Traffic Defense & Secretary of State Hearings

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Robert M. Stephenson LLC represents clients throughout Northern Illinois in DUI defense and related traffic matters, including driving while license is suspended or revoked. This includes Secretary of State Reinstatement hearings for drivers whose licenses were revoked due to DUI or other charges.

Having your driver's license suspended or revoked is a serious hardship. A lawyer can help minimize the time you cannot drive and help you through the confusing process to reinstate your driver's license with the Secretary of State's office. Revocation of a driver's license is termination of your driver's license by the Secretary of State. Convictions for certain driving offenses require a mandatory minimum one year revocation. Once your license is revoked, reinstatement cannot occur until the Secretary of State determines that granting reinstatement will not endanger the public safety or welfare. Your driver's license is NOT automatically reinstated. If you drive without reinstating your driver's license with the Secretary of State, you are subject to increasing periods of revocation, jail time and possibly permanent revocation of your driver's license.

If your driver's license is revoked, you must re-apply to the Secretary of State's office for a driver's license, pay a reinstatement fee and attend a hearing to get your driver's license reinstated when the period of revocation expires. It is in your best interest to hire a lawyer to help you get your license reinstated if it has been revoked. An attorney can help complete the necessary steps to reinstate your driver's license with the Secretary of State as quickly as possible.

An attorney may also help you reinstate your driver's license without a formal hearing, depending on the reason your driver's license was suspended or revoked. If a formal hearing with the Secretary of State is necessary, you will want an attorney to prepare your case, as formal hearings with the Secretary of State are very much like court hearings. Evidence and testimony are presented to the hearing officer, who will make a decision to grant or deny your request to reinstate your driver's license. If an informal hearing is appropriate for your case, a lawyer can help you prepare to meet with the hearing officer and attend the hearing with you to maximize your chances to get your driver's license reinstated. You may also be eligible for a restricted driving permit, depending on your case and your driving history. A lawyer can help determine whether or not you qualify for a restricted driving permit from the Secretary of State's office.

Suspension of a driver's license is the temporary withdrawal of a driver's license by formal action of the Secretary of State. Driver's license suspensions usually occur after a driver receives three or more moving violations in twelve months. Unlike license revocations, license suspensions end automatically. There is no need for a formal hearing in front of the Secretary of State unless the driver is caught driving while their license is suspended.

Drivers under the age of 21 face special circumstances when dealing with license suspensions and revocations. Drivers under 21 convicted of DUI are subject to a mandatory one-year revocation of their driver's licenses and may apply for a restricted driving permit after one year, if the Secretary of State determines that granting the restricted permit will not endanger the public safety or welfare. Possession of a fake driver's license may also result in a one year suspension of a driver's license. This suspension usually happens when someone under the age of 21 borrows a friend's or older sibling's driver's license to appear to be over 21. If someone under 21 gets a fake driver's license with their own picture and information that changes their age to appear over 21, their real driver's license will be revoked.

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