SR-22 After a DUI in Illinois

Two separate actions can hit your driving privileges. A statutory summary suspension is an automatic administrative action that takes effect on the 46th day after your arrest for refusing chemical testing or failing it. A subsequent DUI conviction is a court action that generally results in revocation. A suspension has a defined end date; a revocation does not lift on its own.

The Secretary of State typically requires proof of financial responsibility — the SR-22 — before issuing any driving permit and again at reinstatement. Your reinstatement notice lists exactly when and for how long. In most cases the filing is required for three years, and any lapse triggers form SR-26 and re-suspension.

BAIID stands for Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device. It is a device installed on the ignition of any vehicle you drive during a Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP) period after a first statutory summary suspension, and typically during any Restricted Driving Permit period tied to a DUI. The device requires a clean breath sample before the vehicle will start and takes rolling re-tests while driving. Data is transmitted to the Secretary of State.

Program details, approved providers, and cost are set by the Secretary of State and change over time. Confirm current program requirements at ilsos.gov.

The Restricted Driving Permit is a limited-purpose license the Secretary of State may grant after a DUI revocation for specific needs — typically employment, education, medical care, alcohol or drug treatment, or child transport. An RDP generally requires the SR-22 filing, BAIID installation, completion of alcohol or drug evaluation and any recommended treatment, and a formal or informal hearing before a Secretary of State hearing officer.

An RDP is not full reinstatement. It carries defined times, purposes, and geographic limits. Driving outside those limits jeopardizes the permit.

A suspension is a defined-length loss of driving privileges that lifts once the term ends and any reinstatement steps are met. A revocation is an indefinite loss of privileges; you must apply, attend a hearing when required, and satisfy every condition before the Secretary of State restores driving eligibility. Most DUI convictions in Illinois trigger revocation.

In most Illinois DUI cases you will need to complete an alcohol and drug uniform report, complete recommended treatment or education, attend a hearing when required, pay all reinstatement fees set by the Secretary of State, take any required testing, file the SR-22, and often continue BAIID during any permit period. Fees are set by the Secretary of State and change over time; confirm current amounts at ilsos.gov.