Penalties for DUI in Illinois

Illinois drivers who are arrested for driving while impaired may face a variety of penalties based on the facts surrounding their DUI charge. For instance, the severity of penalties they may face may depend on their age, whether there were minors in the car or whether they have prior drunk or impaired driving convictions. Those who are convicted on a misdemeanor Class A charge for the first time will lose their license for one year as well as have their registration suspended.

Second offenders will have their license suspended for five years if the second conviction was within 20 years of the first. They will also be sentenced to five days in jail or 240 hours of community service in addition to a registration suspension. If there was a minor child in the car, drivers may face penalties of up to $1,000 and six months in jail for a first offense.

For a second offense, drivers could face felony charges, and drivers may also face felony charges if a minor is hurt in an accident whether it’s a first or second offense. Fines range from $2,500 to $5,000 in addition to 25 days of community service helping children. Those who are found to have a BAC of .16 percent or higher will face fines of $500 for a first offense to a fine of $1,250 for a second offense.

Those who are charged with drunk driving may wish to talk to an attorney about his or her legal options. In some cases, an attorney can challenge the traffic stop itself as being made without reasonable suspicion on the part of the police officer who conducted it.