IS ILLINOIS A ZERO TOLERANCE STATE?

Yes, Illinois is a zero tolerance state for drinking and driving by people under 21 years old.

Essentially, this means that if a person is stopped by the police and has consumed any amount of alcohol there will be consequences for his/her driving privileges.  A first time offender who submits a breath sample over .00 will generally receive a three month suspension of driving privileges.  A second time offender would receive a year long suspension if he/she blow over .00.

If the driver is under 21 and refuses to give a breath sample: a first offense will get a six month suspension and a second offense would get a two year suspension.

In order to get driving privileges back the driver will be required to pay a reinstatement fee to the Secretary of State and possibly be required to complete additional conditions including but not limited to a driver safety class.

If you are convicted of D.U.I. while under 21 at the time of the arrest a first conviction will result in revocation of your driving privileges for a minimum of two years.  A second conviction would result in a minimum revocation of five years.

While the rules are very strict in regards to drinking driving under the age of 21 it is often possible to avoid a suspension or revocation and conviction.  In order to give yourself the best chance to avoid serious and potentially permanent damage to your record you should contact us at the Russo Law Offices today for a free consultation regarding your arrest and potential consequences.