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Hire an Illinois DUI Attorney who knows Illinois DUI Law

Having to deal with a DUI (Driving Under Influence of Alcohol, Chemical Substance or Drugs) can be a serious challenge for you and you are strongly recommended to take your charges seriously since these can permanently affect your future career, family life and personal freedom. Illinois State has complicated DUI penalties and we provide you with information regarding the different penalties on different types of cases so that you may have an idea of what type of penalties to expect in your particular case. Being caught in a DUI case can be overwhelming and confusing because the court procedures and proceedings can be challenging and confusing. You can make all of this much easier for yourself by hiring an able and experienced Illinois DUI Lawyer who understands all legal terms and procedures relating to DUI in Illinois and can plead your case most effectively.

After you are done hiring a DUI lawyer, you should have a basic idea of what the penalties in Illinois for DUI are. As mentioned before, Illinois has complicatedly structured penalties for different types of offenders.

First Offenders: The first type of first offense is that performed by an individual or minor under 21 years of age. In such a case, you will get jail time ranging between 0 to 12 months, a fine of $2500, minimum of 2 years of license suspension and community service time. After suspending you license, you will be provided with a temporary receipt that allows you to drive for 45 days after your arrest.

First time offenders with Blood Alcohol Content under 0.16% usually are charged with a fine of $2500, jail time of up to a year, license suspension of one year and ignition interlock.

First time offenders with Blood Alcohol Content of 0.16% or greater will be faced with penalties of a fine ranging from $500 to $2500, jail time of up to a year, one year license suspension, additional 100 hours of community service as well as ignition interlock.

First time offenders with other passengers in the vehicle at the time of the offense also get different types of penalties; offenders with passengers under the age of 16 get a mandatory fine of $1000 to $2500, either six months in jail or 25 days of community service, license suspension of one year and 100 hours of community service apart from ignition interlock.

First time offenders with passengers under the age of 16 in the vehicle who got harmed are considered to have committed a felony and their fine ranges from a minimum $2500 to maximum $25,000. They also get a mandatory 10 days in jail or 480 hours of community service to program benefiting children.

Second Time Offenders: Second time offenders with BAC under 0.16% face fines of up to $2500, jail time of minimum 5 days or 240 hours of community service; your license can get suspended for a minimum of five years as well as ignition interlock.

Second time DUI offenders with BAC 0.16% or greater face mandatory fine ranging from $1250 to $2500, mandatory minimum 7 days in jail or two days in jail and 240 hours of community service. License can be suspended for five years along with ignition interlock.

Second time offenders with passenger under the age of 16 and if the passenger was bodily harmed are considered to have committed a felony and face similar penalties of a fine, jail time, community service etc. but of longer durations.

Third time Offenders: Third time offenses are all considered felony cases and have serious consequences. Third offense with BAC under 0.16 has a fine of up to $25,000, license suspension of a mandatory minimum 10 years, jail time of 3 to 7 years or 48 months of probation and 10 day stay in jail.

Third time offenders with BAC 0.16 and greater - Third time offenders with passenger under the age of 16 and ones who got bodily harm are felony cases with similar penalties imposed by the law of Illinois.

Offenders getting arrested for DUI for the fourth, fifth, sixth time and onwards lose their driving privileges for life, get a fine of no less then $5000 to $25,000, jail time of no less then 3 to 30 years, no probation and community service hours.

To fully understand the penalties associated with an Illinois DUI charge, it is strongly recommended that you consult with an Illinois DUI lawyer that you are most comfortable with and who can knowledgeably represent you throughout your trial and court proceedings.  You can find an Illinois drunk driving attorney by typing in the city of your arrest above or call our 24 hour DUI hotline

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