---
title: "What jail time exposure comes with a first-offense Illinois DUI?"
description: "A first-offense Illinois DUI is a Class A misdemeanor with maximum exposure of up to 364 days in county jail under 625 ILCS 5/11-501(c)(1). In practice, first-time offenders rarely receive jail time..."
url: https://chicagoduilawyer.net/faq-items/what-jail-time-exposure-comes-with-a-first-offense-illinois-dui/
date: 2026-07-08
modified: 2026-07-08
author: "Chicago DUI Lawyer"
type: faq
lang: en
---

# What jail time exposure comes with a first-offense Illinois DUI?

A first-offense Illinois DUI is a Class A misdemeanor with maximum exposure of **up to 364 days in county jail** under 625 ILCS 5/11-501(c)(1). In practice, first-time offenders rarely receive jail time on a base misdemeanor DUI. Court supervision or conditional discharge with no jail is the typical Cook County outcome for a clean-record defendant. Jail exposure increases sharply with enhancements: the **high-BAC enhancement** at 0.16 or above triggers a mandatory minimum **100 hours of community service or 2 days in jail**. A DUI with a child passenger under 16 causing great bodily harm becomes a Class 4 felony with 1 to 3 years in state prison. Aggravated DUI charges under 625 ILCS 5/11-501(d) carry mandatory prison time.