Illinois Driver License: DUI, Crashes and License Sanctions

28 questions with the correct answer and an explanation for each. Topic: DUI, Crashes and License Sanctions. Free, no account needed.

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1. A driver's breath test result comes back at exactly .08. Under Illinois law, what does this reading mean for the driver's legal status behind the wheel?

  1. It only applies to commercial drivers
  2. It is illegal to drive at this level or higher
  3. It is legal since impairment must also be proven
  4. It is illegal only if the driver is under 21

Answer: B — It is illegal to drive at this level or higher

.08 percent is the per se threshold at which driving is illegal, regardless of visible impairment.

2. A person has been drinking and wants to lower their blood alcohol level before driving. Which of the following actually removes alcohol from the body?

  1. Only time
  2. Physical exercise
  3. Coffee
  4. A cold shower

Answer: A — Only time

Nothing but the passage of time eliminates alcohol from the body; food, coffee and showers do not.

3. A blood test shows a THC concentration of 5 nanograms per milliliter of whole blood. What does this mean under Illinois law?

  1. It is legal because the whole-blood threshold is 10 nanograms
  2. It is illegal, since 5 nanograms per milliliter of whole blood is the threshold
  3. THC has no defined threshold, unlike alcohol
  4. It is below the legal threshold and permitted

Answer: B — It is illegal, since 5 nanograms per milliliter of whole blood is the threshold

5 ng/mL of whole blood is the illegal threshold; the 10 ng figure applies to other bodily substances, not whole blood.

4. A driver wants to legally transport cannabis they purchased in their car. How must it be packaged?

  1. In any container in the trunk out of reach
  2. In the original manufacturer packaging only
  3. In a locked glove compartment
  4. In a sealed, odor-proof, child-resistant container

Answer: D — In a sealed, odor-proof, child-resistant container

The law specifies a sealed, odor-proof, child-resistant container as the only acceptable way to carry cannabis in a vehicle.

5. A driver who holds a medical cannabis registry card refuses a roadside chemical test after an officer develops reasonable suspicion of cannabis impairment. Besides the license suspension, what can happen to the registry card?

  1. It can be lost for one year
  2. It can be lost for two years
  3. Nothing, the card is unaffected
  4. It can be lost for six months

Answer: B — It can be lost for two years

Refusing or failing the test suspends the license and can also cost a medical cardholder the registry card for two years.

6. A person who has never signed any explicit consent form is stopped and asked to take a breath test. Why can Illinois require this test?

  1. Because carrying a driver's license alone implies consent
  2. Because refusal is a separate criminal charge requiring no prior consent
  3. Because driving in Illinois itself implies consent to chemical testing
  4. Because only a warrant, not implied consent, allows testing

Answer: C — Because driving in Illinois itself implies consent to chemical testing

Implied consent means the act of driving in Illinois is treated as agreement to chemical testing.

7. Officers have probable cause to believe a driver was impaired in a crash that seriously injured another person. Are they required to request a chemical test?

  1. Yes, the officer must request a test
  2. No, the officer may decide either way
  3. Only if the driver agrees in advance
  4. Only if the injured party requests it

Answer: A — Yes, the officer must request a test

After a personal-injury or fatal crash with probable cause, testing is mandatory for the officer to request, not discretionary.

8. A driver's chemical test comes back showing a BAC of .10, and this is their first offense. How long is the statutory summary suspension?

  1. Six months
  2. One year
  3. Three years
  4. Three months

Answer: A — Six months

A test result of .08 or more triggers a six-month statutory summary suspension.

9. A first-time offender refuses to take the requested chemical test. How long is the resulting statutory summary suspension?

  1. Three months
  2. Two years
  3. One year
  4. Six months

Answer: C — One year

Refusing the test carries a longer suspension than failing it: one year instead of six months.

10. A driver had DUI court supervision three years ago and now refuses a chemical test during a new stop. How long is the summary suspension for this refusal?

  1. Ten years
  2. One year
  3. Six months
  4. Three years

Answer: D — Three years

Prior DUI court supervision within five years makes this a second offender, raising a refusal suspension to three years.

11. A driver is arrested for DUI and the officer takes the license, issuing a receipt. When does the actual suspension begin?

  1. On the 46th day
  2. After 30 days
  3. Only after a court conviction
  4. Immediately at arrest

Answer: A — On the 46th day

The receipt is valid for 45 days, so the suspension itself does not start until the 46th day.

12. A driver is convicted of DUI for the first time. What is the minimum length of the resulting license revocation?

  1. Six months
  2. One year
  3. Three years
  4. Five years

Answer: B — One year

A first DUI conviction carries a minimum one-year revocation.

13. A driver is convicted of DUI for the second time, 12 years after the first conviction. How long is the license revoked?

  1. One year
  2. Lifetime
  3. Ten years
  4. Five years

Answer: D — Five years

A second DUI conviction within 20 years of the first carries a five-year revocation; twelve years falls within that window.

14. A first-time DUI offender declines the Monitoring Device Driving Permit and is later caught driving during the statutory summary suspension. What is this offense?

  1. A minor traffic ticket
  2. A misdemeanor fine only
  3. No offense, since the permit was optional
  4. A felony

Answer: D — A felony

Declining the permit and then driving during the suspension is charged as a felony.

