sr22finderIllinois driver's license reinstatement
Illinois reinstatement fees run from $70 to $500. A suspension ends when the period is over and the fee is paid; a revoked license is not restored — you apply for a new one after 1 or 5 years, usually through a hearing.
Illinois reinstatement fees, in short
The reinstatement fee depends on what was done to the license: $70 after an ordinary suspension, $100 after a section 3-707 suspension for driving uninsured, $250 after a statutory summary suspension, and $500 after a revocation or a summary revocation — or after any second DUI-related suspension or revocation. The fee is paid to the Secretary of State in addition to any other fees, and privileges are not restored until it is. The full table and the statute are further down; the rest of this page explains which road back applies.
Suspended or revoked: two different roads back
Illinois treats the two words very differently. A suspension ends: when the period is over and the fees are paid, the license comes back. A revocation does not end on its own. A revoked license “shall not be… renewed or restored”; the person has to apply for a new one, after a waiting period, and convince the Secretary of State.
625 ILCS 5/6-208(b) · in force 2026
A revoked license “shall not be… renewed or restored”; the person may apply for a license after one year from the revocation in the ordinary case; after a second DUI-type violation within 20 years, after 5 years from the most recent revocation; and after a second or later DUI, only after first holding a restricted driving permit for a continuous 5 years without suspension, cancellation or revocation, including for interlock rules.
State’s own copy of this section: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K6-208
After a suspension: wait it out and pay
For a suspension that was not a revocation, the statute is short: “upon payment of the reinstatement fee set out in subsection (g) of Section 6-118 at the end of any period of suspension of a license the licensee, if not ineligible for some other reason, shall be entitled to reinstatement of driving privileges and may apply for a duplicate driver's license if it has not then expired; or, in case it has expired, to apply for a new license.” No hearing is needed for that; the conditions are the end of the period, the fee, and no other action still standing on the record. Driving before then is driving while suspended — section 6-303 — and it extends the suspension by its own length.
625 ILCS 5/6-209 · in force 2026
“However, upon payment of the reinstatement fee set out in subsection (g) of Section 6-118 at the end of any period of suspension of a license the licensee, if not ineligible for some other reason, shall be entitled to reinstatement of driving privileges and may apply for a duplicate driver's license if it has not then expired; or, in case it has expired, to apply for a new license.”
State’s own copy of this section: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K6-209
A DUI conviction produces a revocation. The Secretary “shall immediately revoke” on receiving the report of a DUI conviction, along with reckless homicide, a felony using a vehicle, and leaving the scene of a crash with death or injury, among others.
625 ILCS 5/6-205(a) · in force 2026
The Secretary “shall immediately revoke” on a report of conviction of, among others, reckless homicide with a vehicle, DUI under 11-501, a felony using a vehicle, or leaving the scene of a crash involving death or injury.
State’s own copy of this section: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K6-205
When you can apply
- Ordinary revocation: one year after the effective date of the revocation.
- Second DUI-type violation within 20 years: five years after the most recent revocation.
- Second or later DUI: only after first being issued a restricted driving permit and holding it for a continuous five years without its being suspended, canceled or revoked — including for breaking interlock rules.
- Fourth or later DUI-type violation: no application for a license at all; the only route is the restricted permit described in section 6-205(c)(1.5).
Time served on a statutory summary suspension for the same incident is credited toward the minimum revocation.
The formal hearing
After a revocation the path back usually runs through a hearing with the Secretary of State. On a written request the Secretary sets a hearing to begin within 90 calendar days, in Sangamon, Jefferson or Cook County as the person chooses — the counties of Springfield, Mount Vernon and Chicago — and may charge a filing fee of up to $50. At the end the Secretary may rescind, continue, change or extend the order, issue a restricted driving permit, or reinstate.
625 ILCS 5/2-118(a), (c) · in force 2026
On written request after a suspension, revocation or denial, the Secretary sets a hearing to commence within 90 calendar days, in the County of Sangamon, Jefferson or Cook as the person specifies; a filing fee of not more than $50 may be charged. At the hearing the Secretary may rescind, continue, change or extend the order, issue a restricted driving permit, or reinstate.
State’s own copy of this section: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K2-118
For the longest revocations the evidence standard is spelled out: a person barred after a fourth DUI who seeks a permit must show by clear and convincing evidence at least three years of uninterrupted abstinence and completion of recommended treatment.
