Yes, it's possible, but you'll need to comply with certain requirements.

Driver's licenses are revoked for a wide range of reasons, including but not limited to:

A DUI conviction;

Leaving the scene of an accident resulting in death or personal injury;

Drag racing/Street racing;

Aggravated fleeing and eluding a police officer involving speeding 21 miles per hour or more over the limit, property damage of $300.00 or more; disobedience of two or more traffic control devices;

Two convictions for illegal transportation of open liquor where the person is under age 21;

Any felony involving the use of a motor vehicle.

Note: This is only a partial list of offenses that may cause a suspension or revocation.

For example, if you lost driving privileges after a DUI conviction, you must do the following to get your revoked license reinstated:

Maintain a clean driving record by not driving illegally

Undergo a drug and alcohol evaluation

Participate in a remedial education program and/or treatment for substance abuse

Provide proof of economic responsibility

Meet with the hearing officers of the Illinois Secretary of State's office

Pay an application fee along with the driver's license reinstatement fees ($500)

Pay a $50 filing fee if you are required to have a formal reinstatement hearing or, if eligible, a no fee informal hearing

Appear before a hearing officer with the required documentation and receive a favorable decision

File proof of financial responsibility

Pass a driving test, a written exam, and a vision test

If your license has been suspended or revoked, you're not alone. According to Insurify, in the United States, an average of 2.59% of drivers have had a suspended license. In most cases, you will need an administrative hearing with the Illinois Secretary of State to get your license reinstated. Contact our law office, and our license reinstatement attorney Chicago, IL residents work with will get the process started to schedule your license reinstatement hearing.

Just as in the case of revocation for a DUI, the procedures followed by the Illinois Secretary of State are extremely technical and complicated for suspensions and revocations based on other offenses.

The first step is to determine whether there is another solution short of having an administrative hearing. Typically, this will involve your attorney looking at each moving violation conviction that is the basis for the suspension or revocation and determining whether it is possible to reopen the case and have the offense(s) removed from your driving record, which would in turn result in the removal of the suspension or revocation.

In the event that this is not feasible, a hearing will be required. The issue in determining whether relief should be granted is the same as in any other case, that is whether you are a risk to public safety. 

You can reinstate a suspended driver's license online in Illinois if your only requirement is the payment of a reinstatement fee. Most reinstatement fees can be conveniently paid through the Secretary of State's website at ilsos.gov.

However, it's important to note that certain suspensions involve additional steps that cannot be completed online. For example, if your suspension requires the completion of a remedial driver's course, you will need to fulfill this requirement in person.

On the other hand, it's never possible to reinstate a revoked license online. A revoked license is one that has been terminated or indefinitely withdrawn, Driving privileges cannot be fully restored until a certain period of time has passed and, even then, only after a hearing has been held before the Illinois Secretary of State. For example, in the case of a DUI revocation, the driver must first satisfy additional conditions, including an alcohol/drug evaluation, educational classes and/or treatment, and then an administrative hearing conducted by the Illinois Secretary of State.

During a Illinois driver's license hearing, the Secretary of State's office considers several factors in the case of a DUI offender in determining if he or she is a risk. For example, the State will consider an alcohol/drug evaluation and any treatment documentation completed by a State-licensed program, character reference letters, and in some circumstances support group letters, as well as testimony before a Secretary of State hearing officer.

The evaluation and testimony will address issues such as the facts and circumstances of DUI arrest(s) including the reason why the driver was stopped, how much alcohol or drugs were consumed, the driver's perception of intoxication, the results of any alcohol/drug breath, blood or urine test(s), prior alcohol/drug use history, the reasons for alcohol or drug use in the past, whether treatment adequately addressed any underlying reasons for alcohol and/or drug abuse, the lifestyle changes that have been made (if any), any support group involvement such as AA, NA or non-traditional support group, and other prior driving or alcohol/drug-related offenses.

Other factors may also be considered in alcohol/drug and non-substance abuse cases such as criminal history, overall driving record including previous moving violations, accidents, etc.

A suspension is the temporary loss of driving privileges for a specified period of time. At the end of the period of suspension, a person is automatically reinstated upon payment of the required reinstatement fee.

Certain offenses may result in a suspension while more serious offenses may result in a revocation. Examples of offenses that will result in a suspension:

Three or more minor moving violations within a 12-month period for drivers 21 years of age or older;

Two or more minor moving violations within a 24-month period for drivers under the age of 21;

Possession of a driver's license or ID card belonging to another;

Fleeing and eluding a police officer;

Leaving the scene of an accident where property damage exceeds $1,000.00;

Two convictions for illegal transportation of open liquor within a period of 1 year;

Violation of driver's license classification (e.g., operating a motorcycle without proper license classification);

Possession of a controlled substance, cannabis or methamphetamine while operating or in physical control of a motor vehicle.

Note that certain offenses may result in a revocation rather than a suspension depending on the seriousness of the offense as well as the person's past driving record. A driver's license restoration attorney can advise you as to the exact type of sanction you may be facing.

Formal and informal hearings differ in many ways. Formal hearings are only held at four Secretary of State locations across the state: Chicago, Joliet, Springfield, and Mount Vernon. Informal hearings are held at many locations across the state, a majority of which are local Secretary of State Motor Vehicle facilities.

In order to schedule a formal hearing, the driver (also known as the petitioner) must submit a formal hearing request along with a $50.00 filing fee. The petitioner may choose the location of the hearing. The Secretary of State will then schedule a date and time for the hearing to take place. In contrast, informal hearings are held on a walk-in basis.

A formal hearing is similar to a trial. A hearing officer and hearing representative, who advocates on behalf of the Secretary of State, are present in addition to the petitioner and the petitioner's attorney, if any. The hearing begins with the Secretary of State representative and petitioner's attorney each introducing their own exhibits and the petitioner being put under oath. The petitioner's attorney has an opportunity to present their case by asking questions relating to the petitioner's driving record, details of the arrests, alcohol/drug use history (if relevant), and all other pertinent information. The Secretary of State hearing representative then has the opportunity to cross-examine the petitioner. The hearing officer may then also choose to question the petitioner.

At an informal hearing, a Secretary of State representative is not present. Instead, it is a hearing officer, petitioner, and the petitioner's attorney. At an informal hearing, the hearing officer asks all of the questions.

At both types of hearings, formal and informal, the hearing officer makes a recommendation, which is then reviewed before a final decision is rendered.

Yes, as a drivers license lawyer Chicago, IL residents rely on, we offer free consultations. We also offer telephone consultations for your convenience.

To prepare for a consultation with our license reinstatement attorney in Chicago, IL, you will need to obtain a copy of your Illinois driving record/abstract. It can be obtained at any Secretary of State facility or online at www.ilsos.gov. We will handle the rest.

Yes, we offer payment arrangments and the entire fee is not required upfront. As a drivers license lawyer Chicago, IL residents recommend, we do our best to accommodate our client's needs.