Where Does Illinois Place on the List of Most/Least Strict States on DUI?

The short answer is that Illinois, like every other state, takes a rather dim view of driving under the influence. Some places may be a bit easier or tougher on offenders, but in the Land of Lincoln, it's still going to cost you a pile of money, time, and other difficulties.

Even if you care nothing for your own safety or the safety of others, most people do care about money. And, with the price tag for a DUI running as high as $20,000, you might really want to think about downloading the Uber app.

With drunk driving resulting in roughly 1 million arrests, 10,000 deaths and $44 billion in economic damage each year, the personal-finance website WalletHub today released an in-depth report on 2017’s Strictest & Most Lenient States on DUI.

There is good news, though. Drunk-driving fatalities dropped by 57% from 1982 to 2014, according to the NHTSA, as states have cracked down on the practice. As a result, motor vehicle crashes are no longer among America’s top 10 causes of death.

For the purposes of comparison, WalletHub looked at the drunk-driving penalties in all 50 states along with the District of Columbia to come up with their rankings. We'll get to the Illinois-specific numbers coming up, but first the strictest and most lenient states.

Top 5 Strictest:

1) Arizona

2) Georgia

3) Alaska

4) Kansas

5) Oklahoma

Top 5 Most Lenient:

47) Idaho

48) North Dakota

49) Ohio

50) District of Columbia

51) South Dakota

As for the State of Illinois, we come in at the #19 spot, well ahead of #24 Iowa, #25 Kentucky, #27 Minnesota, #34 Missouri, #37 Indiana, and #38 Wisconsin.

DUI Penalty in Illinois (1=Strictest; 25=Avg.):
12th – Minimum Jail Time (1st offense)
16th – Minimum Jail Time (2nd offense)
6th – How Long Old DUI Factors into Penalties
2nd – Administrative License Suspension
18th – Minimum Fine (1st offense)
19th – Minimum Fine (2nd offense)
9th – Average Insurance Rate Increase After DUI