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Submitting to a breath test offered by a police officer has a variety of potential consequences. Of course, the question itself assumes that you have a choice – either agreeing or refusing – but do you? What is the difference between a breath test taken on the street after you are stopped by the police and the breath test offered back at the station after you have been placed under arrest for DUI? Are you required to take the physical field sobriety tests? Illinois DUI law is complex, our defense attorneys have provided guidance on these questions below.

What is the difference between a Preliminary Breath Screening Test (PBT) and an Evidentiary Breath Test?

A PBT is sometimes, not always, offered to drivers on the street before they are placed under arrest for DUI. The vast majority of PBT’s are not certified or calibrated the same way as the evidentiary breath test, which is offered at the police station. PBT’s can only be used for probable cause purposes to arrest a motorist for DUI but may not be used as evidence at trial.

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Drivers who are charged with high rate speeding offenses are often surprised to learn that they can face up to a year in jail under Illinois law. These offenses are commonly known as aggravated speeding offenses and Illinois has increased the potential consequences for drivers who plead guilty or are found guilty of these charges.

Unfortunately, most drivers are not familiar with these changes to the law. After receiving a speeding ticket, many drivers are only concerned with the inconvenience of appearing in traffic court or the prospect of increased insurance rates. However, these Illinois speeding laws have substantially changed over the years.

Current Illinois law groups speeding offenses into two primary categories – petty and misdemeanor offenses. Speeding 26 or more over the posted limit is charged as a misdemeanor offense, which qualifies as a crime under Illinois law.

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Below are answers to frequently asked questions regarding driving records in Illinois. Driving records are different across all 50 states. Illinois driving records are maintained by the Illinois Secretary of State. They also are often referred to as driving record abstracts and motor vehicle records (MVR).

What information appears on an Illinois driving record?

  • Convictions (traffic tickets, including those issued in other states)
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Will Illinois find out about my out-of-state DUI?

Illinois is a member of the Driver’s License Compact, which is an agreement between states to exchange information regarding traffic violations and license suspensions or revocations of non-residents and forward that information to the state where they are licensed. Therefore, if the state where you are charged with DUI is part of the Driver’s License Compact, the appropriate authorities will report the information to the Illinois Secretary of State. Illinois will then treat the DUI as if it had been committed here.

While most states are part of the Driver’s License Compact, the few non-member states include Georgia, Massachusetts, Michigan, Tennessee, and Wisconsin. However, in practice, many of these states still report offenses to Illinois under their own laws and regulations even though they are not officially part of the Driver’s License Compact.

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Courtroom etiquette has many written and unwritten rules and, as we all know, first impressions are lasting impressions, so how you appear and how you behave during your court appearance may have a significant impact on your case. In some extreme circumstances, bad behavior can result in jail time or a fine if you are found in contempt of court. To make a good first impression, you should familiarize yourself with the rules and make sure you adhere to them.

Planning for Your Day in Court

The courthouse is a place of employment for the judge and the court staff. As everybody else, they want to keep their work day smooth and efficient. By arriving on time and following the rules, you show the court the proper respect it deserves and allow the court to maintain efficiency. By doing so, you are also increasing your chances of a more favorable outcome.

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The traffic attorneys at The Davis Law Group, P.C. are passionate about what they do and will provide you with both knowledgeable and aggressive representation in the courtroom. Our priority is to minimize or completely eliminate the negative impact a ticket may have on your driving record and ensure the best possible result.

What distinguishes us from other traffic lawyers is our commitment to providing customized representation to our clients. That’s why we offer free initial consultations to our prospective clients, so we can analyze your situation and advise you of your options.

How Can The Davis Law Group, P.C. Help Me With My Illinois Traffic Ticket?

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Having your driver’s license revoked or suspended can be a major inconvenience or even a life-altering problem. Losing your license can effect your work, family responsibilities, and personal life. We are often asked whether having your driver’s license suspended or revoked in one state will effect your ability to get a driver’s license in another state.

Most states, including Illinois, joined in an agreement called the Driver License Compact (DLC for short). The DLC is used to facilitate communicating information regarding people’s driving records between states. This means that if your driver’s license has been suspended in your home state, it will most likely prevent you from obtaining a license in the state to which you are moving. When you apply for a license, the local DMV (or its equivalent) will first check if your name appears in the National Driver Register’s (NDR) Problem Driver Pointer System (PDPS) which contains a list of names of people who have had their driver’s license revoked or suspended. If your name is listed in the NDR as “Not Eligible” you won’t be able to get a license in the given state.