15. A school bus driver is found driving children while under the influence. How is this classified?

  1. A standard DUI
  2. A Safety Responsibility Law violation
  3. A traffic violation only
  4. Aggravated DUI

Answer: D — Aggravated DUI

DUI while driving a school bus with children aboard is specifically classified as aggravated DUI.

16. A 19-year-old driver tests positive for any trace of alcohol while driving, without necessarily being impaired. What happens to their license?

  1. It is revoked for at least two years
  2. It is suspended for six months
  3. It is suspended for at least three months
  4. Nothing unless BAC reaches .08

Answer: C — It is suspended for at least three months

For drivers under 21, any trace of alcohol while driving triggers at least a three-month suspension, even without reaching .08.

17. A driver misses their court date on a minor traffic ticket, and a second date is set. What happens if that second date is also missed?

  1. An ex parte conviction is reported to the Secretary of State
  2. The fine is simply doubled
  3. A third court date is scheduled
  4. The ticket is dismissed automatically

Answer: A — An ex parte conviction is reported to the Secretary of State

Missing the rescheduled court date results in an ex parte conviction reported to the Secretary of State.

18. Two vehicles collide and one is uninsured; the property damage comes to $700. Does this crash need to be reported?

  1. Yes, but only if someone is injured
  2. Yes, because the $500 threshold applies when a vehicle is uninsured
  3. No, because damage is under $1,500
  4. No, uninsured-vehicle crashes are exempt from reporting

Answer: B — Yes, because the $500 threshold applies when a vehicle is uninsured

The reporting threshold drops to $500 in property damage when any vehicle involved is uninsured, and $700 exceeds that.

19. A driver is involved in a crash that must be reported. How soon must they notify police?

  1. Within 48 hours
  2. Within 24 hours
  3. Within 30 minutes
  4. Within one week

Answer: C — Within 30 minutes

A reportable crash must be reported to police within 30 minutes.

20. A driver fails to report a crash that legally required reporting. What penalty can this carry?

  1. Up to $5,000 and up to two years in jail
  2. Up to $500 and up to 30 days in jail
  3. Up to $2,500 and up to a year in jail
  4. Up to $1,000 and up to six months in jail

Answer: C — Up to $2,500 and up to a year in jail

Failing to report a required crash can cost up to $2,500 and up to a year in jail.

21. A driver causes a crash that kills another person and then drives away from the scene. What is the consequence for their license?

  1. Mandatory revocation
  2. A three-month suspension
  3. A one-year suspension
  4. A warning and fine only

Answer: A — Mandatory revocation

Leaving the scene of a death or injury crash brings criminal charges and mandatory revocation of the license.

22. A driver must file proof of financial responsibility after an unsatisfied crash judgment. Which document does the insurer file to satisfy it?

  1. A Non-Resident Violator Compact form
  2. An SR-22
  3. A BAIID report
  4. An MDDP certificate

Answer: B — An SR-22

Proof of financial responsibility is satisfied by an SR-22 filed by the insurer, with a bond or a securities deposit as the alternatives.

23. A driver's license has been revoked. Under what condition can they generally apply to get it back?

  1. Only after five years in every case
  2. After at least six months
  3. Automatically after the revocation period, no reapplication needed
  4. After at least one year, unless stated otherwise

Answer: D — After at least one year, unless stated otherwise

Revocation is indefinite, and reapplication is possible after at least one year unless a different period is specified.

24. A driver receives three separate reckless driving convictions within a 12-month span. What does this trigger?

  1. Grounds for revocation
  2. A denial until age 18
  3. A mandatory fine with no license action
  4. A suspension only

Answer: A — Grounds for revocation

Three reckless driving convictions within 12 months is listed as a ground for revocation, not merely suspension.

25. A 30-year-old driver racks up three traffic convictions within 12 months. What license action can this cause?

  1. Suspension
  2. Revocation
  3. Denial
  4. Cancellation

Answer: A — Suspension

Three traffic convictions in 12 months (two in 24 months if under 21) is a listed suspension ground.

26. An 18-year-old driver's chemical test shows a reading above 0.00 but below .08. What license action applies to this driver?

  1. Immediate revocation
  2. No action, since it is below .08
  3. Suspension under the Zero Tolerance rule
  4. A $500 fine only

Answer: C — Suspension under the Zero Tolerance rule

For drivers under 21, any reading above 0.00 but below .08 triggers a suspension under the Zero Tolerance rule.

27. A 17-year-old is found to have committed a revocable offense. Until when is a new license or permit denied?

  1. Until age 21
  2. For two years
  3. For exactly nine months
  4. Until the 18th birthday

Answer: D — Until the 18th birthday

For a revocable offense committed under 18, no license or permit is issued until the 18th birthday.

28. A first-time DUI offender under a statutory summary suspension wants to keep driving by using a device that tests their breath before the car will start. Which permit allows this?

  1. A Probationary License
  2. A Monitoring Device Driving Permit
  3. A Restricted Driving Permit
  4. An Occupational Driving Permit

Answer: B — A Monitoring Device Driving Permit

The Monitoring Device Driving Permit lets a first DUI offender drive at any hour with a breath alcohol ignition interlock device installed during the summary suspension.

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