Written by Q: I received a DUI in Chicago, Il. This was my first offense and my drivers license was revoked. Do I have to file SR-22? If so, how are my car insurance rates going to be affected?
AIS Answer: States across America are cracking down on drivers under the influence and they mean business. The average cost of a DUI including reinstatement of a license, fighting the charge and increased auto insurance costs are around $10,000 in some states.
In Illinois driving under the influence is not taken lightly. State law sets the blood-alcohol limits for a person over the age of 21 at .08. Drivers under the age of 21, and school bus drivers have a zero tolerance policy which means absolutely no registered blood alcohol level and Commercial driver’s license holders have a .04 threshold, or half of the legal limit non-commercial drivers are allowed.
Illinois passed legislation lowering the blood-alcohol limits from .1 to .08 in 1997, becoming the 15th State in the U.S. to make this change. To say the least, they take DUI offenses seriously and the penalties reflect this.
Since this is your first conviction and you didn’t mention you were had a commercial endorsement your conviction is considered a Class A Misdemeanor with 0 – 12 months imprisonment, loss of driving privileges for 1 year, maximum fine of up to $1,000, and you may be required to install BAIID in your vehicle, which registers your blood-alcohol level through a breath test before the vehicle can be driven.
The average cost of a DUI conviction in Illinois is nearly $15,000, in insurance, legal fees, court costs, lost income, rehabilitation and drivers license reinstatement.
To get right to the insurance question. Yes you will have to file SR-22 in in Illinois for the next 3 years, and yes your rates are very likely to increase. As a high-risk driver for the next 3 years you can expect an average increase of around $1,500 in the state of Illinois.
Ultimately, it’s all going to cost you time and money for a DUI and these laws are in place to protect you and others on the road from DUI related accidents. Your auto insurance will be higher to offset the risk involved with insuring a high risk SR-22 driver.
For more information on Illinois State Driving Laws and Specifically DUI related information – http://www.isp.state.il.us/traffic/drnkdriving.cfm
Good luck with the SR22 ins. Man, DUI’s are so expensive and it doesn’t even really matter which state you’re in.
I’ve had friends trying to defend DUI’s and it was already $5,000 – and that’s win or lose. If you lose your DUI case and are convicted of Driving Under The Influence then you’ll lose your license anyway, pay extremely high insurance for 3 years AND be out $5,000!
I’ve always wondered how much auto insurance would be after a DUI. I know SR22 is really expensive, and of course so are the legal fees. It doesn’t seem fair that you should have to pay a lot more because of a DUI, but then again, you didn’t exactly show the world you were responsible.
Agree…DUI’s are incredibly expensive. I’ve known quite a few people that have had them and they drive inexpensive vehicles, pay a ton for auto insurance and live in an apartment
I’m actually not joking, but it seems like the people that are irresponsible enough to drive after drinking tend to be middle class in a dead end job…obviously a generalization, but that’s what I see.
Agree…DUI’s are incredibly expensive. I’ve known quite a few people that have had them and they drive inexpensive vehicles, pay a ton for auto insurance and live in an apartment
I’m actually not joking, but it seems like the people that are irresponsible enough to drive after drinking tend to be middle class in a dead end job…obviously a generalization, but that’s what I see.