A first Illinois DUI conviction triggers a mandatory 1-year revocation of driving privileges under 625 ILCS 5/6-205. Revocation is different from the Statutory Summary Suspension, which is a separate 6-month (or 12-month for refusal) administrative action that runs before or alongside the criminal case. Revocation begins on the date of conviction and requires the driver to complete an alcohol evaluation, treatment recommendations, and a formal or informal reinstatement hearing before the Secretary of State to get driving privileges back. There is no automatic reinstatement. Court supervision, when granted, is not a conviction and does not trigger revocation. That is the primary reason court supervision is the target outcome for first-time defendants where possible.
