Out Of State Driver's License Reinstatement

What Happens if Your License is Revoked in Another State?

Illinois driver's license holds can arise in several different instances:

• You are an Illinois license holder and you received a DUI conviction in this or any other state, thus resulting in Illinois revoking your driving privileges. Essentially, Illinois puts a "hold" on you until this is removed from your record.
• You were an Illinois license holder at some point in the past but had moved out of state and obtained a driver's license in your new home state. Now, thanks to the national database known as the Problem Driver Pointer System (PDPS), your new home state may refuse to renew your license, or it may cancel your driver's license altogether. If Illinois has placed a hold on your old license, this will prevent you from renewing your license in your home state.
• You visited Illinois and received a DUI, and now your home state will not issue or renew your license.

In all of these instances, your home state will require a proof of reinstatement or what is called a "clearance" of your revocation in Illinois. There are only two ways to remove this "hold" and clear your status here in Illinois.

Removing the Hold on Your License

There are two ways to remove the "hold" that Illinois has placed on you:

• You may use an "out-of-state package." This method, in our opinion, is the less favored of the two options. With this option, you will fill out a multiple-page application and provide the required documentation to the Illinois Secretary of State. That documentation is reviewed, and your request will be approved or denied, or requests for more information may be made. This process can be lengthy and frustrating. We generally do not recommend this option, and we choose not to assist clients with this process.
• The second and more reliable way to remove the hold is to have an in-person hearing at the Joliet Secretary of State hearing office. Our firm has helped clients from as far away as California appear for these hearings, allowing them to obtain clearances (removing the holds on their driver's licenses) on their very first appearances. While this process can be a bit more time-consuming and costly, since it may require travel expenses, our firm finds this to be the most successful way of getting the hold removed from your license. We strongly suggest you consider this method when attempting to remove a hold.

Out-of-State Resident Challenges

In every hearing with the Illinois Secretary of State, documentation matters. Illinois has specific requirements for the types of documentation that are acceptable at a hearing. Most out-of-state evaluators are not aware of these requirements, and in some cases, they may not be qualified under Illinois rules. Our office will work with an evaluator to determine whether they meet Illinois requirements and whether they are able to submit the required documentation for the hearing. In some cases, we help our clients obtain documentation from a local Joliet evaluator to avoid any problems at their hearings. We will help advise you of the best route to follow when it comes to providing the required documentation.

Do You Have Four or More DUI Convictions?

If you have four or more DUI convictions, with at least one conviction resulting from an arrest that was made after January 1, 1999, you must meet the following requirements:

• At least ten years must have passed since the effective date of the most recent driver's license revocation on your Illinois record. Out-of-state DUI convictions that are not on your driving record do not impact this rule.
• You must have three years of continuous sobriety.
• Moving back to the State of Illinois would require you to attend a new hearing and be subject to the rule requiring you to receive a lifetime Restricted Driving Permit and use a BAIID.

Contact Our Joliet Out-of-State License Reinstatement Attorney

Contact the Law Offices of Jack L. Zaremba, P.C. today for your free phone consultation. Call 815-740-4025 to learn how we can help with your case. We are available to discuss the out-of-state license reinstatement process in detail and help you remove the hold on your license.