When does my license suspension start after a DUI?

It starts on the 46th day after the date of the officer's sworn report to the Secretary of State. For first offenders, the suspension lasts six months if you took the chemical test and registered .08 or higher, or twelve months if you refused testing.

How soon do I have to install the BAIID?

Within 14 days of the MDDP being issued. Until it is installed you may only drive to get the device installed; miss the deadline and the Secretary of State cancels the permit.

Can I get an MDDP if I refused the breathalyzer?

Yes. Refusing does not by itself disqualify you, but it lengthens a first offender's suspension to twelve months. The MDDP eligibility rules still apply.

What happens if I drive without the BAIID while on an MDDP?

Driving a vehicle that is not equipped with a BAIID while you hold an MDDP is a Class 4 felony in Illinois.

What is the difference between an MDDP and an RDP?

An MDDP is for first offenders during a suspension and is issued automatically if you qualify. An RDP is for revoked licenses and requires winning a Secretary of State hearing.

Do I have to get an MDDP?

No, but if you decline it you must formally opt out in court and sign a written waiver. Otherwise you can be charged with driving while suspended.

Illinois MDDP Permit | Driving After a First DUI

Q: How much does an MDDP cost?

A $30 per month administration fee to the Secretary of State, plus the BAIID itself — typically around $85 to install and roughly $80 per month to monitor, paid to the vendor. Costs may be reduced if the court finds you indigent.

What Is a Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP)?

A first DUI arrest in Illinois threatens your license before you ever see a courtroom. Under the implied-consent law, your driving privileges are automatically suspended on the 46th day after your arrest — the Statutory Summary Suspension — whether or not you are ever convicted. For most first-time offenders, the way to keep driving during that suspension is the Monitoring Device Driving Permit (MDDP).

The MDDP is a permit issued by the Illinois Secretary of State under 625 ILCS 5/6-206.1 that lets an eligible first-time offender keep driving during the suspension — as long as the vehicle has a Breath Alcohol Ignition Interlock Device (BAIID) installed. It replaced the old Judicial Driving Permit (JDP) and works differently: a JDP limited you to specific destinations and times, while an MDDP lets you drive anywhere in Illinois, any time of day, in a BAIID-equipped vehicle. The Secretary of State must issue the MDDP if you qualify — but it stays valid only if you install the BAIID within 14 days of the permit being issued. Until that device is installed, you cannot drive for any purpose except getting it installed.

Am I Eligible for an MDDP in Illinois?

To receive an MDDP you must be a “first offender” and meet the statutory requirements:

You are a first offender as defined in 625 ILCS 5/11-500 — no DUI conviction, DUI court supervision, or statutory summary suspension within the previous five years (in Illinois or another state).
Your driver’s license is otherwise valid.
Your DUI arrest did not cause death or great bodily harm to another person.
You have no prior conviction for reckless homicide or for aggravated DUI involving a death.
You are at least 18 years old.
If you hold a commercial driver’s license, you may still get an MDDP to drive a non-commercial vehicle as a first offender — but an MDDP never authorizes you to operate a commercial vehicle. (CDL violations)

“First offender” does not always mean you have never been arrested for DUI before — it turns on whether you have had a qualifying DUI disposition or suspension in the last five years. The distinction is technical, and confirming it is one of the first things to do in your case.

What an MDDP and the BAIID Cost

The MDDP itself carries a Secretary of State administration fee of $30 per month, set by statute. The larger cost is the BAIID, which you pay the vendor to install and monitor — typically around $85 to install and roughly $80 per month to lease and monitor, though the exact amounts vary by provider. If the court finds that you are indigent, it can reduce or relieve some of these costs. You are responsible for keeping the device’s fees current; if the BAIID is removed for non-payment, the Secretary of State will cancel the MDDP.

How the BAIID Works — and What Counts as a Violation

The BAIID is wired to your ignition. It will not let the vehicle start if it detects a breath-alcohol concentration above a set threshold, and it requires random “rolling retests” while you drive. The device records every reading and reports to the Secretary of State, so compliance is closely monitored. Violations carry real consequences:

Driving a vehicle that is not equipped with a BAIID while you hold an MDDP is a Class 4 felony.
Failed tests, missed rolling retests, or tampering can extend your summary suspension.
Repeated violations can lead to your vehicle being impounded and, ultimately, seized and forfeited.

Because the device reports automatically, even an innocent reading — mouthwash, certain foods, a cold-start glitch — can create a problem you have to explain. A lawyer can help you respond before an extension becomes permanent.

The Work-Vehicle Exemption

If your job requires you to drive your employer’s vehicle, you can ask the court for a work-vehicle exemption so that vehicle does not need a BAIID. The judge must approve the request and mark it on the MDDP, and the Secretary of State decides eligibility. If granted, you must carry specific paperwork, drive the employer’s vehicle only within the scope of your employment, and the vehicle cannot be one your employer lets you take home. This exemption does not apply to CDL holders.

MDDP vs. Restricted Driving Permit (RDP) — Which One Applies to You

These two permits get confused constantly, and the difference matters:

MDDP — for first offenders during a Statutory Summary Suspension. The Secretary of State must issue it if you qualify (no hearing required), and it lets you drive anywhere, any time, with a BAIID.
RDP — for drivers whose licenses have been revoked (often repeat offenders, or after a conviction). An RDP requires a formal Secretary of State hearing and limits you to specific purposes such as work, school, or medical needs.

In short: MDDP means suspension, first offender, and automatic if eligible; RDP means revocation and a hearing you have to win. If your license is revoked rather than suspended, see our driver’s license reinstatement page.

What If You’re Not Eligible — or Don’t Want the Permit

Repeat offenders are not eligible for an MDDP. If you have a prior DUI disposition or summary suspension within five years, you generally cannot drive during the suspension and will need to pursue an RDP through a Secretary of State hearing instead. And if you simply do not want an MDDP, you cannot just ignore it — you must petition the court to formally decline (“opt out”) and sign a written waiver, or you risk being charged with driving while suspended. Either way, the smarter first move is often to challenge the suspension itself.

How a Joliet DUI Lawyer Helps

The MDDP is only one piece of a first-DUI case. Separately, you have a limited window to file a petition to rescind the Statutory Summary Suspension — and if that petition succeeds, the suspension (and the need for a BAIID) can disappear entirely. As a former Will County prosecutor and former Illinois Assistant Attorney General, I know how these suspensions are challenged and how the Secretary of State’s requirements work in practice. From my office in downtown Joliet, steps from the Will County Courthouse, I help first offenders throughout Will County keep driving and fight the underlying DUI defense.

Contact a Joliet DUI Attorney

If you have been arrested for a first DUI, do not wait for the suspension to take effect. Call 815-740-4025 for a free consultation. Evening and weekend appointments are available.