Drivers under 21 and alcohol

Key points

1. Under 21, any trace of alcohol while driving means at least a three-month suspension.

   Source: Handbook p. 52

   “If you are under age 21 and found to have any trace of alcohol in your system while operating a motor vehicle, you will have your driving privileges suspended for a minimum of three months.”
   Illinois Rules of the Road, Handbook p. 52

2. Under 21, a first DUI conviction means at least a two-year revocation.

   Source: Handbook p. 52

   “If you are under age 21 and convicted of DUI, you face the revocation of your driving privileges for a minimum of two years for a first conviction.”
   Illinois Rules of the Road, Handbook p. 52

3. Under 21, a conviction or court supervision for illegal alcohol possession, purchase or drinking costs you your license even if you were not driving.

   Source: Handbook p. 52

   “All individuals under age 21 who are convicted of or receive court supervision for illegal consumption, purchase, possession, or receiving alcohol as a gift will lose their driving privileges regardless of whether or not they are operating a motor vehicle”
   Illinois Rules of the Road, Handbook p. 52

4. Under 21, court supervision for alcohol while in a vehicle brings a three-month suspension.

   Source: Handbook p. 20

   “A person under age 21 who receives court supervision for possession, consumption, purchase, or receipt of alcohol will receive a three-month driver’s license suspension if the offense occurred while the person was an occupant of a motor vehicle.”
   Illinois Rules of the Road, Handbook p. 20

5. A conviction for that alcohol offense while in a vehicle brings at least a six-month suspension.

   Source: Handbook p. 20

   “A conviction will result in a minimum six-month suspension of driving privileges if the offense occurred while the person was an occupant of a motor vehicle.”
   Illinois Rules of the Road, Handbook p. 20

6. If your license was suspended before 21, you must complete a driver remedial education course.

   Source: Handbook p. 52

   “If your driver’s license was suspended before age 21, you will be required to successfully complete a driver remedial education course.”
   Illinois Rules of the Road, Handbook p. 52

7. Providing alcohol to someone under 21 can bring a fine, jail and a suspension.

   Source: Handbook p. 52

   “If you are convicted of providing alcohol to a person under age 21, you may be fined, be sentenced to jail, and have your driving privileges suspended.”
   Illinois Rules of the Road, Handbook p. 52

8. It is illegal to let someone drive your vehicle if you know they are under the influence.

   Source: Handbook p. 52

   “It is illegal to allow someone to drive your vehicle if you know that person is under the influence.”
   Illinois Rules of the Road, Handbook p. 52

Numbers to know

3 questions from the Illinois practice test

1. 1. What minimum suspension applies when an Illinois driver under 21 has any trace of alcohol while operating a motor vehicle?

   1. A minimum suspension of three calendar months
   2. One month
   3. A half-year suspension
   4. No suspension unless BAC reaches .08 percent
   Show answer

   A minimum suspension of three calendar months. For a driver under 21, any trace of alcohol while operating a motor vehicle brings a minimum three-month suspension. The .08 percent choice incorrectly imports the adult chemical-test threshold and ignores Illinois’s separate under-21 rule. Six months is associated with other suspension triggers, including a qualifying chemical test, while one month understates the minimum. The practical cue is zero-trace treatment for under-21 driving: any detected alcohol can start the stated three-month minimum.

2. 2. What minimum revocation follows an Illinois driver's first DUI conviction while under age 21?

   1. A three-month alcohol-trace suspension
   2. Two years
   3. A six-month chemical-test suspension
   4. A one-year refusal suspension
   Show answer

   Two years. A driver under age 21 who is convicted of DUI faces revocation of driving privileges for at least two years when it is a first conviction. Revocation is the specific consequence in this rule, not the suspension wording used for other triggers. Three months applies when an underage driver has any trace of alcohol while operating a vehicle. Six months follows a qualifying chemical test, while one year follows refusal to submit to chemical testing. Keep the driver’s age, conviction status, and first-offense condition together when distinguishing these consequences.

3. 3. A 19-year-old in Illinois is convicted of possessing alcohol while riding in a car. What is the minimum suspension?

   1. 30 days
   2. Three months
   3. No suspension, because the driver was a passenger
   4. Six months
   Show answer

   Six months. When a person under 21 is convicted of possessing, consuming, purchasing, or receiving alcohol while an occupant of a motor vehicle, Illinois imposes a suspension of at least six months. Court supervision for the same offense brings a three month suspension, so three months is the supervision outcome, not the conviction outcome. Thirty days is too short. Being a passenger does not help, because the rule covers any occupant of a vehicle.

Source: the Illinois Rules of the Road, Chapter 6: Driving Under the Influence (DUI). This lesson is a plain English summary, not the law itself; where it differs, the manual and the statute govern. Last checked 2026-09-27.