The Illinois reinstatement fee table
| Action | Fee |
|---|---|
| Suspension for driving uninsured (3-707) | $100 |
| Statutory summary suspension | $250 |
| Statutory summary revocation | $500 |
| Revocation | $500 |
| Other suspension | $70 |
| Second or later DUI-related suspension or revocation | $500 |
These are paid to the Secretary of State in addition to any other fees, and privileges are not restored until they are.
625 ILCS 5/6-118(b) · in force 2026
Reinstatement fees: suspension under 3-707 $100; summary suspension under 11-501.1 $250; summary revocation $500; other suspension $70; revocation $500. For a second or later DUI-related suspension or revocation, $500 for each type. A restricted driving permit fee is $8 and a monitoring device driving permit $8 (6-118(c)).
State’s own copy of this section: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K6-118
The interlock after a second DUI
After a second or later DUI conviction the Secretary requires an ignition interlock on all vehicles the person owns for not less than five years, and the person is not eligible for reinstatement until they have installed and maintained it for that time. Illinois BAIID and MDDP has the detail.
625 ILCS 5/6-205(h) · in force 2026
“The Secretary of State shall require the use of ignition interlock devices for a period not less than 5 years on all vehicles owned by a person who has been convicted of a second or subsequent offense under Section 11-501”, and the person “shall not be eligible for reinstatement until the person installs an ignition interlock device and maintains the ignition interlock device for 5 years.”
State’s own copy of this section: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K6-205
The SR-22
Separately from the fee and the hearing, Illinois's financial responsibility chapter requires proof for the future in the cases it lists, and keeps it on file for 3 years after it is first filed — certifying 25/50/20.
625 ILCS 5/7-305 · in force 2026
“… such proof to be maintained by said person in a manner satisfactory to the Secretary of State for a period of 3 years after the date such proof is first filed.” Sections 7-211(b) and 7-310 use the same anchor.
State’s own copy of this section: https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/ilcs/fulltext.asp?DocName=062500050K7-305
The Illinois SR-22 page covers which events require it, how surrender works and the three-month crash bar.
In order
For a typical DUI revocation: wait out the minimum period, complete the evaluation and treatment the case requires, request a formal hearing, obtain a restricted driving permit if needed in the meantime, satisfy the interlock requirement if it applies, file proof of financial responsibility, and pay the $500 reinstatement fee. The restricted driving permit guide covers the permit, and the summary suspension guide covers the suspension that usually comes first.
Common questions
How do I get my license reinstated in Illinois after a DUI?
A DUI conviction revokes the license; you apply for a new one after the waiting period, usually through a Secretary of State hearing, and pay the $500 reinstatement fee, under 625 ILCS 5/6-208 and 6-118.
How long before I can apply after an Illinois revocation?
One year in the ordinary case; five years after a second DUI-type violation within 20 years; after a second DUI, only after five continuous years on a restricted driving permit, under 6-208(b).
How much is the Illinois reinstatement fee?
$500 after a revocation or summary revocation, $250 after a summary suspension, $100 after a 3-707 suspension and $70 after any other suspension, under 6-118(b). A second or later DUI-related suspension or revocation is $500.
Do I need a hearing to reinstate after a suspension?
Not for a suspension that has run its course. Under 6-209 you are entitled to reinstatement at the end of the period once the fee is paid, if you are not ineligible for some other reason. Revocations are different: you apply, usually through a hearing.
Where are Illinois formal hearings held?
In Sangamon, Jefferson or Cook County as you choose, starting within 90 days of the request, under 2-118(a).
Do I need an SR-22 to reinstate in Illinois?
In the cases the financial responsibility chapter lists, and it stays on file for three years after it is first filed, under 7-305.
Sources cited on this page
- 625 ILCS 5/6-118(b)
- 625 ILCS 5/6-209
- 625 ILCS 5/6-208(b)
- 625 ILCS 5/6-205(a)
- 625 ILCS 5/2-118(a), (c)
- 625 ILCS 5/6-205(h)
- 625 ILCS 5/7-305
- 625 ILCS 5/6-205(c)(1.5)
Every figure above was read from the source it is attributed to on September 19, 2026. How we check this.