What constitutes DUI under Illinois law?

In Illinois, the offense of Driving Under the Influence (DUI) requires a blood-alcohol concentration (BAC) of .08 percent or higher. If you are driving with a BAC between .05 and .08 percent, you may still be cited for a DUI in Chicago if your behavior suggests you are impaired. A Chicago DUI attorney can assist you if you have been arrested for drunk driving. Illinois imposes serious administrative and criminal penalties for drivers who get behind the wheel under the influence of drugs or alcohol. If you are pulled over and your BAC is over .08 or you refuse testing, the officer will suspend your license. The suspension may not take effect immediately, however. Rather, you may be given a receipt that allows you to continue driving for 45 days to allow you time and an opportunity to challenge the arrest and suspension.

What if it’s my first DUI?

In Illinois, a first-time DUI is a Class A Misdemeanor that will result in suspension of driving privileges for six months. If you refuse to submit to a chemical test and it is your first offense, you will be facing a mandatory 12-month driver’s license suspension. In addition, a first time DUI is punishable by up to one year in jail and up to a $2,500 fine, typically with a minimum payment requirement of $500. These fine amounts do not include court costs and other charges associated with completing terms of sentence (e.g., an alcohol awareness course).

What if it’s my second DUI?

A second DUI is also a Class A Misdemeanor that will result in suspension of driving privileges for 12 months, with no eligibility for interim driving relief. If you refuse to submit to testing, the consequences for a second offense will result in suspension of driving privileges for three years with no eligibility for driving relief. Any subsequent offense after the second offense will be considered a felony, and the penalties including loss of driving privileges, fines and, in some cases, prison terms will vary accordingly. A Chicago DUI attorney can be vital to defending against a DUI charge and may help reduce, or even eliminate prison terms and monetary fines.

Chicago DUI & DWI Lawyers

Sponsored Listings

PREMIUM

Cary Dohman

DUI & DWI Lawyer Serving Chicago, IL

(847) 359-4005
Free Consultation

Aggressive and knowledgeable DUI Defense Attorney. Free Consultation!

Cary is an aggressive and experienced DUI Defense attorney who was selected as one of the “10 Best DUI/DWI Attorneys” in Illinois by the American Institute of DUI/DWI Attorneys from 2017 - 2024. He was also... Read More »

View Profile DUI Defense Lic. Reinstatement

Free Consultation

View Website View Profile Call Email Lawyer Email Lawyer

PREMIUM

James G. Dimeas

DUI & DWI Lawyer Serving Chicago, IL

(847) 807-7405
Free Consultation

Free Consultation! Experienced & Effective DUI Defense Attorney! Call Now!

-Over 26 years of experience handling criminal cases in Cook County, DuPage County and Kane County, as well as federal courts as far away as Las Vegas. -Rated “Superb”, the highest classification possible by AVVO,... Read More »

View Profile

Free Consultation

View Website View Profile Call Email Lawyer Email Lawyer

PREMIUM

Gbenga Longe

DUI & DWI Lawyer Serving Chicago, IL

(708) 803-5029
Free Consultation

Free Consultation! Skilled and Aggressive DUI Defense Lawyer! Call for Help!

Gbenga Longe is an experienced Criminal Defense Attorney. A former Prosecutor, Gbenga brings inside knowledge and unique insight to her practice. She has a record of both aggressive and effective representation. Gbenga... Read More »

View Profile

Free Consultation

View Website View Profile Call Email Lawyer Email Lawyer

PREMIUM

Merrill K Davis

DUI & DWI Lawyer Serving Chicago, IL

(312) 736-2052
Free Consultation

Free Consultation! Skilled and Effective Illinois Lawyer! Call Now for Help!

Merrill K. Davis is an Attorney at The Davis Law Group, P.C. Ms. Davis received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Wisconsin-Madison with a major in Legal Studies. Ms. Davis received her J.D. from Loyola... Read More »

View Profile

Free Consultation

View Website View Profile Call Email Lawyer Email Lawyer

PREMIUM

David S. Olshansky

DUI & DWI Lawyer Serving Chicago, IL

(312) 203-5500
Free Consultation

Free Consultation! Aggressive Legal Representation! Strong Track Record!

