DUI Lawyer Cost in Illinois

Updated September 2026

What a DUI Lawyer Costs in Illinois

Andy charges a flat fee. The quote is given before you hire him, and there is no charge for the consultation where it is given. The fee depends on the case: a first-offense misdemeanor with a breath test is at the low end of the range; a felony charge, an accident, a blood draw, a professional license at stake, or a case set for trial is at the high end. There is no hourly billing.

The Real Question: What Does a Conviction Cost?

Before looking at attorney fees, consider what a DUI conviction actually costs in Illinois. Most people are shocked when they add it up:

Conviction Cost Category	Typical Range
Court fines and mandatory fees	$2,500+
Auto insurance increases (3-5 years)	$5,000–$15,000+
Alcohol education and treatment	$500–$2,000+
License reinstatement fees	$500+
Ignition interlock device (if required)	$500–$1,000
Lost wages (court dates, classes, community service)	Varies
Career and employment impact	Potentially significant
Total estimated cost of conviction	$15,000–$25,000+

What DUI Attorneys Typically Charge in Illinois

DUI attorney fees vary based on case complexity, attorney experience, and the specific courthouse. Here's a realistic breakdown:

• First-offense misdemeanor DUI: lowest, for a straightforward case
• Second-offense DUI: higher, reflecting mandatory penalties and added complexity
• Felony/aggravated DUI: highest, reflecting the severity and exposure
• DUI involving accident or injury: Higher, reflecting increased complexity
• DUI with professional license defense: Higher, reflecting dual-track work (criminal case + licensing board)
• Drug DUI (blood test cases): Higher, reflecting lab analysis and expert witness costs
• DUI trial: Additional fees for trial preparation and courtroom time

Most experienced DUI attorneys charge flat fees — you know the cost upfront, no surprises. Andy Sotiropoulos discusses fees during the free initial consultation and offers payment plans to make representation accessible.

What a DUI Defense Flat Fee Covers

A common question when comparing quotes is what the flat fee actually includes. For a typical first-offense DUI, a flat fee covers representation through the core stages of the case — not just a single court appearance:

• The initial consultation and case review: reviewing the arrest report, the charges, and your options before any fee is set
• The Statutory Summary Suspension hearing: the petition to rescind the administrative license suspension, which is a written request for a judicial hearing in the circuit court of venue under 625 ILCS 5/2-118.1 — separate from the criminal charge
• Arraignment and pretrial court dates: appearing on your behalf and entering a plea so the case is preserved and properly positioned
• Discovery review: obtaining and analyzing the police reports, breathalyzer calibration and certification records, squad and body-camera video, and field sobriety test documentation
• Pretrial motions: challenging the stop, the testing, or the evidence where the facts support it, including motions to suppress
• Plea negotiation: negotiating with the prosecutor toward a reduced charge, court supervision, or dismissal

Trial preparation and courtroom time are typically quoted separately if a case goes to trial, since most first-offense cases resolve before that stage. Andy explains exactly what your flat fee covers — and what would fall outside it — during the free initial consultation, so there are no surprises later.

What Drives the Cost Up

• Blood test vs. breath test: Blood cases require lab analysis, chain of custody review, and sometimes expert witnesses — more work, higher cost
• Accident involvement: Adds civil liability, injury allegations, and additional evidence to review
• Felony charges: Third offense, driving on a license revoked for a prior DUI, child in vehicle, or accident with injury elevate to felony territory with more at stake and more work required
• Professional license implications: Defending both the criminal case and a licensing board proceeding (IDFPR, FAA, ARDC) requires additional expertise and time
• Prior record: Prior DUIs or related offenses increase consequences and complexity
• Trial likelihood: Cases more likely to go to trial require more preparation time

What a Second or Third DUI Costs to Defend

"2nd DUI lawyer cost" and "3rd DUI lawyer cost" are among the most common cost searches, and the honest answer is that a repeat offense costs more to defend because Illinois law gives the defense less room to work with. The added cost is not a surcharge for a worse record — it tracks specific statutory consequences that have to be fought on separate tracks.

Why a second offense takes more work

• Court supervision is off the table. Under 730 ILCS 5/5-6-1(d), a court cannot impose supervision on anyone with a prior DUI conviction or a prior DUI supervision. The disposition that resolves many first offenses simply does not exist, so the work shifts to attacking the charge itself
• There is a mandatory minimum to defeat, not negotiate. 625 ILCS 5/11-501(c)(2) requires either 5 days of imprisonment or 240 hours of community service on a second conviction. A judge cannot go below it, which means the only path around it runs through the evidence
• The license case is longer and harder. A non-first offender faces a statutory summary suspension of 1 year for a failed chemical test or 3 years for a refusal under 625 ILCS 5/6-208.1, and there is no Monitoring Device Driving Permit — 625 ILCS 5/6-206.1 limits the MDDP to first offenders. Relief requires a Secretary of State hearing, which is a separate proceeding with its own preparation
• Prior-case review is added work. How the earlier case was resolved affects the current one, so the prior file, the plea, and the disposition all have to be obtained and reviewed

Why a third offense is a different category entirely

A third violation is Aggravated DUI and a Class 2 felony under 625 ILCS 5/11-501(d)(2)(B). That moves the case out of misdemeanor court and into felony proceedings, with grand jury or preliminary hearing practice, a longer motion schedule, and prison-range sentencing exposure. Felony defense is more work than misdemeanor defense in every measurable way, and fee structures reflect that.

