Being accused of identity fraud can be a very frightening experience. In the state of Illinois, individuals who are facing fraudulent ID charges may be charged with a misdemeanor or felony, depending on the circumstances of their case. Regardless if a conviction is made, however, the Secretary of State does have the authority to suspend or revoke your driver’s license. If you have lost your driving privileges due to ID fraud charges, it is important to discuss your legal needs with a skilled attorney as soon as possible.

Actions That Can Lead to a Suspended or Revoked License

In Illinois, the Secretary of State is eligible to suspend or revoke an individual’s driver’s license if her or she:

• Has lent his or her driver’s license or identification card to another person for fraudulent purposes
• Is in possession of and/or is attempting to use another person’s driver’s license or identification card
• Has knowingly provided false information on a driver’s license or identification card application
• Has another person apply for a driver’s license or identification card on their behalf
• Is caught altering a government-issued driver’s license or identification card
• Is caught producing, selling, distributing, or possessing a fake identification card

In most instances, for a first-time offense, the Secretary of State will suspend an individual’s driver’s license for 12 months. For any ensuing offenses, however, your driving privileges may be revoked.

If you are convicted of driving under the influence in Illinois, a number of factors will determine the sentence you serve. One of the biggest factors the court will consider is your criminal history and whether you have previous DUIs on your record. If you do have previous DUI convictions on your records, the court may consider how long it has been between convictions.

Many states place a lookback period on DUI cases and that timeframe is typically five to ten years. If a conviction occurred before the lookback period, the courts cannot consider it. After being charged with a DUI, you may wonder if Illinois has a lookback period if you have prior convictions. Unfortunately, Illinois does not have such a law on the books.

Prior DUI Convictions Matter in Illinois

Due to the fact that Illinois does not have a lookback period for DUIs, any prior conviction of a DUI can be considered when a judge is determining a sentence for a subsequent offense. DUI convictions, like all traffic violation convictions, are also permanent, which means the prosecution can seek a harsher penalty for you even if your last DUI was over ten years ago.

A commercial driver’s license (CDL) is not just your license to drive. It is a way to earn an income to support yourself and your family. As a commercial driver, you must follow all of the same traffic laws as other drivers, but you are also regulated by other state and federal laws. It is not surprising then, to have many questions when you are accused of violating these laws. If you carry a CDL, below are some of the most frequently asked questions about CDL violations and the answers to them.

Is Court Supervision Available for CDL Violations?

When non-commercial drivers face traffic violations, court supervision is often a better alternative than a conviction. However, CDL holders should never undergo court supervision. The Illinois Secretary of State treats court supervision for CDL drivers as though it was a conviction, so it will not help you avoid suspension of your CDL or disqualification. Even if you were in your own vehicle at the time of the offense, court supervision will still appear on your public driving record.

When is a CDL Suspended or Disqualified?

Illinois law states that your CDL may be suspended or disqualified when you commit two serious traffic violations in a three-year period or three violations in a three-year period if the convictions for the offense would result in your non-CMV privileges being suspended. If you commit two serious violations within three years, your CMV is disqualified for two months. Three violations within three years will disqualify your license for four months.

Motorists tend to associate driver’s license suspensions and revocations with drunk driving offenses, and it does seem logical that such a harsh penalty would result from a serious traffic violation. However, the Illinois Secretary of State (IL-SOS) provides for many other ways you might lose your driving privileges. Generally, when you get a traffic citation, points are added to your driving record. If you reach a certain level, IL-SOS will suspend your driver’s license for a number of months that corresponds to the total points you accumulated.

Still, this basic description overlooks some of the very important details involved when moving or non-moving violations impact your driving privileges. You can obtain these specifics by consulting with an Aurora, IL traffic tickets attorney, but it is worthwhile to be aware of how traffic tickets can lead to a driver’s license suspension.

Traffic Violations and Illinois’ Points System

To protect the public and discourage repeat traffic offenses, Illinois law provides for sanctions beyond the fine you might receive for a citation. Therefore, every time you are ticketed, a designated number of points is added to your driving record maintained by IL-SOS. The more serious the infraction, the higher the number of points. For example:

If you were arrested on drunk driving charges for the first time in Illinois, it is essential to get up to speed right away on what to expect through the proceedings. Initially, you should understand that state laws are quite expansive on when a person is considered to be driving under the influence: Illinois’ DUI statute covers situations when a driver is legally drunk, impaired by the consumption of drugs, or a combination of the two. In addition, now that marijuana is legal for recreational purposes, the law was recently updated to include motorists who test positive for THC within two hours of driving.

However, beyond these basic concepts, there is probably a lot you do not know about a first offense for drunk driving. You can trust the details to an experienced Naperville first DUI defense lawyer, but there are a few things you may not yet know about the situation you are facing.

Your Blood Alcohol Content (BAC) Is Not the Only Factor

As Illinois law applies to drunk driving, as separate from the presence of controlled substances, there are actually multiple ways you can be charged with DUI: