Our Illinois traffic attorneys get calls all the time from people saying, “How do I get my license reinstated?”
The first step to figuring out what you need to do, and if you’re even eligible to get your license back, is to understand the status of your license and why you don’t have it.
There are two courses of action the Secretary of State can take against your license:
A license suspension is temporary. If your license was suspended for one year, and one year has passed since it was initially suspended, you can get your license reinstated quite easily.
If the only requirement is that you pay a reinstatement fee, you can do this online.
There might be additional requirements before you can reinstate your license, such as completing a court-ordered course. Once you have done this and paid the reinstatement fee, you can legally drive again once you receive your documentation.
But a revoked license is a completely different beast. Your license can be revoked in many situations, including if you have been convicted of driving under the influence (DUI), provided false information to the Secretary of State, left the scene of an accident causing personal injury, or have been convicted of three moving violations (or two if you’re under 21) in 12 months, and have 110+ points on your license.
This is an indefinite removal of your driving privileges, and that’s not so easy to overcome.
But that doesn’t mean it’s impossible.
We’ve worked with clients who haven’t driven for a couple of years, but most of the time, our clients haven’t been on the road for 10, 15, or even 30 years, and now they want to be able to get back behind the wheel.
To get your license back after it’s been revoked, you must follow a set process and attend a reinstatement hearing.
We can help you navigate it.
Our driver’s license reinstatement attorneys represent clients throughout Illinois, and we also help out-of-state drivers who have revoked licenses in Illinois.
Ready to see how our Illinois driver’s license reinstatement lawyers can help you? Fill out our two-minute multi-step form to get a callback from our team with tailored advice on your situation, or get in touch the old-fashioned way. We’ll ask you a few questions and explain your legal options.
To get your license reinstated, you need to attend a hearing with the Secretary of State’s office. This hearing is your opportunity to state your case and show why you should be eligible to drive again. But the Secretary of State does not grant reinstatement lightly, and there are strict criteria to meet.
There are different types of driver’s license reinstatement hearings in Illinois. Regardless of the type of hearing you attend, there are three potential outcomes: Full Reinstatement, Denial, and Restricted Driving Permit (RDP).
An RDP allows you to drive only for specific purposes, like going to work, picking your kids up from school, or attending medical appointments. Some RDPs prevent you from driving on certain days of the week. If you are caught driving outside of this, the police will charge you with driving with a revoked license. You should speak to an attorney if this happens to you, as it is a criminal offense.
You will have an informal hearing if you have only one DUI or drug or alcohol-related offense on your record. Informal hearings happen on a walk-in basis at specific DMVs, so as soon as you are eligible to be considered for license reinstatement — and you feel prepared enough — you can attend a hearing without an appointment.
Only you, your attorney, and the hearing officer need to be present, so this process can be less intimidating than a formal hearing in front of a judge.
During the hearing, the officer will ask you questions about your driving history and license revocation. Afterward, they’ll write up their findings, and you’ll receive a written decision in the mail.
You will have an informal hearing if you have only one DUI or drug or alcohol-related offense on your record. Informal hearings happen on a walk-in basis at specific DMVs, so as soon as you are eligible to be considered for license reinstatement — and you feel prepared enough — you can attend a hearing without an appointment.
Only you, your attorney, and the hearing officer need to be present, so this process can be less intimidating than a formal hearing in front of a judge.
During the hearing, the officer will ask you questions about your driving history and license revocation. Afterward, they’ll write up their findings you’ll receive a written decision in the mail.
You’ll attend a formal hearing if your license is revoked for a more serious offense. These include multiple DUIs and reckless homicide.
A formal hearing is more, well, formal. An attorney will represent the Secretary of State, and an administrative judge will be present. Your license reinstatement lawyer will present your case to the judge, introducing exhibits and testimony as evidence, and the State’s attorney will be able to cross-examine you.
You must request a formal hearing in writing and pay a $50 filing fee to set it.
As with an informal hearing, you’ll get a decision in the mail. If you are denied driving privileges, you can appeal the outcome or request another formal hearing after three months.
An out-of-state hearing can happen in several scenarios, but the most common is when a person has a revoked Illinois license, and they’ve since moved to another state. The problem is that they can’t get a license where they live because Illinois effectively has a hold on their license. There’s little a person can do in this situation until they have been granted their driving privileges in Illinois.
You might also need an out-of-state hearing if you got a DUI or felony motor vehicle charge while visiting Illinois, even if you’ve never lived here.
Getting your driver’s license reinstated can be tough. The burden is on you to prove that you should be allowed back on the road, so you need to be prepared.
