The authority for the State of Illinois to charge someone with driving on a suspended or revoked license can be found in section 625 ILCS 5/6-303. It’s hard to believe that a crime as simple as driving on a suspended license has morphed into such a voluminous statute. The statute is approximately 7 pages long when printed. The law is inundated with numerous mandatory minimum penalties depending on how many prior offenses you have had and the reason for your current suspension. If you are charged with driving on a suspended or revoked license the degree of trouble you are in largely depends on why your license was suspended and how many prior offenses you have had. For example, if you were suspended due to a DUI and you get caught driving on a suspended license the consequences can be severe. However, if you are suspended due to 3 moving violations within a 12 month period of time your punishment for your first offense may seem trivial.
It’s always a good idea to order a Court purposes driving abstract from an Illinois Secretary of State facility. The abstract discloses everything you need to know about your driving history and you may find that you are able to clear up your driver’s license suspension prior to your Court date. In my experience judges and prosecutors are far more likely to adhere to a lenient sentence and in some cases a dismissal when you go to Court with a valid license in hand.
