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DUI lawyer in Chicago: 90 days to save your license
A DUI arrest in Chicago starts a license case and a court case.
Answered day and night. A professional goes through your Chicago case for free and puts you through to an Illinois DUI lawyer.
Arrested for DUI in Chicago? 90 days to ask for the hearing.
Counted from the day you got the notice. If that was today, day 90 is Thursday, January 7, so ask before then.
The license deadline here
The Secretary of State can suspend your license unless a hearing is requested within 90 days from the day you got the notice. That deadline comes before your court date, and missing it can cost you the right to drive.
The rule is the same in Chicago as anywhere else in Illinois: 90 days after the notice date to ask for a judicial hearing. The court date on your citation does not pause it (Illinois Secretary of State, administrative hearings).
What a first offense costs in Chicago
| What | The rule |
|---|---|
| Fine | a maximum fine of $2,500 |
| Jail | possible imprisonment up to one year |
| License | minimum one-year loss of full driving privileges |
| License (Secretary of State) | six months for a failed test (MDDP permit possible); 12 months for a refusal |
Illinois sets these ranges, and the judge picks inside them. The state’s penalty page has the full text, and the Illinois DUI page covers second offenses and interlocks.
The court your DUI attorney appears in
A DUI arrest inside Chicago is heard in the Traffic Section of the Circuit Court of Cook County, at the Richard J. Daley Center, 50 W. Washington St. Tickets written outside Chicago go to the municipal district where the stop happened.
The court: Circuit Court of Cook County, Traffic Section (First Municipal District).
The Illinois DUI page has the whole state’s rules, and the BAC calculator shows what a reading can mean.
Save your license before the deadline
Every day you wait takes time from the 90 days you have after the day you got the notice. The professional who answers looks over your Chicago case for free, any hour of the night. You are then connected with an Illinois DUI defense lawyer, who can request the police reports and start on your defense.
Review my Illinois case (877) 317-9931
Answered day and night. A professional goes through your Chicago case for free and puts you through to an Illinois DUI lawyer.
Send your case details
Send the date of your Chicago arrest and the date on your Secretary of State notice. A DUI lawyer who takes Chicago cases needs those two dates first.