In a hearing, the details matter. The first step is to get your Illinois Secretary of State Court Purposes Driving Abstract. This document provides you with a certified copy of your driving record. You can request a copy online, by mail, or at your local DMV. Your certified record gives your attorney invaluable information about why your license was revoked, whether you pleaded guilty, or if you got court supervision or a conviction, and these all help determine the right strategy for getting your license back.
Your Abstract will also tell us about any old tickets that can be cleared up or resolved. It might be a case of paying off an old ticket you stuffed in a drawer years ago or vacating a mishandled citation. Each of these things can make a big difference and strengthen your case.
Understanding all of these moving pieces gives us a blueprint to get you back on the road. You don’t build a house by digging a hole and immediately laying 2x4s. And you don’t get your license reinstated by turning up at a hearing and stating that you should be allowed back behind the wheel. We will be upfront with you about the steps you need to take and how far away the light is at the end of the tunnel. And it really does start with good, old-fashioned investigative work — finding out the exact circumstances of your license revocation, understanding how previous tickets might affect your driving privileges, and anticipating the arguments the State might make against your reinstatement.
Unfortunately, too many lawyers claim outright that they’ll get your license taken care of — without even looking over the paperwork and knowing your exact circumstances.
We won’t do that.
Once we know what you’re facing, we can tell you your chances, explain your other options for getting your license reinstated, and confidently recommend the next steps to get you the best outcome.
Not all attorneys are equipped to handle license reinstatement cases effectively. Getting your license back can be a time-consuming and complicated process, so hiring the wrong attorney often means wasting time and money.
There’s a reason Driver Defense Team has a reputation as the best lawyers for Chicagoland drivers. We’ve helped thousands of clients, using our combined decades of experience on both sides of the courtroom to get the best outcome. Whether your license has been revoked because of a DUI, you have multiple violations, or you’re looking to get your license back after decades, our license reinstatement hearing lawyers know what it takes to get you back on the road.
Our entire process is built around devising a tailored strategy based on your driving history, the evidence, and your goals. Our entire team of attorneys is behind you, using our 114+ years of experience to get you the best result.
Transparent fees, no nasty surprises
Getting your license reinstated can be costly. On top of attorney fees, you will also need to factor in potential costs for:
The sad reality is that many drivers go through the hassle of getting all these things in place and attend a hearing, only to get denied because they weren’t eligible for reinstatement. That’s why our first step is to find out exactly where you stand. We’re not interested in wasting your time and money if you’re not eligible.
If you are, we have a transparent fee structure, where the price we quote is the price you’ll pay — no exceptions. If you have outstanding tickets that need resolving before you’re eligible for reinstatement, we can help you with those too.
Restoring your driving privileges for when you need them most
Even when full reinstatement isn’t possible or likely, we can make the case that you should be issued a Restricted Driving Permit so you can drive for essential purposes like work and medical appointments. While there are limitations with an RDP, it’s better than the alternatives (relying on public transport or having to constantly ask family and friends for a ride). It’s also a positive step toward getting your license fully reinstated, as it allows you to prove to the Secretary of State that you can follow the rules of the road and do not pose a threat to public safety.
We don’t just show up for your hearing and hope for the best. We thoroughly prepare for every case, which can involve helping you complete required evaluations, resolving outstanding tickets, gathering supporting documentation, and preparing you for the types of questions hearing officers typically ask.
Every case is different, so we develop a personalized strategy based on your unique situation. We call this your GamePlan.
Think of it as a custom document tailored to your case. It starts with understanding your case, what’s important to you, and what’s achievable.
Our support goes beyond representing you at your hearing. Our multilingual team (English, Spanish, and Polish) will explain what to expect at each stage and connect you with resources that can strengthen your case.
You’ll also have a dedicated case manager whose job is to keep you up to date on the development in your case, so you never feel lost or unsure about what’s going on.
You could walk into the DMV tomorrow and request an informal hearing (if they offer them), and the hearing officer won’t stop you. The question you want to ask instead is whether you are eligible to get your license back. You can have a reinstatement hearing whenever you like. You can go through the entire process, but if you’re not eligible, the only thing that’s going to achieve is a denial letter in the mail, wasted time, and a whole lot of frustration.
How soon you are eligible to restore your driving privileges depends on your record and why your license was revoked.
You must attend a hearing and get your driving privileges restored before you can even think about getting behind the wheel.
Getting a ticket for driving with a revoked license can lead to additional penalties, including a criminal record and your revocation being extended by one year, delaying you from getting your license back for even longer.
Your winning defense strategy
We devise every defense strategy based on our battle-tested PlayBook of winning tactics, developed from our 114+ years of collective experience and analysis of over 5,000 winning cases for driving offenses.
We use this to develop your custom GamePlan, which is delivered in three parts.
Briefing. Development. Execution.
The result? No cookie-cutter or copy-and-pasted strategies, but a roadmap tailored to you — and only you.
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