As a first time DUI offender in Illinois, you may be eligible for driving relief during your Statutory Summary Suspension (SSS) after the 31st day from the effective date. You are eligible to receive a Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP) from the secretary of state. This permit will allow you to drive to any location at anytime during your suspension with the requirement that you drive a car equipped with a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID). You may opt to not participate in the BAIID program, but you will not be eligible for any other driving relief during your SSS. If you opt out of the program and are subsequently caught driving during your SSS, you will be guilty of a class 4 felony.
Ineligibility
- You are ineligible for an MDDP if your driver’s license was otherwise invalid at the time of the DUI arrest
- You are ineligible for an MDDP if death or great bodily harm resulted from this DUI arrest
- You are ineligible for an MDDP if you have previously been convicted of reckless homicide or aggravated DUI, which resulted in a death
- A MDDP will not allow a CDL holder to operate a CMV during the SSS
- If you failed a chemical test or refused a chemical test for DUI in the past 5 years (not including this arrest)
- if you are under age 18 years old.
Restrictions
- MDDP will not be effective until the 31st day of your SSS
- You will be required to use an Illinois certified BAIID provider to install/monitor a BAIID on any vehicle you will be driving during your SSS
- If you are found driving a car without a BAIID during the SSS you will be guilty of a class 4 felony
Exemptions
- If you will need to drive employer owned vehicles during the course of your work hours and the car is not specifically assigned to you, you may be eligible for a work exemption for the driving you do on work hours
- If you believe you are eligible for this exemption, please bring your employers name, address, and phone number with you to court so that the Illinois Secretary of State can contact them for verification
How do I get an MDDP?
At your court appearance, inform the Judge of your desire to obtain an MDDP. You will then fill out an application, which will be forwarded to the Illinois Secretary of State’s office for processing. After the Secretary of State receives your application your records will be reviewed for eligibility. If you are eligible and have paid all of the fees, your MDDP will be issued.
How long will it take?
You are not eligible to receive an MDDP until the 31st day of your SSS. The Secretary of State will issue the MDDPs as efficiently as possible.
How does the program work?
Once your MDDP is issued, you will have 14 days to have a BAIID installed on any and all cars you wish to drive during your SSS.
From the date it is installed, the BAIID will be read once every 60 days. However, if the BAIID detects an accumulation of 5 violations, your machine will be recalled early for monitoring. The Secretary of State’s office will evaluate the results and determine if there have been any violations of the program during that monitoring period. If no violations are detected, no further action will be taken. If there are violations, the Secretary of State will send a letter giving you an opportunity to explain the violation. If you do not respond to this request or your explanation is deemed insufficient, your SSS may be extended for an additional 3 months and you will submit to monitoring every 30 days and/or your MDDP may be cancelled.
Can the Judge deny me the MDDP?
No, unless you are deemed ineligible by the criteria listed above.
How much does the MDDP program cost?
Cost will depend on the length of your SSS. You will be required to pay a $30 per month non-refundable, monitoring fee to the Illinois Secretary of State for the length of the MDDP. This fee will be paid in full, upfront before the MDDP is issued.
For the actual device, you will have to pay an installation fee, monthly rental fees, and calibration fees. All of these expenses are worked out with the Illinois Certified BAIID provider of your choosing.
An indigent fund is available to assist in the cost of the BAIID if the offender is found to be indigent by the courts.
What if I decide I don’t want to be in the program anymore?
If you decide that you no longer wish to drive during the remainder of your SSS, you can opt out of the program at any time. You will need to surrender your MDDP to the Illinois Secretary of State, upon which you will be given authorization to have the BAIID removed from your vehicle(s).
If you opt out of the program and are subsequently caught driving during your SSS, you will be guilty of a class 4 felony.
How can I find out about the Illinois certified BAIID providers and their installation sites?
BAIID installation sites are located statewide. View the BAIID Program to view all the providers and their installation sites. If you do not have access to the Internet, please call (217) 524-0660 to request a listing by county.
When and where can I drive with the MDDP?
You are not restricted by time or distance in anyway. You are allowed to drive 24 hours a day, 7 days a week to any location as long as you have a BAIID installed on the vehicle you are driving.
Do I qualify for a work exemption?
The work exemption is only for employer-owned vehicles that you drive through the course of your workday. In that case, you would be allowed to drive these employer owned vehicles during work hours without the BAIID installed. However, if the car is assigned specifically to you and you take the car home at night, then you would not be eligible for the work exemption.
If you drive your own car to and from work, but then drive employer vehicles during work, then you would be allowed the exemption for the work-related vehicles. However, your personal vehicle would need to be equipped with the BAIID.
|
