Chicago Drivers License Reinstatement Blog

As of July 1, 2024, Illinois has adopted a major change in its approach to non-citizen driver’s licenses. The state now offers a standard four-year driver’s license to undocumented immigrants and other non-citizen residents. These licenses bear the label “Federal Limits Apply,” and replace the former Temporary Visitor Driver’s License (TVDL), which was limited in both function and appearance. The legal framework supporting this shift is part of the legal trend to expand access to driving privileges, improve public safety, and reduce discrimination across Illinois communities.

In Illinois, a DUI conviction results in the mandatory revocation of driving privileges under 625 ILCS 5/6-205. This revocation is not time-limited and does not terminate automatically. Instead, individuals seeking to regain driving privileges must formally petition the Illinois Secretary of State for reinstatement. This process typically requires attending a hearing, testifying, and submitting specific documentation.

After a driver’s license revocation, a person may wonder if their revocation is visible to out-of-state licensing agencies. A revoked driver may believe that it is easier to obtain a driver’s license in a new state, rather than attempt to clear the revocation in their home state. However, due to the PDPS database, a revocation in one state should be visible to all other state driver’s licensing agencies.

For many first-time DUI offenders in Illinois, the Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP) provides a critical opportunity to maintain limited driving privileges during a statutory summary suspension. At Wirth Law, with offices in both Chicago and Naperville, we help Illinois drivers navigate driver’s license suspensions and revocations to get them legally back on the road…

Many of our clients are confused about why they were issued a DUI ticket without having driven a vehicle. We attempt to explain the legal basis for the ticket, as well as the legislative rationale in this article. Click here to view our explainer video on why Illinois includes “actual physical control” in their DUI…

Jennifer Wirth, Attorney at Law, has over two decades of experience with driver’s license reinstatement hearings in Illinois. She has won many awards for dedication to client service, including the Avvo’s Client Choice Award and the Martindale Client Champion Award. Wirth wins driving privileges for first-time clients in over 95 percent of cases on an…

Attorney Jennifer Wirth has focused her practice on Illinois driver’s reinstatement for over two decades. She has won many awards, including Avvo’s Client Choice and Expertise.com‘s Top Chicago DUI Attorney. Over 95 percent of her clients obtain driving privileges at their first hearing with her office. When a person’s license is revoked for DUI in…

Our office focuses exclusively on representing suspended and revoked Illinois drivers at license reinstatement hearings with the Secretary of State. With over two decades of experience, Attorney Jennifer Wirth has helped thousands of suspended and revoked drivers get back on the road with a valid driver’s license. Over 95 percent of clients obtain driving privileges…

In this article, we attempt to answer commonly asked questions relating to out-of-state DUI suspension and driver’s license revocation issues. The Illinois Secretary of State may revoke a driver’s license when an out-of-state resident receives a DUI conviction in Illinois, or where an Illinois-licensed driver pleads guilty to a DUI in another state. The Secretary…

This article offers an overview of the criteria to request a hardship permit before an applicant becomes eligible for full reinstatement of their driver’s license. The Secretary of State offers various types of driving permits to applicants, depending on their offense history and eligibility for driving relief.  If an applicant is not eligible for full…