Illinois State Laws

Illinois Law

Illinois stands at the top of the list for having the most law enforcement number lists. This means that Illinois is not only the fifth most populated state in the country, but it also has more police agencies and special jurisdiction agencies than most other states.

For the size of the state, Illinois has eleven different law enforcement agencies at all different levels. These include campus police, park district police, municipal police, specialized police, forest preserve police, sheriffs, and others. All of these agencies oversee the law and enforce the federal laws of the government as well as the state laws. Many of these laws include guns laws, bankruptcy laws, divorce laws, labor laws, driving under the influence laws, and many others.

Bankruptcy

Bankruptcy in Illinois shifted recently from being rather simple in filing to rather difficult. Federal law created new laws for how bankruptcy is to be handled as well as to eliminate those who abuse the bankruptcy system. Illinois currently has two different kinds of bankruptcy available for personal use: Chapter Seven bankruptcy and Chapter Thirteen bankruptcy.

Chapter Seven bankruptcy is designed to help individuals out of debt through the sale of personal property. Chapter Thirteen bankruptcy is designed to help individuals out of debt through a specialized payment plan. Which bankruptcy an individual qualifies for depends on the amount of money he or she can pay on his or her debts each month. Upon filing an individual’s personal expenses and debts will be compared to those of all Illinois citizens. This will determine which kind of bankruptcy will be permitted.

Drunk Driving

The national legal blood alcohol content limit for driving under the influence arrest is 0.08 percent. In Illinois this number is smaller for minors and results in very different punishments. All minors who are arrested for driving under the influence will automatically have their driver’s license suspended for two years. This is for a first-time offense.

If a minor is arrested for drunk driving a second time, he or she will have his or her driver’s license suspended for no less than five years or until he or she is the age of twenty-one. A third driving under the influence arrest will result in three years of incarceration as well as a fine of twenty-five thousand dollars. Any subsequent offenses will result in driver’s license termination for life.

Record Sealing

In the state of Illinois an individual may have his or her criminal record sealed, but only in some circumstances. Illinois has two different ways of sealing: partial sealing and complete sealing. Partial sealing seals only some criminal offenses on an individual’s record, while complete sealing eliminates all criminal offenses on a record. Unlike expungement these records can still be accessed for several reasons, including running for public office and entering the military. Felony convictions cannot be sealed nor can violent misdemeanors.

Gun Laws

Illinois requires that Firearms Owner’s Identification be obtained prior to carrying concealed weapons or other certain kinds of firearms. Only certain individuals qualify for this kind of identification and must first submit to a screening process.

Illinois Law Articles