If your driver’s license is revoked (not suspended) in your home state and you are a new Illinois resident, you can apply for a restricted driving permit one year from the date of the out-of-state revocation. In order to do so, you must have an administrative hearing before the Secretary of State and meet certain requirements. You are encouraged to seek competent legal representation to assist with this process.

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What is Blood Alcohol Concentration (BAC)?

Our clients facing Illinois DUI charges often ask us to explain Blood Alcohol Concentration (often referred to as Blood Alcohol Content or BAC). BAC is most commonly used as a measure of alcohol intoxication for legal purposes.

BAC is usually expressed as a percentage of ethanol in the blood in units of mass of alcohol per volume of blood. For example, a BAC of 0.08 means that there are 0.08 g of alcohol for every deciliter (100 milliliters) of blood.

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Beginning July 1, 2019, a first offense of texting while driving will be charged as a moving violation in Illinois. Previously, a first cell phone violation was treated as a non-moving violation, and only second or subsequent texting violations counted against your driving privileges. The old law was in effect since 2014. Of course, fines and court costs also may be imposed under the new law. A conviction for a moving violation will count toward a driver’s license suspension as well as insurance premium increases.

It is important to note that the law doesn’t only apply to texting. Illinois law says that a person may not operate a motor vehicle on a roadway while using ANY electronic communication device.

The Illinois Secretary of State will suspend drivers over the age of 21 for three moving violation convictions within any 12-month period. For drivers under 21 years of age, a license suspension is imposed for just two moving violation convictions within a 24-month period.
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Attorney Larry A. Davis, principal of The Davis Law Group, P.C., has been awarded the 2018 Richard H. Teas Legislative Support Award by the Illinois State Bar Association. The award acknowledges Mr. Davis’s work on behalf of the bar association’s legislative efforts in the Illinois General Assembly.

Mr. Davis has authored, co-authored and negotiated numerous laws primarily related to driving under the influence and driver’s license law. These laws include the Illinois summary suspension law, the offenses of driving while revoked and suspended, and the issuance of restricted driving permits following suspension or revocation. Additionally, Mr. Davis has spent countless hours in the analysis and negotiation of traffic and driver’s license law proposals. He has testified numerous times before the legislature on these various proposals.

This award was presented to Mr. Davis by Past-President of the ISBA and Retired Judge (Hon.) Russell W. Hartigan. It recognizes Mr. Davis’s continued leadership in the area of DUI, traffic and driver’s license law.

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I want to extend my sincere gratitude for the success in getting my charges reduced. It has been a rather traumatic experience for me. Though I try to keep an optimistic outlook, it didn't seem possible. But you guys pulled it off and I couldn't be more grateful. This has been a great weight lifted off my shoulders. D.F.
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I would like to take this time to thank you for a job well done. I received my full reinstatement documents today for full driving privileges. This took me by surprise. I did not expect to see the results this fast. I just want to say that I am blessed to have a very good lawyer like yourself to guide me through the process... I am very grateful. You're the best. Thanks again. G.B.
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My special thanks for your help, guidance, and support during a most difficult time. You came recommended as "the best" and you lived up to your reputation! I wish you a lovely holiday season and a new year of challenges overcome, new joys experienced, and much fulfillment realized. All good thoughts your way. S.S.
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I am very grateful for your work and representation. Although it is difficult for me to truly express my gratitude through e-mail, I hope you can still understand how thankful I am that we were able to dismiss my case on the first court date. I am very pleased with the outcome. Again, thank you very much for your time. Please enjoy the rest of your week. D.K.
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Northfield Office (Main Office)
191 Waukegan Rd
#305
Northfield, IL 60093
Main: (847) 390-8500Fax: (847) 390-8100
Chicago Office
420 W Huron St
#212
Chicago, IL 60654
Phone: (312) 736-2052
We serve the following localities: Cook County including Chicago, Rolling Meadows, Skokie, Bridgeview, Maywood, and Markham; Lake County including Waukegan, Mundelein, Park City, and Round Lake Beach; DuPage County including Wheaton, Addison, Downers Grove, and Glendale Heights; and Will County including Joliet and Bolingbrook.
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