FAQ's

Illinois Residents

Is it true that you always get denied at your first hearing?
Isn’t it a waste of money to hire an attorney for a hearing?
Isn’t it better for you to wait until you’re eligible for full reinstatement and then go to a hearing so you can avoid getting a restricted driving permit and/or the BAIID machine?
If your Illinois Drivers License is revoked do you have to wait until your eligibility date before you can have a hearing?
Is it true that you must go to a Formal Hearing if you have more than one DUI?
Will I have to have a BAIID device in my car?
All Secretary of State hearing officers are there to deny as many people as they can?

Out of State

If my DUI in Illinois was years ago can’t they just clear my Illinois Hold without a hearing or out of state packet?
If I just do nothing and wait will my Illinois Hold go away?
Do I need to do any more treatment before the hearing even though I did treatment years ago after the Illinois DUI?
Can’t I just go to an evaluator in my current State and get an evaluation that says I do not have a problem and send it to Illinois and they will clear my Hold?
Doesn’t it take years to clear an Illinois Hold?

Frequently Asked Questions

Illinois Residents

Q: Is it true that you always get denied at your first hearing?
A: NO! People usually get denied at the first hearing because they go into that hearing unprepared and without appropriate representation. If you have an attorney who concentrates in this area of law and properly prepares you for the hearing you will most likely get approved for driving relief whether it is your first hearing or not.

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Q: Isn’t it a waste of money to hire an attorney for a hearing?
A: It depends on how important getting your Illinois Drivers License back is to you. Having an experienced attorney who concentrates in this area of law gives you a much better chance of success than trying to do this on your own or with an attorney without the proper amount of experience.

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Q: Isn’t it better for you to wait until you’re eligible for full reinstatement and then go to a hearing so you can avoid getting a restricted driving permit and/or the BAIID machine?
A: NO! Even if you go to your first hearing after your projected eligibility date you will most likely still be required to have a restricted driving permit for a minimum of 9 months.

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Q: If your Illinois Drivers License is revoked do you have to wait until your eligibility date before you can have a hearing?
A: NO! In almost all circumstances you can go to a hearing prior to your projected eligibility date as long as you can show an undue hardship as a result of your revocation.

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Q: Is it true that you must go to a Formal Hearing if you have more than one DUI?
A: NO! There are things that go into determining if a person needs an Informal Hearing or a Formal Hearing, not just the number of DUIs.

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Q: Will I have to have a BAIID device in my car?
A: That depends on your specific history. The best way to determine that is to ask an attorney who concentrates in this area to review your history.

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Q: All Secretary of State hearing officers are there to deny as many people as they can?
A: NO! Their job is to approve people and get them driving again. More importantly their job also includes making sure they are letting the right people drive again. When you go to this hearing it is you and your attorney’s job to prove to the Secretary of State that you are no longer a danger to the public safety.

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Out of State

Q: If my DUI in Illinois was years ago can’t they just clear my Illinois Hold without a hearing or out of state packet?
A: NO! The Secretary of State can only clear a revocation by an out of state packet or a Informal or Formal Hearing.

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Q: If I just do nothing and wait will my Illinois Hold go away?
A: NO! When a person is revoked that revocation will stay in effect until the person goes through the hearing process.

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Q: Do I need to do any more treatment before the hearing even though I did treatment years ago after the Illinois DUI?
A: It all depends on your history since the Illinois DUI and other factors. Most of our previous out of state clients did not have to do additional treatment and the ones that did only needed to complete a 10 hour remedial education program.

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Q: Can’t I just go to an evaluator in my current State and get an evaluation that says I do not have a problem and send it to Illinois and they will clear my Hold?
A: NO! The Secretary of State of Illinois has very specific requirements as to documents needed to complete a hearing with them. As a result of this a lot of out of state packets include information furnished by out of state evaluators that do not comply with the Illinois Secretary of State requirements. This results in extended delays in completing the out of state packet and usually results in a denial.

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Q: Doesn’t it take years to clear an Illinois Hold?
A: NO! Our firm usually can get an out of state client to a Formal Hearing within two months from being retained and if the client is eligible for an Informal Hearing it may be even quicker. It all depends on the client’s history and other factors. Our firm will determine your timeline during the initial phone consultation.

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