Notification to the Illinois Secretary of State happens automatically through the arresting agency, not the defendant. The officer submits a sworn report under 625 ILCS 5/11-501.1 documenting the DUI arrest and the chemical test result or refusal. That report triggers the Statutory Summary Suspension process. The defendant does not file paperwork to notify the Secretary of State of the arrest. What the defendant must do is respond within 90 days by filing a petition to rescind the summary suspension if grounds exist. Missing that window forfeits the challenge. A Chicago DUI lawyer files the rescission petition, and later handles reinstatement paperwork after conviction.
