Crime & Traffic

Losing your driving privileges in Illinois can make everyday life much harder. Many people rely on driving to get to work, school, childcare, and other essential activities. When your license is suspended or revoked, it can seriously disrupt your routine and have devastating effects.

There are different ways your driving privileges can be taken away, and understanding the difference is important.

• Suspension: You cannot drive for a set period of time. After that period ends, you can get your license back if you complete certain steps, such as paying a fee, taking a class, or getting insurance. To learn more, see What does it mean for a license to be suspended?
• Revocation: Your license is taken away indefinitely. You cannot drive again unless you apply to have your driving privileges restored through a hearing with the Secretary of State. To learn more, see What does it mean for a license to be revoked?
• Cancellation: A less common situation where your driving privileges are taken away, usually because of specific issues such as giving false information to the Secretary of State or having a medical condition that affects your ability to drive.

Suspensions and revocations can happen for many reasons. Common reasons include having too many traffic violations, committing certain serious driving offenses, committing a felony A serious crime that is punishable by more than one year in prison involving a vehicle, driving without insurance, not paying child support, Money paid by a parent to help another parent support a minor child or an adult child with a disability or owing money after an accident where you did not have insurance.

The steps to get your license back depend on both the type of loss and the reason it happened. Everything you need to do to get your license back is handled at the Secretary of State's office. To learn more about reinstating your driving privileges, see how to get your driver's license back.

Note: If you drive without a valid license and are stopped by the police, you can be charged with driving on a suspended or revoked license. The penalties can be serious. Depending on your situation and prior offenses, the charge can range from a misdemeanor A lesser crime punishable by a fine or confinement in county jail for up to one year. to a more serious felony. Learn about what happens if you drive without having reinstated your license.