a CMV without a CDL. The Illinois vehicle code prohibits the operation of a commercial motor vehicle without a CDL under section 625 ILCS 5/6-507. The [...]

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Suspended license and revoked license: reinstatement procedures

February 23, 2012
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Basically, the Illinois state government enforces the rules of the road in two ways: first, the police ticket drivers who violate the vehicle code, and the court can impose penalties such as fines and even jail time for criminal offenses. Second, the Secretary of State can impose sanctions on a person’s driving privileges as a [...]

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Driving without a valid license: a summary of the consequences

February 17, 2012
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If you were pulled over by a police officer and given a ticket for driving without a valid license, you are looking at some serious problems. Contrary to what many people believe, getting a ticket for driving without a valid license, 625 ILCS 5/6-101, is the same as getting arrested. Legally speaking, the fact that [...]

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Traffic tickets and drivers under age 21: serious penalties

February 4, 2012
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Illinois is one of the toughest states when it comes to a young person’s driving privileges. In addition to the Zero Tolerance law, which suspends a person’s driver’s license for consuming alcohol before age 21, the Secretary of State has multiple laws it can use to take away your license. In fact, a driver who [...]

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Driver’s license revocation for leaving the scene of an accident involving injury or death

February 4, 2012
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If you have been charged with leaving the scene of an accident involving injury or death, you have to be concerned not only with the potential penalty in court, but also with the loss of driving privileges. This crime can result hypothetically in a lifetime loss of driving privileges. The Illinois Secretary of State is [...]

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