Mr. Olshansky's practice is limited to only issues which arise out of domestic criminal and quasi-criminal cases including charges of domestic battery, criminal violations of orders of protection, defending the... Read More »

View Profile

Free Consultation

View Website View Profile Call Email Lawyer Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer Profile

Carolyn Howard

Chicago, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(312) 631-8375

Illinois

View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer Profile

Christopher Syregelas

Chicago, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(312) 733-0400

IllinoisIllinois State Bar

View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer ProfileResponsive Law

Ronald Matthew Justin Jr.

Chicago, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(773) 851-8957

Illinois

View Website View Lawyer Profile

Claimed Lawyer Profile

Michael R. Johnson

Oak Park, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(312) 706-6150

Chicago-Kent College of Law, Illinois Institute of TechnologyIllinois

View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer Profile

Mari-Rose McManus

Evanston, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(847) 491-6338

IllinoisIllinois State Bar

View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer Profile

Paul R. Kesselman

Wilmette, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(312) 283-4342

Illinois

View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer Profile

Neal Walter

Morton Grove, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(847) 966-0010

IllinoisIllinois State Bar

View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer Profile

Eric Tibbs

Stone Park, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(312) 940-8330

IllinoisState Bar of Illinois

View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer Profile

James D Tunick

Chicago, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(773) 425-1657

IllinoisState Bar of Illinois

View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer Profile

Megan Vazquez

Stone Park, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(312) 994-8330

IllinoisState Bar of Illinois

View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Sponsored Listings

PREMIUM

Andrew Weisberg

DUI & DWI Lawyer Serving Chicago, IL

(773) 219-6385

Call Now for Immediate Free Consultation. Former Prosecutor. 100+ 5 Star Reviews

A+ Rated with the BBB and with well over 100 5-Star reviews online, Andrew M. Weisberg is a highly successful criminal defense attorney. Call Now for a Free and Immediate Consultation at (773) 219-6385. Mr. Weisberg... Read More »

View Profile

Contact Now

View Website View Profile Call Email Lawyer Email Lawyer

PREMIUM

Joel Gould

DUI & DWI Lawyer Serving Chicago, IL

(773) 281-8744
Free Consultation

Chicago, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

Illinois State Bar

View Profile

Free Consultation

View Website View Profile Call Email Lawyer Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer Profile

Ronald J. Hurley

Chicago, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(312) 612-1950

State Bar of Illinois and Cook County State's Attorney's Office

View Website View Lawyer Profile

Claimed Lawyer Profile

Andy Sotiropoulos

OakBrook, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(708) 408-9010

Illinois

View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer Profile

George Kallas

Glen Ellyn, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(630) 479-7100

View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer Profile

Daniel Kiss

Chicago, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(312) 765-0100

View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer Profile

Ava M George Stewart

Chicago, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(312) 944-3973

View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer Profile

Kevin Cunningham

Oak Lawn, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(708) 359-8500

View Lawyer Profile

Claimed Lawyer ProfileQ&A

Donald J. Ramsell

Schaumburg, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(800) 342-5384

DePaul College of LawLoyola University ChicagoIllinois, 7th Circuit, U.S. Supreme Court and ArizonaNational College for DUI DefenseIllinois State Bar, DuPage County Bar Association...Illinois DUI Law and Practice Guidebook

View Website View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer ProfileQ&AResponsive Law

Jeremy Wang

Rolling Meadows, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(630) 712-9264

Southern Illinois University - CarbondaleUniversity of Illinois - Urbana-ChampaignIllinois and U.S. Supreme CourtAVVO, Superlawyers , Martindale-Hubbell, Superlawyers...State Bar of Illinois and DuPage County Bar AssociationA generalized role of interhemispheric interaction under attentionally demanding conditions: evidence from the auditory and tactile modality

View Website View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer Profile

Timothy Martin

Wheaton, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(630) 480-0604

The John Marshall Law SchoolWestern Illinois UniversityIllinois and 7th CircuitDuPage County State's Attroneys Office and The John Marshall Law SchoolIllinois State Bar, State Bar of Illinois...

View Website View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer

Claimed Lawyer ProfileQ&A

Mr. Stephen A Brundage

Wheaton, IL DUI & DWI Attorney

(630) 260-9647

DePaul College of LawIllinois and 7th CircuitDePaul University College of LawIllinois State Bar and DuPage County Bar Association"Consensual" Searches and Seizures: Did "Yes" Really Mean "Yes"?

View Website View Lawyer Profile Email Lawyer