A second offense with a passenger under 16 is also Aggravated DUI under 625 ILCS 5/11-501(d)(1)(K), so a "second" case can carry felony cost even though it is the second offense. Learn more: Second DUI in Illinois and Felony DUI in Illinois.

Court Costs and Fines vs. Attorney Fees

These are two entirely separate bills, and confusing them is the single most common mistake people make when budgeting for a DUI. Attorney fees are what you pay your lawyer. Fines, court costs, and assessments are what you pay the court and the state on conviction — and unlike attorney fees, several of them are fixed by statute and cannot be negotiated down.

Statutory fine or minimum	Amount set by law	Citation
Maximum fine, Class A misdemeanor DUI	Not to exceed $2,500	730 ILCS 5/5-4.5-55(e)
First offense, alcohol concentration 0.16 or more	Mandatory minimum fine of $500, plus 100 hours of community service	625 ILCS 5/11-501(c)(4)
Second offense, alcohol concentration 0.16 or more	Mandatory minimum fine of $1,250, plus 2 days of imprisonment	625 ILCS 5/11-501(c)(5)
Transporting a person under the age of 16	Additional mandatory minimum fine of $1,000, plus 25 days of community service in a program benefiting children	625 ILCS 5/11-501(c)(3)

On top of the fine itself, a case carries court costs and assessments set by the county, a required alcohol and drug evaluation and any treatment ordered, and — after a revocation — a reinstatement fee and an SR-22 filing before driving privileges return. Reinstatement fee amounts are published by the Illinois Secretary of State and are the same statewide regardless of which attorney you hire.

How DUI Fees Are Structured: Flat Fee, Retainer, or Hourly

"Retainer," "flat fee," and "hourly" describe three genuinely different arrangements, and knowing which one you are being quoted matters more than the headline number.

• Flat fee: one price for a defined scope of work, agreed before the case begins. You know the total up front. Most experienced DUI attorneys work this way because DUI cases follow a predictable set of stages. The scope is what matters — ask exactly which stages it covers and what falls outside it
• Retainer: money paid up front and drawn against as work is performed, usually at an hourly rate. If the case runs longer than the retainer covers, you are billed for the balance. A retainer is a deposit, not a total
• Hourly: billed by time spent. Common in civil work, less common in DUI defense, because the final cost is unknowable until the case ends

Payment plans are a separate question from fee structure. A flat fee can still be paid over time, and many DUI attorneys — Andy included — offer that so cost is not the reason someone accepts a disposition they did not have to accept. The specific fee for your case, and the payment schedule, are quoted during the free initial consultation before you commit to anything.

What to Look For Beyond the Price

The cheapest attorney is rarely the best value in DUI defense. Here's what actually matters:

• DUI-only focus: Does the attorney handle only DUI, or is it one of twenty practice areas? Specialists know defense strategies that generalists miss — breathalyzer calibration failures, SFST administration errors, blood draw procedure violations
• Credentials that matter: NCDD membership, SFST Instructor certification (trained on the same tests officers use), DRE/ARIDE certification for drug DUI cases — these aren't decorations, they're tools for finding case weaknesses
• Local courthouse knowledge: Does the attorney appear regularly in the courthouse where your case will be heard? Knowing the prosecutors, judges, and local procedures creates real advantages
• Who actually handles your case: Some firms hand cases to junior associates after the initial consultation. Ask directly
• Caseload: An attorney carrying 200+ cases can't give yours adequate attention. Ask how many active cases they handle
• Willingness to fight: Prosecutors give better deals to attorneys they know will take cases to trial. An attorney with a reputation for plea-everything gets plea-everything offers

Andy's Approach to Fees

The initial consultation is free. During that conversation, Andy reviews your case, explains your defense options, and quotes a flat fee based on what your case actually requires. Payment plans are available. There are no hidden charges and no surprises — you know the full cost before making any commitment.

Available evenings and weekends. Because DUI arrests don't happen during business hours, and neither should your access to a defense attorney.

Related Topics: First DUI in Illinois • DUI Penalties • How to Beat a DUI • Getting Charges Dismissed • DUI Court Process • Professional License Defense • Service Areas

This page is general legal information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Statutory fine and penalty figures on this page were verified against the Illinois Compiled Statutes at ilga.gov; attorney fees are not set by statute and vary by case and by firm. To discuss your situation, contact Andreas "Andy" Sotiropoulos.