A commercial driver’s license (CDL) is put at risk with almost any traffic ticket.
For starters, a ticket for a moving violation will appear on a driver’s abstract. Most employers will check a job applicant’s driving record for traffic offenses because the employer’s insurance will increase if the driver has numerous traffic tickets. Employers are looking to cut costs, and they will reject a job application if the driver will cost them in insurance.
Some job applicants have been denied employment for only a handful of traffic tickets. It is critical to have these offenses removed from your driver’s abstract if possible, or avoid them in the first place by hiring a traffic lawyer.
But some traffic offenses are far more serious because they can result in an immediate cancellation of your CDL.
The law in Illinois provides that a CDL will be canceled for a period of one year for any of the following offenses:
- Driving under the influence (DUI).
- A refusal to submit to chemical testing such as a breathalyzer test, blood test, or urine test to detect the presence of alcohol or drugs. It does not matter whether the driver is operating a commercial motor vehicle or a personal vehicle.
- A second DUI offense. A second DUI results in a lifetime cancellation of a CDL.
- Driving a commercial motor vehicle with a blood alcohol content (BAC) of 0.04 or more.
- Leaving the scene of an accident while driving a commercial motor vehicle.
- Any felony offense involving a motor vehicle.
- Negligent driving resulting in the death of another person while operating a commercial motor vehicle.
- Driving a commercial motor vehicle during a revocation or cancellation of a commercial driver’s license.
If you have been ticketed or arrested for any of the above offenses, you should contact a qualified lawyer immediately to protect your CDL.
